Page 5 of Mafia Heir’s Alpha (Mated in the Mafia #7)

ORI

I woke up the next morning the way I always did after sleeping in a bed that wasn’t mine, which was to say I had somehow tangled into the fitted sheet like I’d been fighting for my life all night.

Not only that, I was drenched in sweat and my throat was drier than I’d ever felt.

After the amazing night I had with Rosco, I should have been floating on clouds of happy memories.

But I felt…weird. I thought having sex would make me feel older. Powerful. Maybe more like a man. But it wasn’t like that at all. I just felt…empty. Not physically, because his come was still seeping out of me when I stretched and rolled onto my back. But empty inside my whole being .

Perhaps this revenge thing was not for me.

And that just pissed me off.

How did people have random hook-ups on the regular? I wasn’t sure I’d survive my first one. To go the rest of my life without feeling Rosco’s touch again sounded sad and depressing.

As much as I wanted to focus on my plan to get to Cord, I couldn’t help picturing Rosco’s strong jaw covered in sexy stubble as he loomed over me and let his hand skate down my bare skin. Thinking about the way his weight felt on me as I arched into his grip made my cock hard and my ass wet.

“Nope, no more of that. Get up and get focused.” As much as I wanted to linger in bed all day, I had a plan to put into motion. Also, I was hungry, in every possible way.

After a quick shower, I got dressed and headed down to The Boss’s Kitchen . They had a sign that promised an award-winning brunch, and that was all I needed to know. Awards didn’t matter to me, but I was hopeful there would be a sweet stack of something delicious in my immediate future .

The café was on the mezzanine and overlooked the lobby.

There were a dozen other guests already seated, and all of them turned my way when I came in.

A few faces looked familiar—probably some extended family I’d researched when digging into the Menettis—but I kept my head down and sat at a table next to the railing.

My appetite was building by the second, so I barely perused the menu before I knew exactly what I wanted. When I looked up, an attractive server was heading to my table to take my order.

He was also an omega, but the ring on his hand and the choker around his neck made it clear he wasn’t single. This guy was definitely mated. “You ready to order, kid?”

Kid? He couldn’t have been more than a few years older than me. And what was with everyone calling me kid? “Yeah, please. I’ll take the Vanilla Bean French Toast.”

“Good choice.” He nodded as he jotted it down. “With whipped cream and strawberries?”

“Definitely.”

“Any protein? Bacon or eggs?” he asked .

“Eggs.” I didn’t really want eggs, but it felt like the responsible choice. “And cold milk, please.”

He cracked a smile at that. “Of course.”

When the food came, I inhaled it. I started with the eggs and was surprised when they sated a craving I didn’t realize I had.

As soon as the healthy stuff was out of the way, I dug into the best French toast I’d ever tasted.

As I licked the last traces of cinnamon from my fingers, I spotted a flash of familiar black hair by the door.

Rosco was talking to another man, and the tension in his jaw said that whatever they were discussing was serious.

I thought about waving, but I didn’t want to distract him, or worse, see disgust on his face as he pretended not to know me. Instead, I looked away and did my best to wipe up the mess on my face.

If I was going to capture his attention and enact the rest of my plan, I’d need to play it cool, not desperate.

When I looked back, Rosco caught my eye and subtly lifted his eyebrow in greeting. Maybe that was the mafia equivalent of blowing a kiss .

I smiled back at him. My grin splitting my face and probably a little too enthusiastic to be considered playing hard to get.

He turned back to the man, and I squinted to see who Rosco was talking to. My heart started racing when I realized it was Andro Ferrini, head of the Ferrini family and one of my targets. I was definitely on the right track.

Just because it was Andro’s birthday didn’t mean he was safe from my wrath.

Once Andro was out of view, Rosco started walking toward me.

Holy shit. When he stopped at my table, he slipped his hands in his pockets. “Orlando.”

“Hi, Rosco.” I cleared my throat and looked up at him, doing my best to conjure some courage. “Good to see you again.”

The slightest hint of a smile tugged at his mouth before he took a look around and schooled his features. “How was lunch?”

“More like brunch, and it was delicious.” I grabbed my glass and finished off my milk before standing up and pulling out my wallet. “Are you working? ”

“Yeah.” He placed his hand over mine as I tried to pull out some cash. “And put your money away. It’s on me.”

“Are you sure? Do you own the place or something?” I knew who all the owners were, but I had a role to play. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

He scoffed and shook his head. “It’s fine.” He pulled a few twenties out of his pocket and tossed them on the table. “It’s the least I can do.”

Agreed. And damn. That wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear. I didn’t need to be bought. “Well, you could buy me dinner tonight.” I batted my lashes and hoped he found me at least a tiny bit enduring. “It’s my last night here.”

“Can’t.” He took a deep breath as if inhaling my scent. Or the mouth-watering aromas coming from the kitchen. The latter was more likely. “I have a work party tonight.” He seemed to pause for a moment. “You should stop by. It’s up in the penthouse.”

Yes! The invitation I’d been waiting for. “Yeah, okay. That’d be cool.”

“Great. I’ll leave your name with the security team. They’ll let you in.”

Sweating wasn’t normally one of my insecurities, but I was definitely glistening through my shirt as I stepped into the elevator and looked at the ginormous body guard standing inside. “Oh, hi.”

He dipped his chin in greeting but didn’t speak.

“I’m going to the penthouse, please.”

He raised an eyebrow. “There’s a private party. Invitation only.”

“I’m invited.” Kinda. “Rosco asked me to come. Earlier today.”

He stared at me like he was trying to see right into my brain before he took a step back and spoke into his collar. “Did Rosco add anyone to the list?” He was quiet for a moment before he looked up at me. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Orlando Johnson.” I squared my shoulders and looked as if I actually belonged there. “Should I text him and tell him I can’t get in?” I didn’t have his number, something I hoped to rectify tonight.

The man narrowed his eyes and then shook his head. “ Nah, it’s fine. You’re clear.” He hit the button for the top floor and didn’t say another word.

When the elevator doors opened, I stepped into a grand room filled with people and music and staff flitting around with adorned trays.

The penthouse was ridiculous. Extravagance dripped from every corner, and I was immediately on edge.

I didn’t belong there, and anyone who glanced my way knew it.

I’d grown up with extreme wealth, but my father wasn’t showy.

He threw nice parties with cocaine and hookers, but they weren’t gold-trimmed and diamond-encrusted.

I’d never been invited to those parties anyway.

A private bar was lined with top-shelf bottles of liquor I’d never tasted and probably never would. Rosco wasn’t around, so I drifted past the hors d’oeuvres table and snagged a chocolate-dipped strawberry before I found a wall to lean on while I pretended to check my phone.

This was a terrible idea. Rosco was working and there was no way I could get any meaningful information from any?—

A strong hand clamped down on my shoulder, just hard enough to make my heartrate speed up as my whole body buzzed with desire.

I looked up and found myself face to face with the alpha who had been consuming my thoughts since I first locked eyes with him. “Rosco.”

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You came.”

“I probably shouldn’t have, but…” I swallowed hard and met his gaze. “I just wanted to see you.” It was easy to play the part when those words were true.

Focus, Ori. You aren’t here to make friends.

The silence between us was intense despite the sound coming from every direction. “Glad you did.”

“Are you working the party or here as a guest?” I couldn’t help noticing he was dressed similar to the guy in the elevator.

“Working.” He shrugged and placed his hand on my lower back, nudging me toward a table of food. “Someone’s gotta keep these idiots from killing each other.”

“Isn’t this a birthday party?” I feigned ignorance, and it wasn’t hard since I hadn’t been to many of these kinds of adult-only parties. “Is murder a risk?”

He chuckled but looked at me with a bit more scrutiny. “Not really, but once the partying starts, who knows what the hell will go down. In my world, murder is never completely off the table.”

There was another pause, but this one felt heavier.

“I don’t need to be afraid, do I?” I wasn’t actually worried, but he needed to believe I was. As an unmated omega in a room full of strangers, I was in a vulnerable position if an alpha took an interest in me and Rosco let him.

“Nope.” His grip tightened on me for just a moment before he backed off. “You’re safe with me.” For the first time, he smiled at me, for real. It changed his face completely—made him look younger, less carved out of granite.

“Okay.” The crazy thing was, I believed him completely. I’d never felt safer in my life than when I was in Rosco’s arms.