Page 8 of Mafia Heir’s Alpha (Mated in the Mafia #7)

ROSCO

Many meetings that took place between me and Cord were important.

I was there when his brother was in charge, and I was there when Cord decided he wasn’t going to listen to his power-hungry brother any longer.

Those meetings had been tense, terrifying, and there were days when I wasn’t sure if we were going to survive it.

This meeting felt more terrifying than all of those.

Though I was more confident than ever that I was making the right choice. My bosses needed to see that from me if I was going to convince them of what I planned on proposing.

Cord was behind his desk when I arrived. Avery was perched on his lap. Based on the fullness to his lips and the satisfied smile on Cord’s face, I’d arrived at a good time. Post-orgasm Cord was more agreeable.

“Cord. Avery.” I nodded to the two men.

Avery stood and gave Cord a kiss on the cheek. “Let me know when you’re done working. I’m gonna pick up the little one from their nap.”

Once Avery was gone, Cord turned to me with a slow smile. “I’ve been wondering when we were going to talk.”

“We talk every day, sir,” I said.

He smirked. “You know what I mean. Let me guess, things are getting quite serious with this omega of ours.”

I nodded and gestured to the file on his desk. “Have you had a chance to read through it all?”

“I have. I also had one of Andro’s guys do a separate check to make sure we have all the information we need.

I don’t want any surprises.” Cord had some reservations about taking over the business when we made the decision to eliminate his older brother, but it was the right one.

He was good at his job. His success was largely due to the partnership he’d formed with the Ferrinis, but it was also due to him being good at what he did.

“So you know what I want to ask?”

“I do.” Cord leaned back and rubbed a hand over his stubble.

“I’d like to meet this omega that has captured your attention so much that you’re willing to bring him into the fold.

He must be quite a guy for you to take two whole days off to spend time with him.

I’ve never known you to take any time off. ”

“He’s my mate, Cord. I’d like it to be official. If that’s amenable to you and Andro, of course.”

Cord continued studying me as I held his gaze.

I wasn’t used to being on this side of the table.

Usually, I was the one standing behind him, ready to eliminate any threat that arose.

In this case, I was the one bringing a potential threat in.

If I was wrong about Ori and his truthfulness, I would pay with my life.

There had been men in the upper organization who had brought their partners in. They thought we could trust them, only to find out they were moles from other families, or worse, agents of the government looking to take us down.

Ori was none of those things .

He was mine.

“I want to meet him. Andro does as well. Bring him to dinner this Friday. Most of the family will be there.”

“Sir?” Having the whole family there was beyond what I expected. Also bringing Ori into the house was more than I expected. I assumed we’d meet in a neutral location so Cord could give him the lowdown.

Mostly, that would be the explicit threat that if any information he happened to overhear were to make it into the wrong hands, then Ori would pay with his life and mine. The security of the family and this business was not something we took lightly.

“We trust you, Rosco. You have to know that you’re more than just my security man, right? I mean, shit, you’ve been more of a brother to me than my real brother ever was. If you trust this omega, then we do as well.”

My throat grew tight, and I cleared it. “Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down. I’m serious about this one.”

“This one? Like there have been others? Please. I know you. This is the only omega you’ve ever been serious about. ”

Ouch. But true. “He is. And he isn’t a stranger to our world. Most of what he learns won’t be a surprise.”

“We can use a man like him. His technical expertise combined with his legal knowledge is gold. Would he be interested in something like that?”

“Are you offering him a job?” That was beyond my wildest expectations.

“Perhaps. We always need trustworthy people. And if you trust him, then we will as well.”

“I haven’t even approached the subject with him yet. He knows who you and Andro are, but I’m not sure he knows just what it would mean for me to introduce him.”

“Then explain it. When I meet him, I’ll let him know what happens to traitors. It may scare him. Can you handle that?”

“It won’t be easy.” I swallowed thickly and nodded.

I would hate every minute of Cord giving Ori the third degree about what it meant to be a part of this business, even if he was just my mate.

There would be certain expectations for him.

“All my instincts say to protect him with everything I have. But I’m loyal to this family. That will not change. ”

Cord nodded. “I expect nothing less. And I’m not surprised.

I’ll let you in on a tiny secret.” Cord leaned closer, and I did as well.

“Gun to Avery’s head, I’d give up everything I could to save him.

Including ratting out this entire organization.

When the right omega comes along, there’s nothing you can do to stop that.

It makes us stronger. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect Avery and our child. ”

That perfectly described how I felt about Ori. Not long ago, I would have said that nothing would come between me and my job to keep Cord safe at all times. But now, I wasn’t so sure.

“Thanks, boss. I’ll talk with Ori tonight and make sure he understands.”

Cord leaned back. “Fantastic. I’ll have Felik make the arrangements to get us all together. It’ll be overwhelming for him, but we might as well toss him in feet first, right?”

I grinned. “Well, he’s already met Rowan and Trev, so he has some idea of what to expect.”