Page 31 of Single Mom’s Mafia Daddies (The Forbidden Reverse Harem Collection #22)

LILA

“ W ait.” I tried to pull Matteo to a stop, but he never even slowed. We dashed across the foyer, our steps a discordant rhythm. The chandelier overhead swayed and trembled, the cut crystal teardrops knocking into each other and filling the air with the tinny noise of breaking glass.

Matteo tapped on the tablet he carried. “No waiting. I have my orders. Alessio and Renzo will take care of the threat.”

Shouts and hollering outside the estate’s walls carved the breath from my lungs. I tried to look back where Renzo had gone, but the view was blocked by the curved staircase.

Leo’s steps faltered. “Are they gonna die?”

“No.” I demanded the single word to come to life and lend assurance to us both.

The only men who would die today were the fools who dared to come after Alessio and Leo.

I suspected it was the same man…unless Alessio had more enemies.

It wouldn’t surprise me. He never told me anything of value, and him hiding the number of men who wanted him dead or to destroy his son was par for the course.

We stumbled along behind Matteo, who led us down a series of narrow steps beneath the main staircase.

I’d never noticed the hidden door. Then again, I’d never had a reason for my home to have hidden doors, staircases, or panic rooms. The shift in situations made my head spin.

Or maybe that was nothing more than pregnancy hormones combined with annoyance and fear.

The house shuddered. Dust billowed in the air around us, raining down into my hair and clouding my vision. I coughed and waved my free hand in front of my face, only then realizing Matteo had released my hand. I was only clinging to Leo now.

Matteo stood in front of another door, this one solid metal. The tablet in his hands glowed with a faint blue light that tinged his skin and turned his face a sickly shade of green.

“In you go.” He didn’t even glance at us as he spoke.

The door opened, sliding back into the wall and releasing a rush of musty air that fanned my hair back from my face.

Leo peered into the darkness. “How come we have to go in there?”

“Because it’s safe.” Matteo walked in ahead of us, probably to show Leo there was nothing to be afraid of.

Gunfire erupted in the distance. The sound came from far away, with layers of house between us, but I still flinched and hauled ass into the bunker, pulling Leo with me.

Part of me wanted to grab a gun and fight back.

The more sensible part, the mother in me, chose to let Matteo close the door and sequester us away from the violence.

My palms itched with a need to do something constructive.

“Leo, there’s a TV through there. We get pretty good signal. And if you don’t want to watch TV, there are games and puzzles.” Matteo turned on the lights, giving me my first full look at the panic room.

It reminded me of the one we’d stayed in before.

Cold, metal walls surrounded us, but they’d been painted to look like normal walls, the muted beige color washing out Matteo’s complexion.

A kitchen was tucked into the far corner, a metal shelf of canned goods offering a variety of foods should we be forced to stay long-term.

“There are three bedrooms.” Matteo pointed out each one. “Take your pick. I didn’t have time to update the furniture, so you either get Renzo’s military bunk, Alessio’s feather mattress, or my pinup models.” He shimmied his hips in a little dance. “I personally hope you pick my room.”

I waited until Leo wandered off to explore to ask, “What about Alessio and Renzo?”

“They’ll handle everything up there.” He pointed at the ceiling. “I’d tell you not to worry, but that’s about as bat-shit impossible as asking me not to crack a joke to lessen the tension.”

“At least you’re honest about yourself.” I tried to accept that this was part of my life since Alessio showed up. Every time I thought we’d moved past it, the threats and danger stirred my anger back to full force. “How bad is it?”

“Bad enough we’re in here.” He held his arms out and turned a slow circle. “Bad enough that Alessio is up there fighting instead of taking precautions.”

“That doesn’t tell me jack shit, and you know it.” I’d waited for answers since the day Matteo told me about the bounty on Leo’s head. “Are they going to come for Leo? Will they kill Alessio? Capture him? Kill him? What about Renzo?”

Matteo’s exhale was deep and heartfelt. He dragged two chairs out from beneath a metal table and pushed one toward me. “You’re going to want to sit down for this.”

When I crossed my arms and tapped my toes, he grinned.

“Just tell me,” I said, staring him down.

He nudged the chair closer and walked around to the back of the room. Seconds later, the smell of coffee mixed with the dust. “The Verduccis won’t stop until they’ve eliminated everything Alessio holds dear. Once they’ve done that, they’ll kill him.” He delivered the news without preamble.

I’d expected it, but the truth still hit with a physical pain that shattered the illusions I’d held on to. “So they won’t stop. There’s no way to convince them to leave us alone.”

“No.” Matteo poured us each a cup of coffee.

I moved slowly to the chair and sat, letting the words and implications dig deep. “Why would he fight them instead of coming down here?”

“He’s going to kill them.” Unlike me, Matteo didn’t shy away from the atrocities. “It’s the only way to make everyone safe.”

Death and destruction were things I’d heard and read about. They were not part of my everyday life.

Matteo’s tablet beeped, and a red light flashed in the upper right corner. “I’ll be back.”

“Wait. What’s happening?” I grabbed his sleeve and peered over his shoulder at the table. “What are all those camera icons for?”

“Body cams. Renzo insisted on them after one of his guys betrayed us.” Matteo shifted to block the tablet.

“Let me see.” I reached past him and tapped the camera with an R flashing red.

Hands and a gun came into view, everything else blurred as the wearer ran behind Alessio. I recognized Alessio’s frame and the suit I’d seen him in earlier.

“Renzo,” I whispered and covered my mouth with both hands. “Is there sound?”

“No. And you shouldn’t be watching this.” He reached for the tablet.

I wrenched it away from him and ran to the nearest bedroom. Matteo caught the door with one hand when I tried to slam it shut.

“You can watch the damned cameras if it means that much to you, but don’t you dare shut me out.” He hugged me tight enough to push down the tears welling in my eyes.

I sniffed and sat at the foot of the bed. Now that I had permission, fear scrapped my insides. Did I really want to look?

“Nice room.” Breathing deeply, I angled my head to the side to examine an abstract painting taking up one entire wall. The tablet felt heavy in my clammy hands. “Is that supposed to be a woman or a dick?”

“I’m not sure. Alessio hated it and refused to hang it upstairs, so I absconded with it.” He bounced on the bed and leaned back with his weight on his palms.

“Sorry I ran.” Laughter came from the other room, and I knew Leo was having fun with whatever he found to play with.

I held out the tablet to Matteo. Watching together would be best. “I hate being left in the dark. I hate being down here, even though I know I’m a liability up there.

I want to feel like I’m part of something and not always being treated like I can’t be trusted. ”

“It’s not about trust.” Matteo tapped a second camera icon, and the screen split. “Alessio is afraid you’ll leave once you know the truth. I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Neither would he, but it’s not because he doesn’t trust you.”

Renzo and Alessio sped across a heap of rubble and leaped to the far side of the yard. The gates appeared in front of Renzo, both hanging off their hinges. Renzo grabbed Alessio by the collar and dragged him backward at the same time a man in black rose from behind a car and opened fire.

Alessio’s camera jerked and faced the sky, then Renzo’s face took up the entire frame. He shouted something at Alessio and pointed back the way they’d come.

Streaks of sweat and grime tracked down his face. The black tactical gear always made him appear menacing, but I’d never thought of him that way until seeing him like this. His entire face changed into something unrecognizable. I’d never seen so much anger in one person.

“If he knew you were watching this, he’d shave my eyebrows.” Matteo tried to smile but it fell flat.

Renzo stood and his camera revealed Alessio’s face. The man wore malice with pride etched in every line, every look. He stood and pushed Renzo’s offer of help aside.

“You should get audio.” I craved the sound of their voices.

They dashed back into the fray. More men appeared, climbing over the wall and dropping into the yard in threes and fours.

Renzo fired, Alessio doing the same at his side. The screens flickered, going gray and white with static.

“What’s happening?” I shook the tablet and tapped the cameras. “Why are they doing that?”

“Interference with the signal. They’ve gone to the other side of the estate. Bruce can watch over them from the control room. He has access to Renzo’s earpiece and can give him information.”

“What about you?” I remembered Renzo’s orders to Matteo. “He talked to you through an earpiece. Can’t you do the same?”

“And tell him what?” Grief crashed over his face.

“I don’t want to distract him. If he hears from me, he’ll think something is wrong.

I can’t risk it, and neither can you.” He must have read the desperation in my face because he brought me in for another hug and kissed my forehead.

“They’ll come here when it’s over. When it’s safe enough. ”

“And we’re supposed to sit here and wait?”

“Yes. Because keeping you and Leo safe is the most important thing to them.” He pushed the tablet aside, and I let him.

Leo called out from the other room. “Mama, come see what I did.”

I slid from Matteo’s arms and followed the sound of Leo’s voice to a small room across from the kitchen. He sat in front of a small, completed landscape puzzle, his shoes thrown to the other side of the room.

“That’s a beautiful puzzle.” I sat with him and worked on another puzzle he pulled from the shelf. Time crept past. Leo fell asleep on a cot beside me, his quiet snoring soothing. Every now and then, the ground shook and dust fell, but I concentrated on taking one deep breath after the next.

The slide of the metal door pulled me to my feet. My heart jumped into my throat at the sound of Alessio’s strained voice.

I ran to the living space and staggered to a stop.

Renzo held Alessio up with an arm at his waist. Alessio’s left arm was thrown around Renzo’s neck, and his legs refused to hold his full weight. Dirty and debris coated them both.

“I’m okay.” He gripped Renzo’s shoulder and pushed to his full height. Blood ran down his arm and dripped from his fingers. Red stained his shirt, and it took several seconds for me to accept that all the red was blood. So much blood.

I ran to him with my arms outstretched and my heart on full display. There was no safe place to touch him without risking further injury. “What happened?”

He lifted his head and met my gaze. His voice turned raw and jagged. “This ends now.”