Page 28 of Mafia King: Matteo (Borrelli Mafia #1)

MATTEO

We shared a tiramisu. Sharing dinner with Alena helped me accomplish a few items on my agenda. We established a rapport, and she understands the danger we’re in and hasn’t bolted yet.

Her father’s bumbling with the building was like a red carpet for me to walk on. The truth of her being in my life is not important. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to open up. I have enough on my plate. I can’t be the adoring husband she is worthy of, even if I can’t stop thinking about her.

“Come home with me,” I whisper along her neck as we sit beside each other in the car. She smells sweeter than the dessert we ate.

“I’d love to. However, I have to work tomorrow, and I’m sure it’s a long commute from your place.”

“I will let you off this time, but Vito will bring you to my home tomorrow, and then you’ll live with me.”

“Are you being possessive?” She challenges me as she turns her head to face me.

I’m sure she’s wondering if my obsession is for her or her safety.

Perhaps she feels that I’m aligning myself with her family for more men in the event of a war.

I can’t say I haven’t thought about how convenient it was to meet.

The pieces fell into place faster than I could have anticipated.

I wish I had thought that far in advance. However, I was lucky.

“You are mine. Besides, we’re engaged, it’s expected.

The safest place for you is under my roof.

I have an army to protect you.” I slide my fingers under her chin and tip her head backward, causing our eyes to meet.

Under the streetlights, I find her blue eyes are lighter now.

I know she’s wet for me. I’ve decided that light eyes mean she’s horny or happy.

When her eyes are dark, it means I’d better look out.

Her eyes are a mood ring. “My home is where you belong, Angel.”

“Are you expecting trouble?” Her eyes darken, and I sense concern in her voice.

“A man in my position has to be concerned with safety around the clock. That’s a given in our line of work. Now that I am the new don, I’m a target. Some people would love to see me fail.”

“Who wants you to fail?”

“I’m not sure. I’m trying to figure it out. It would be reckless of me to send you out into a city of wolves without warning you of the danger. It would be unconscionable.”

“That’s why Vito gave me the fob,” she murmurs.

“Yes. My siblings aren’t after me. However, I have peculiar uncles.”

“Who doesn’t?” she quips at my remark, and I laugh. I can’t suppress it. I glance through the window. Damn, Gio heard me.

He knows my laugh is as rare as a snow moon.

I’m not sure he’ll let me live this down.

“If my siblings stepped aside, the uncles would have the most to gain. I’m not convinced of anything at this point. Gio and I are working on it.”

“What do they want? Money?”

It’s a fair question. What do they want?

“Who knows? History has shown that it is usually driven by greed, jealousy, or power. I doubt anyone would be jealous of me taking on the mess my father left. However, I have deals that will work out in the long run. I’m not concerned over finances as much as I am about eliminating the traitor who knows too much about us. ”

“What do you mean?” She twists her adorable body on the seat to face me.

“How easy is it to penetrate a don and get close enough to kill him?” I ask.

“I have no clue. How did he die?” Her eyes are wide with fear.

“Poison. But you can’t tell a soul,” I warn. “Not even Izzy. The enemy doesn’t know that I know this. I had my suspicions and had lab work done on my father before he died and after. I’m lucky I was there and could obtain this information discreetly.”

“I never saw the cause of death listed in his obituary,” she adds.

I’m touched she cared to investigate. I caress her face briefly and pull my hand away. There’s no use in getting blue balls when I can stop before it becomes painful.

“You looked into me?” I tease her. She’s a quick study.

“I said it was cancer. No one needs to know otherwise. I told my siblings so they would be vigilant, but I’m the head of the snake.

Someone would want to neutralize me if they knew I had this information.

And, if I find a loose end that leads me to the person responsible, they’d have to eliminate the loose end and me.

My father was involved in something, and they wanted him dead.

I lower my voice. “I have to get to the bottom of it.”

I have more to lose now than I did two weeks ago.

The vehicle rolls along traffic as we head toward her condo.

“I didn’t want to speak of this in public. Now you understand why.” I sink back into the seat and peer out the window. The temperature is dropping outside. The windows are foggy.

“They would use me to get to you,” she murmurs. Her assumption completes the circle. She’s connected all the dots.

I remain silent. What can I say?

“Fuck,” she exclaims. She flashes her dark eyes at me.

“It appears I went from the mouth of the lion and into the den of another. How could you do this knowing the risk?” Her breathing is jagged, she’s worked up, and she has every right to be angry.

“Why in the hell did you do this to me? Did you know who I was at the sex club? How long have you been planning on using the bratva for added protection? You’re afraid this will end in a war.

I’m your human shield!” She balls her hands into fists and pounds my chest. “How could you?” she sobs as she continues to beat me.

I remain calm and gently grab her delicate wrists. I held them against the elevator wall as I finger-fucked her into oblivion.

I know she can handle the risk we’re facing. It seems to me she’s more upset being traded between two men without her consent. She’s a victim in the dangerous game between powerful men, in a treacherous game she’s never been aware of until I came along.

“I love your dirty mouth. I love to see you riled up. I can’t wait to have your lips wrapped around my huge cock again,” I reply calmly.

Angry sex is hot. She will learn that my sexual appetite is fueled to epic proportions whenever she’s near. I’ve never been so obsessed.

She’s right. My enemies wouldn’t bat an eye at taking her to get to me. I’d gladly give my life for hers.

I grab her even though she pushes me away.

My lips cover hers. It’s a searing kiss, and my arms move as fast and as strong as a gale force in an ocean storm as I pull her into me.

She resists me, but after thirty seconds, her plump lips are over mine.

She moans. I return her enthusiasm. I return her enthusiasm and suck on her lower lip.

The kiss deepens as we grope each other in the back seat. She’s locked in my arms. My cock strains against the zipper of my pants. She murmurs as her body presses against mine.

The fact that someone would take her and torture her to get to me chills me to the bone. I’m a selfish devil for dragging her into my world where the real devils exist.

She does not know the faces that hide behind fancy titles as the players weave their webs. Men like congressmen who fund human trafficking missions to fill sex clubs where the women are branded like cattle.

I hold her tighter than ever. I will never let anything happen to her. I vow it to God and myself.

Regrettably, we roll to a stop at her condo. Vito exits and stands, opening the door.

I help Alena out of the car. Her lipstick is smeared. Vito pretends not to notice. I kiss her and watch as Vito walks her inside the secure building.

“She’s a handful. She’s smart—I’ll give you that,” Gio states as he begins to drive.

“Yes, but it’s more imperative that we find out what happened to my father.

It’s been over two weeks, and we don’t have any clues.

” I run my hand over my jaw, which is rough as my day started before dawn.

Whereas I would have loved for Alena to join me tonight, I let her have her last night at her place to adjust. It seems fair.

It’s not the perfect engagement that Alena deserves, but I hope one day I can make it up to her.

I have to remain as lethal as I am nimble. I start each day working out at the gym at the mansion before dawn to stay fit. I lift weights and run on the treadmill. Niccoló boxes with me from time to time. He’s a genuine boxer and has a passion for the sport.

I have a young wife and many life events to look forward to. I have no intentions of being cheated out of the good life now that I’ve ascended to the head of the table.

“Gio, you have capos who tell you things. Can you hang out around them when they drink on their days off and see if any information comes from it without raising suspicion? I find it difficult to believe my father was doing something so secretive that no one knew about it.”

“His advisor did,” he deadpans.

It appears we’ve both reached the same conclusion. I mentioned loose ends to Alena. I know in my gut that the old man was privy to whatever became my father’s downfall.

“Yes, I’ll keep my ears open and see if anyone lets something slip. One would think there would be a trail of breadcrumbs with how things spread like wildfire around an office cooler.”

Was it a business deal? Did he slight another don? Did a deal go bad? I may never know.

The fact that he died by poison, and not bloodshed, is a surprising twist I didn’t anticipate. No one else thought to check for foul play, but he went down so fast. I assumed the liquor would have rotted his gut like it did his mind. I guess everyone else did, too.

I’m going crazy trying to figure out what transpired when too many scenarios could have occurred. I’m frustrated that, despite our advanced technology, we still don’t have a lead.

When will we get a break?

My worst fear is that my adversary might discover my secret before I learn their identity. I also have a Russian don that I need to befriend before he hears of my engagement.

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