Page 15 of Single Mom's Mafia Daddies

“I hope to fuck never to step foot in this box ever again. What if I was claustrophobic?”

He held me tight to his chest and brushed his chin over the top of my head in a soothing gesture that somehow still calmed my rattled nerves, even after all this time. “You’re not. And if you were, I’d have made other arrangements.” He held a finger to my lips when I started to speak. “Wait.” He retrieved his phone and dialed. “Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir.” This voice held an air of authority. “You can thank Matteo for letting me know you left.”

“Thanks, Renzo. We’re coming out. Meet at the safehouse.”

“Right behind you.” The call ended.

Alessio gripped my hand hard enough I lost blood flow. The dangerous edge returned to his voice, deepening it to an animalistic growl. “You’re coming with me. Now.”

His eyes locked with mine as he pressed his hand to the panel and the door opened to reveal the devastation behind him.

“I’m not going anywhere without Leo.” I locked my body so he couldn’t force me to leave and wrenched away from the hands that moved up to clasp my shoulders.

Something had shifted between us. I felt it in the moments before the guns fired and in the indeterminate minutes that followed. Alessio belonged to a world I didn’t understand. If I went with him, it meant crossing into that world and possibly discovering the real man whose gaze burned with death and mayhem.

“My men already have Leo. That’s why Renzo wasn’t here sooner.” He marched from the panic room and stopped to survey the damage.

“Your…men?” My heart stopped. “What the fuck are your men doing with my son?”

“Protecting him.” He glanced back then turned around fully to face me. “They’re trained in child protective custody. Leo will think he’s on an adventure. He’ll never know otherwise unless you tell him.”

“You bastard.” A surge of adrenaline kicked my heart back into rhythm. “You’re such an arrogant ass that you take my child without my permission and then tell me that you’re protecting him. You should have told me we were in danger. I can protect us.”

“No, you can’t. Not from this.” He waved toward the absolute devastation that my shop had become. “You need me, Lila. And I don’t give a rat’s ass if you can admit it or not, I’m going to protect you and Leo.”

He was right. I hated that he was right, and it terrified me to admit that I was in over my head.

“Fine.” It was the best I could do, so I held out my hand and let him guide me from the rubble.

8

MATTEO

Iwhipped the car into the gravel drive and punched the gas with all my strength. The estate came into view as I rounded the bend and screeched to a halt. Renzo’s car spewed dust and gravel ahead of me, the sight gutting me. Renzo, the man who never showed emotion, was worried.

He’d barely left the vehicle when I leaped out of my car and ran him down. Sunlight gleamed on the estate’s limestone facade and bounced off Renzo’s tight jaw.

“What happened?” I fought to keep my own worry from my voice.

The manicured lawns stretched out behind him, the crisp, clean lines in such contrast to his fierce expression that I almost found it humorous. If not for the threat to Alessio’s safety, I might have laughed.

“Inside.” He pushed me ahead of him and scanned over my head. “Brian’s sweeping the perimeter. I’ll join him once I check in with Alessio.” He jammed his finger against the buttons on the keypad, inputting the emergency code that unlocked the door.

It creaked open and Renzo entered, one hand poised over his pistol and the other pushing me behind him.

“In here.” Alessio’s voice rang out from straight ahead. He stormed from the study looking like a grim reaper on the warpath. Blood smeared his neck, most likely from the cuts marring his face.

I stayed behind Renzo, watching his back and double checking the house at the same time. Priceless paintings hung along the white walls that stretched wide in the open foyer. To my left and right, matching rooms hosted thick wooden bookshelves laden with Renaissance antiques Alessio collected throughout the years.

No one outside of the family knew about this place, but that did not make it impenetrable.

“Twelve men on the perimeter. Brian on watch.” Renzo’s words snapped out with bullet-like efficiency. He wasted no time or breath on niceties but jumped straight to the point.

We followed Alessio into the study. The woman I’d investigated sat stiff and poised, her expression dancing with mixed emotions. Every darting look at Alessio caused the anger to return, and when she looked at the boy tucked close to her side, the fear overtook her.

Alessio paced, his strides long and furious.