Under The Mafia King's Control

CHAPTER 5- The blackmailer

I was distracted for the rest of the day. Those pictures wouldn’t leave my mind.

Who was this blackmailer? How did they get my number? And what exactly did they expect from me?

My thoughts were tearing me apart. I needed something steady, something safe. So I decided to call the only person who still gave me peace.

“Hi dad,” I said, trying to hide the fear in my voice.

“Oh Andrea.” His voice sounded weaker than usual. “I’ve missed you so much, how are you?

“I’m okay. Just working. How are you? Are you managing alright on your own?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Are they treating you well over there? You’re not starving or anything.”

“No, I’m not starving. Everything is—“

“Andrea, please don’t lie to me.” He cut me off gently, but firmly. “I can tell something is wrong.” He always knew me better than I knew myself.

“Listen,” he continued quietly. “It’s not too late. You have no business working in that house to fix my mess. Just say the word and I’ll come get you. I’ll sort this out myself.”

Tears stung my eyes. I wanted nothing more than to run home. But I couldn’t leave him to die.

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’m okay, I promise. Everything will be fine soon. I love you.”

“I love you too my daughter.”

I swallowed my tears as I ended the call.

There was no way I would bend to that blackmailer. One wrong move, and Ethan Vance would kill my father. He’d made that very clear.

So I washed my face, pulled myself together, and got ready for work like it was any other day.

Dad’s life was my priority.

I was on my way to Mrs Lang, when one of Ethan’s men stepped in front of me. “The boss wants you in the massage room. Now.””

“Oh, perfect,” I muttered, the irritation dripping from my voice. I followed after him because, really, what choice did I have?

He led me inside the massage room. Ethan sat there with only a towel around his waist, calmly reading a book like this was completely normal. I steadied myself, refusing to react. As usual, he didn’t bother to look up.

“You’re giving me a full body massage today.” He said.

I frowned. “Do you make all your housekeepers touch you naked?”

“Only the ones I pick.” I could hear the grin in his voice.

My anger spiked. “So this is amusing to you? Humiliating me? Making me feel like some cheap slut?!”

He didn’t flinch. “There’s nothing humiliating about this situation, Bennett.” He finally shut his book and looked at me. “You see that massage kit? I use the oils. That’s it. Nothing more.”

Then he rose from the chair and moved toward the massage table.

I begrudgingly went to grab the massage kit. “Bold of you to assume I know how to do this.”

“I know you massage your father’s swollen legs.”

I froze, “So you’ve been spying on my father and me?”

“Monitoring my debts.” He said casually, as if it were nothing.

He stretched out on the table, the towel barely clinging to his waist. His muscles shifted under his skin, lean and defined. I knew he was sexy, but seeing him like this… almost naked… was different.

“Anytime now.” He said, drawing me out of my daze.

I rolled my eyes, washed my hands, and got to work.

Silence settled over the room, until he broke it. “It’s admirable, the way you take care of your father.”

“Yeah, so admirable that you’ve threatened to kill us.”

He didn’t respond right away.

“I’m not as terrible as you think. Business is just business.” His voice dropped, smoother. “And I have a reputation to maintain as New York’s most successful Mafia King.

I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reaction. I focused on his lower back, kneading deeper.

“There’s a lot of tension there,” he said, lowering his towel a little more. “Go harder.”

Heat rushed through me at the sight.

“Is that enough pressure?” I asked, putting my strength into it.”

“I like it when you go rough.” He teased me, clearly enjoying himself.

I jerked my hands away. “You’re a p*****t, Ethan Vance.”

He chuckled, “You’re the most stubborn, hot-headed woman I’ve ever met… it’s a breath of fresh air from everyone else here.”

The comment startled me, but I refused to give him even a glance.

This man was insane. Thinking he could flirt, taunt, threaten, and charm me all in the same breath. If he thought he could mess with my mind—

Bzzzzz…

My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a call. Probably my dad. I made a mental note to call him back later.

Then it vibrated again. I still didn’t answer it.

It kept buzzing nonstop after that.

A knot formed in my gut. My dad would never call me over and over like this. No sane person would. It had to be the blackmailer.

I couldn’t let Ethan get suspicious.

“I need to use the restroom.” I blurted out.

“Alright.”

I hurried off.

The second the restroom door shut behind me, my phone went silent. Six missed calls. Same unknown ID.

Before I could breathe, it started vibrating again.

I answered instantly.

“Hell-“

“Don’t ignore me again.” The voice snapped. It was the blackmailer.

“What the hell do you want from me?” I whispered, glancing over my shoulder.

“You’re going to break into his office safe. Inside you’ll find documents on all his illegal dealings. Bring them to me.”

My stomach dropped.

“Are you crazy?!” I raised my voice just a little. “If I get caught, both my father and I are dead. And I will definitely get caught.”

“I understand you’re in a tricky spot, so I’ll give you two days to decide,” he said calmly, almost amused. “And to show you I’m serious, I’ll leave you a surprise.”

The line went dead before I could speak.

I sprinted back to the massage room.

“Did you get lost?” Ethan asked the moment I stepped in.

“No. Sorry, women issues.”

He didn’t respond, so I grabbed the oil to continue. Just as I reached out, his phone rang.

“Hello?” He answered instantly.

Then in a blur, he jumped off the table.

For a fraction of a second, I saw more than I should have. My cheeks burned and I quickly looked away, terrified of getting caught. Thankfully, he was too rattled to notice.

Now I understood why women acted so crazy around him.

He wrapped himself in his silk robe and bolted out the door. I rushed closely behind.

Outside, havoc erupted.

The house hidden in the forest where he kept his captives was engulfed in flames. Thick black smoke thickened in the sky, spiraling around the nearby trees and filling the air with a bitter, acrid stench. Men scrambled frantically, dragging hoses and buckets of water, trying to stop the blaze before it consumed the rest of the building, and the entire forest.

“Someone better tell me what the f**k happened here!” Ethan yelled. I had never seen him this angry.

One of the men ran to him. “Sir, we don’t know what happened. We just noticed thick smoke, and followed it to the house.”

“You mean to tell me the house magically set itself on fire?!”

The man paled. “Sir, we’re searching for the culprit. I promise we’ll find them.”

Ethan exhaled, only slightly calmer. “And the prisoners.”

“They're all dead, sir.”

My knees buckled, legs nearly giving out. Those men I’d seen just a few days ago… gone. Burned alive.

Ethan seized the man by his collar, fury blazing in his eyes. “Get me the person responsible. Or I swear it’ll be your head!”

Then he stormed out.

I turned to head back, when my phone chimed.

One new message.

Unknown: Did you like my surprise?