You lied to me!

Lanky squinted his eyes at Maverick and Ashley. If it were a few days ago, he would probably get jealous seeing them together. But today, it gladdened his heart, and as such he was too shy to say it. It was a big relief to see Maverick in one piece.

“How in the name of fudge was he able to find me? We are in a bar in the middle of nowhere, and it is nearly impossible to find someone….. except if…. Gosh! Were they spying on me?!” Maverick's mind kept racing with a lot of questions. And the fear of being caught suddenly resonated with him.

Putting all his thoughts aside, Maverick allowed Ashley's arms to hold his waist tightly, and he felt enveloped in his warm hug. He buried his face in Ashley's chest, and Ashley pecked him on the head, murmuring, "Don't worry, sweetheart, I'm here for you. Nobody will ever hurt you, not on my watch," he whispered into Maverick's ear.

As little as those words were, it meant everything to Maverick. He had just been offered around-the-clock protection from a ruthless Mafia boss. That doesn't sound like something he would get if they found dirt on his resume.

Richard stood at the back of Lanky, envy radiating from his eyes. He was probably asking himself why Maverick was getting all the special baby boy treatment, especially when he had been working with the Mafia for years and got none.

Lanky menacingly pulled out a Glock 19 handgun, set it on the side table, and majestically sank into a stool, his presence commanding the room. Two hefty men and a woman stood at his back, guns in their hands, and the woman was communicating with someone through her earpiece.

“Tell me Becky, have the hooligans been taken care of?” Lanky asked the woman, his eyes fixed on the shivering Victor. And a look of anger was in his eyes.

The woman, Becky, moved forward and bowed. “Yes, Big Boss. We have emptied the bar, and stationed our men,” she replied with a hoarse voice.

Lanky nodded and pouted his lips. “Did you hear that, Victor? We are all alone,” he said to the frightened man.

Victor held his trousers with one of his hands, while his other hands tried to check the cupboard for his gun.

“If I were you, I wouldn't make that move. Those who have previously tried it got their lives ended in a gruesome way,” Ashley's husky voice thundered in the room, and Victor immediately dropped to his knees.

“I am so sorry, Big Boss. I had no idea that he was yours, but I swear he was the first to make passes at me…..” Victor stuttered. His eyes widened in terror as Lanky's gaze fell upon him. His hands trembled as he tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. 

Lanky burst into hysterical laughter, and Victor's mind raced with thoughts of his impending doom. He could even feel his heart pounding in his chest.

“Is that all?” Lanky asked with a grimace when his laughter finally died down. Victor nodded, he was peeping in his pants.

“Did you think I came to this filthy bar just because of my new recruit?” Lanky asked with a frown. Trying so hard to hide his true feelings for Maverick.

Victor blinked his eyes, unsure of how to reply. His eyes darted towards Maverick and Ashley, hoping to find some solace in their presence. But Maverick's face was buried in Ashley's chest, and Ashley's eyes were fixed intently on Victor, a warning glint in their depths.

Lanky's gaze met Ashley's angry stare. He knew it was a warning from his partner, but he pretended to shrug it off when in reality, his thoughts were spinning.

“Who gave you the permission to supply my brother?” Lanky asked with a deadly look, and he picked up his handgun.

“What?” Victor arched his brows in shock. He wasn't expecting Lanky to find out, and if he had any hopes before. At that moment his luck vanished into thin air. Every drug dealer knew better than to supply the Big Boss younger brother. It had never ended well.

From where he sat, Maverick sent a silent plea to the universe, wondering if Ashley could save him if things turned out badly.

Victor thought about what to say, but he couldn't come up with a convincing lie. “Big Boss, I swear, it was a mistake. Mark held me at gunpoint and threatened to wipe out my family if I refused to help him. He also vowed to kill himself,” Victor stammered. His fists were clenched so tight that the smell of metallic blood filled the air.

Ashley knew that Victor might be telling the truth. What he said was something Mark was capable of doing. Lanky also knew this, but he didn't care. All that was in his head was that his orders were defiled.

Victor's fear turned to desperation as he realized the gravity of his situation. He was at the mercy of a ruthless Mafia lord, and his chances of escape seemed slim. He tried stuttering out an apology, but his words tumbled out in a frantic bid to appease Lanky.

Lanky's expression remained unreadable, his eyes fixed on Victor with an unnerving intensity. The silence in the room was oppressive, punctuated only by Victor's ragged breathing.

“That's where you are wrong. You shouldn't have been scared of my brother. Because I am the only one capable of eliminating your family with just a snap of my finger,” Lanky uttered with a cold, calculated tone, his words dripping with menace. 

Victor's eyes widened in terror as Lanky's finger tightened around the trigger of the Glock 19. The air in the room seemed to thicken, and the silence became almost suffocating.

Maverick's grip on Ashley's waist tightened, his heart racing with fear. He knew he had to stay calm, but the situation was spiraling out of control. 

Ashley's eyes never left Victor's face, his expression a mask of calmness, but his eyes betrayed a hint of concern.

Lanky's gaze never wavered from Victor's face, his eyes burning with an intense anger. "You should have thought of that before you decided to cross me," Lanky sneered, his voice low and deadly.

Victor's face was contorted in a mixture of fear and desperation. He knew he was running out of time, and his only hope was to appeal to Ashley's mercy. But the Mafia lord partner's expression offered no hope, only a cold, calculating gaze that seemed to bore into Victor's very soul. He turned to face Ashley one more time, unfortunately, at that very moment, Lanky pulled the trigger, and a bullet ripped through the air, hitting Victor in the middle of his forehead. Victor's head jerked backward, his eyes wide with shock and pain. Victor's body slumped to the floor, lifeless.

The room fell silent, the only sound the echo of Maverick's labored breath. Lanky pointed the gun at Maverick, a mischief smirk on his lips.

“Get out!” Lanky ordered his men and women, and bowed before vacating the room. Richard looked at Maverick with pity, and he made a biblical cross sign.

“Birdie, Birdie…. Birdie, you lied to me. Treating me like a complete fool!” Lanky whispered with a grimace and tightened his finger around the gun.

******

PS: What do you think about this chapter? And how many chapters should I upload daily?