The Mafia's Prized Possession

**Stefan**

I knew her every moves. Her very steps. The sound of her voice.

The way her lips curled to reveal dimples when she smiled. The way her eyes lit up when she laughed.

The way she fluttered her eyelashes coyly when she saw the Doctor.

The fact that she didn't drink and didn't have much friends except for the woman I had sent to keep an eye on her.

And the fact that her hold on me was driving me almost senseless making me wonder if it'd drive him the same way too.

It's been a year since I've been stalking her and making a fool of myself. To think that the most ruthless Mafia Lord in all of NY was tailing a woman personally was the most insane thing ever heard of.

What would the underworld say if they heard that a woman like Marissa Perez was driving me crazy?

What would they think if they heard that I was outside her home on a Saturday evening watching her through the window as she laughed with her Father over a drink.

I'm many things but I'm not a stalker.

Stalking is completely for those under me, I don't stalk my victims.

My victims.

It was safe to call her a victim now because that's what she was going to be in the coming hours.

"Should we go in and get her now since they're together?"

Dmitri asked.

Dmitri was my righthand man and one who didn't like to be kept waiting especially because of a woman. His hair was slicked back with gel and his face was puffed up. He didnt have any lovable features about him physically and character wise, he was the meanest and most cruel of all my men which was why I had chosen him for this mission tonight.

Gilead was warned about paying me on time but he had chosen to go back on his word which was why I had decided to approach her myself so that there wouldn't be any confusion about the kind of man I happened to be.

That's why I'm called Litso so shramom meaning Scarface in Russian.

My fingers went involuntarily to the jagged scar that ran from my left eye to the my upper lip.

Marissa followed Gilead through the door, her hand clasped around his right arm as they laughed. They were headed to his car when he stopped abruptly and looked around.

It was late and it would be impossible for him to see us since our headlights were off but still, I had a feeling that his cop instincts were on alert.

"Goodnight Dad. Thanks for coming over." She hugged him tightly. He patted her on the back and pushed her away gently.

If he wasn't her Father, you'd think they were lovers.

"Call me anytime you need to talk okay? I'm always here for you." He said, ruffling her long hair. She swatted his hands off her head and he laughed.

"Stop doing that now, Dad. I'm not 12 anymore."

"I keep forgetting that."

She waved at him one last time before entering back into her house, turning the lock behind her.

I smiled at her carefulness. No matter what she did, she was still going to get kidnapped by me tonight.

"It's time, Dmitri." I said in Russian and he stepped out of our car, parked by the opposite side of the road. Walking by the trees to avoid being seen, he crossed to the other side and went to the back of Gilead's car.

Another of my aide was seated at the back seat already and as soon as Dmitri showed up with a gun pointed to Gilead's face, Katrina gagged his mouth from behind.

Good.

Now, it was time to go get the girl. Rambo, my tech guy who sat in front was ready to go out when I touched him on the shoulder.

"No, I'll go in first. When I give you the signal, you'll come."

He nodded his head at me in understanding as I stepped out of the black minivan and buttoned my striped Italian suit I had gotten as a gift. There was no need for me to follow the trees since Gilead already knew who I was as Dmitri and Katrina bundled him up and placed him in the booth of his car.

Marissa had already drawn the curtains in the living room so I opted to use the kitchen door, the part of her house that was never locked.

How do I know?

Because, this isn't my first time in her house. She's careful about the front but not about the kitchen and since the lock spoilt, she hadn't called anyone to fix it.

The hinges didn't creak like they use to because I oiled it a week beforehand. The more I explain things to myself, the creepier it becomes.

Plates were stacked in her sink along with the two glasses her and Gilead used to drink wine. If there was anything I knew, it was that she wasn't an alcoholic.

I walked out of the kitchen and into the corridor that led both ways; forward to her living room and backwards to her bedroom.

The sound of running water was coming from her bedroom along with the sound of people talking.

She's probably watching a movie.

Korean to be precise because that's all she watches. I rolled my eyes at her movie choice as I waited, leaning by the doorpost.

She didn't lock her door either, I know that much so getting in wasn't going to be a difficult task.

I sent the alert call to Rambo so he'd take his cue.

The voices of the characters were becoming louder now, Marissa oohing and ahhing her opinions. Rambo came in with the handkerchief and walked past me to her room , opening the door gently.

This was the moment we had all been waiting for.

I heard her moan and then stillness before he appeared carrying her in his arms, her long hair trailing behind her.

We gave each other slight nods as he walked past me and back outside.

I had successfully captured my victim.