Page 97 of Unravel Me

Curled up in my nest, I let my mind wander through every possibility, turning each one over again and again.

Something inside me slowly begins to crystallize, but the rest… the rest will reveal itself tonight.

CHAPTER 19: MAURO

2 and a half years ago

For what must have been the third time, I rewrite the letter I'm drafting to Colin Miller. At this point, I have no idea how to reach him because, just like Mark's two previous assistants, he refuses to press charges.

We've already exchanged several emails, but they've gotten us nowhere, and I let out a frustrated sigh as my fingers hover motionless over the keyboard.

"…I'm prepared to offer you financial support, as well as protection if it becomes necessary. But I'm begging you, please reconsider and file charges…"

I pull my hands away from the keyboard and curse quietly under my breath, realizing something.

Damn it, these are the exact same arguments I sent to the five previous assistants who quit working for Mark Ferguson after he sexually assaulted them, and they got me nowhere.

But Colin quit his job only two months ago. Everything is still fresh, and I'm desperately trying to convince him to be the one person willing to take this to court.

His reasons for refusing, however, are exactly the same as the others'. Mark threatened to kill him if Colin tried to do anything, telling him he could make it happen quietly, without anyone ever suspecting a thing, because he had connections everywhere, including the police and… the mafia.

The worst part is that he's not lying.

Over the past several months, Mark has worked hard to get into Anzo's good graces. Thanks to his family's influence, he helped secure several lucrative city contracts for us involving government construction projects.

So the Ferros would almost certainly be willing to back Mark if a lawsuit ever made it to court. And we have the best lawyer there is, our own second cousin, Alessi Ferro.

We would deal with it quietly, without attracting suspicion. And permanently. This is how my family operates, and I can't do shit about it.

Of course, I can't tell Colin that I'm part of the mafia too, because that would directly undermine the Ferros' interests, and there'd be no talking my way out of that.

So instead, I keep trying to pressure him in whatever ways I can, even though I already have a feeling none of it is going to work.

They're all afraid of Mark, and they probably should be. He's simply too powerful, at least for now. The full extent of his misconduct hasn't reached critical mass yet.

Footsteps echo through the hallway.

Hardly anyone ever comes into my room, the one that houses the surveillance center for the entire compound, but this time Ennio appears in the doorway.

I immediately close the email. I don't want him seeing what I've been doing because, for all I know, he might not approve. After all, he's benefited from the Ferguson family's help as much as anyone. Ennio runs the part of our business tied to real estate development and large construction projects, so lucrative contracts with the city's elite and the advantages that come with them matter a great deal to him.

Ennio remains in the doorway for a moment, studying me carefully.

"I assume you've heard already… or maybe you haven't?"

"Heard what?" I type into my speech synthesizer.

He lets out a breath and walks over to me.

His eyes flick briefly to my monitor, but there's nothing interesting on it anymore besides my photo from the day I won my first title in the light heavyweight division and was presented with the championship belt.

He stares at it for a second before speaking again.

"I was looking through the local news today, and one article caught my eye. It was about Jared Ferguson."

Every muscle in my body immediately locks up, and Ennio notices. He tilts his head slightly, a look of disapproval crossing his features.

"I figured as much. So it still bothers you. You've spent the last few years living like a monk. Your entire life revolves only around training."