Page 95 of Pretty Plaything

I watch him carefully as he pulls out his phone, fully expecting him to summon his guards. But it doesn’t look like he’s bluffing when he turns the screen of his phone toward me.

What looks like a live feed is on the screen. Sienna is tied to a chair and surrounded by a group of armed men.

“What the fuck is this?” I hiss.

“Unfortunately, you found out the truth,” Mauro says. “I killed your family, yes. But they weren’t really your family. They were only holding you back. I have great plans for you. I always have. Everything I’ve done was for you.”

I grit my teeth together. “Don’t fuck with me. You don’t give a shit about me. It’s all about you.”

“That’s not true. If you let me show you the full extent of my plan, you’ll understand.”

“I don’t give a fuck about your plan. Where’s my wife?”

“Your wife is safe somewhere with my men. Don’t worry. They won’t hurt her. Unless they have to.” The corners of his lips tilt up.

“How?” I left Sienna at home not too long ago.

Maybe it’s all a trick, even though the footage seems real.

“I had my guy infiltrate your ranks. It started long before you got in charge. He overheard your conversation and immediately let me know. I needed him to get out of hiding and snatch your wife, so he did.”

I curse under my breath. “Just one guy?”

“One, but totally worth it.”

“So you’ve always known I was your son?”

“No. But I suspected, so I kidnapped you. It was impossible to tell who the father was without checking to make sure because you looked like your mother, and she clearly had a type when it came to picking men,” he says. “I forced your mother to play along and pretend that she called me. I did a paternity test then, so yeah, I knew. Since I returned you, your mother thought that her husband was your father. He never knew anything. It was better like that. Safer for you.”

“How did you kill my father and brothers?” I need to know.

“I came up with an elaborate plan to trick Bellini. Offered him a deal of a lifetime and faked everything that needed to be faked to make him believe it. Basically, I offered him a way to take over the Lionettis’ territory and everything they have by pretending I had an inside man. I arranged a meeting to sign the deal. I talked about it as a historical moment and that we should bring our whole families for a real celebration, and Bellini decided that all his sons would be joining us, just like I expected.”

“But you had to stop me from coming,” I say.

“Yes. That’s why I had one of my men trigger an alarm and cut some wires. I knew you’d go back to check. I’ve been watching you for a long time.”

“And when my father and my brothers showed up, you killed them?” I clench my jaw.

“I guess you could say that, but it wasn’t as simple. I used drones to surround them and kill them before they could even realize what was going on. And then my men took care of any survivors.”

“You’re a fucking coward,” I spit out.

“Don’t insult me, my boy. I was just being smart. That’s all.”

“What do you want?” I ask.

“I want you to sign a deal with me. If you don’t, you won’t get your wife back. And don’t try to convince me you don’t care about her. I know you do.”

“What kind of deal? What will stop me from just killing you?”

“You’ll see. I have it all ready.”

Of course he does.

He’s planned everything for every possible outcome. This comes as no surprise to him, but he’s had years to plot.

“I’m not going to release your wife until I’m safely away from this place. I guess we won’t be seeing each other in person anymore, but it doesn’t matter. I’m going to turn you into the most powerful man ever.”