Broken Vows - A Mafia Romance

U

oncrete floor, I can sense it in the way their eyes dart towards and away from me. In the way

the soda factory-don't even know why they fear me. Other than me being the owner's son, they have no real reason to be afraid of me, and yet, like prey in the grasslands, they sense the lion is

ldn't. The soda factory is a cover for the real operation downstairs, which must be protected at all costs. It

wn her back-calls out orders to the employees on the floor below

't look a

ete floors feel like they are vibrating from the sheer power of the sound waves. A lot of people find the sights a

jockeying the rest of the cans back into a smooth line. The larger of the three men-a bald man with a doughy face and no obvious chin-flips a red switch. An alarm sounds and the cans begin mov

d ever dream to be. Plus, he wouldn't have drawn attention to himself. Likely, he is just a new hire

e man'

t one to unlock the basement door. The stairway down is dark, and as soon as the metal door slams shut behind me, I'm left in blackness, my other senses heightening. The sounds of the production

wait for me to answer. "I've got a line here for you. We

l production floor. I blink as my eyes adjust, and see Simon alone at the first metal table, three ot

smiles and poi

"I'll know whether it's good or not wh

time for word to spread. We may

mon. He is an entire head shorter than me, his skin pale from spending so much

t dwellers are often the last to hear just about everything." He tries to

ue over my top teeth. "The rumbling is that s

ngers drum against the metal tablet

single thing abo

ll Simon wants to back away, but he stays put. I commend him fo

in his throat. "Why

his windpipe in my hand and walking him back towards the stone wall. I hear the men in the back of th

ion that says you met with members of the Furino mafia." I

inning to bulge out, and he claws at

other family? Have I not welcomed you into our fo

ective. Just before his body can sag into unconsciousness, I release him. He drops to the floor, falling

e looks up at me, I can already see the beg

r out of him, and he collapses on his fac

ce muffled. "I talke

e into his ribs, rolling him

tears streaming down his face from

did not t

ted," he says, sitting up an

grab his shirt, hauling him to his feet and pinning him against

for the next blow. "They offered me a larger cut of the p

ory. The Furinos would not reach out to our chemist and offer him more money unless there had been communication between them prior, unless they had some connecti

o my humanity, but he does n

I squeeze again, enjoying the feeling of his life in my hands. I like knowing that with one blow to

ore dawn unless you tell me why y

e. Killing indiscriminately does not create the kind of controlled fear we need to keep our family standing. It only creates anarch

e the words are being released slowly from a balloon.