Page 43 of The Mastermind (Mafia Rivals #1)

‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I haven’t seen or spoken to her since that night. My grandfather took her away in the middle of the night and he refuses to tell us where she is. But even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.’

Fuck.

Rafaelle’s chest expanded, his tattoos writhing as his breathing grew erratic.

My brother rarely lost his cool. It was always a little terrifying and a lot disturbing watching it happen.

They stared each other down for an age. Then, probably guessing she meant every word, his eyes flicked to me.

Then to the phone sitting on the coffee table.

‘Have you asked?’ he hissed.

Her head swivelled my way. ‘Asked who? Who’s he talking about?’

I kept my gaze on him. ‘No, I haven’t. And I’m not going to. Just yet.’

‘I’m interested to know who this person is too, nupito. Have you been holding out on us?’ Orazio asked.

Tell him or I will, Rafa’s gaze blasted.

‘He means the source who helped us find the moles in the team.’

Orazio’s gaze sharpened, ever hungry for an advantage. ‘Who is this source? Are they an asset we can cultivate long term?’

‘There’s been no contact since the Singapore race.’

Orazio tsked. ‘You sound like a girl waiting to be picked for prom. What’s stopping you from initiating contact?’

‘Because I haven’t needed to. Still don’t.’ This was directed at my brother. Whose fists bunched at his side.

‘Are you fucking serious right now?’

‘Giada was off-limits before this conversation started. She’s staying off-limits until I say otherwise.

’ I squeezed Maddelena’s hand, lifted it to my mouth and kissed her knuckles, delighting in her hitched breath.

‘And fyi, that won’t be anytime soon because Maddelena is going to be my wife.

Which makes her – if it needs spelling out – an Untouchable. Are we all clear on that?’

Pain and bewilderment writhed through his eyes. Then with a searing look at Maddelena, Rafa stormed out.

Silence throbbed.

Giacomo stumbled over to where Rafa had just vacated and braced himself on the counter.

Orazio’s gaze darted back and forth between me and Maddelena. ‘Explain this madness, Cesare. Because I’m lost here.’

‘It’s very simple. She’s mine. I’m keeping her. And she agreed to have me in return. If El Topo has a problem with it, he can suck it.’

My grandfather’s eyes widened. And a bout of sheer delight blazed his eyes before he dimmed it. I knew I’d scored a valuable point.

He turned his weighty focus on Maddelena. ‘Is this true? You want my grandson? This isn’t some misguided attempt to tear my family apart?’ He bared his hundred-thousand-dollar Park Avenue dentist teeth. ‘Because if it is, you’re in for a substantial amount of?—’

‘It’s true.’ She dove closer to me, and I caught her to my side. ‘I want to marry Cesare. For me. No one else.’

I loved the blush that crept up her cheeks. Nonno saw it too, and a layer of savagery left his eyes.

‘Are you pregnant?’ he barked, a thin layer of hope in his voice.

Maddelena’s gaze darted to mine. It’d been one of the outside options we’d discussed, whether to float the idea of a possible pregnancy in the hopes that it might soften El Topo. But we’d discarded it.

Secretly, I didn’t care if she never spoke to her asshole grandparent again. Things were all sorts of fucked now but I held out hope that she would gain a new family once she was a Salvatore.

‘N-no. Not yet.’

My heart jumped, absurdly pleased with that ‘not yet’. Then suddenly, it was all I could think about. Breeding Maddelena.

Fuck yes.

I glanced at my father. He was watching us with a peculiar look in his eyes. ‘We would like your blessing,’ I said.

Pain twisted his face, but he breathed out. And looked at his own father.

‘We will announce your engagement at my party. And you will wed the day after you win the championship,’ Orazio said abruptly.

With measured strides, he approached where we stood.

Maddelena’s hand trembled in mine, but heaven bless her, she held her head up admirably. ‘And if you’re not pregnant right now, you better work harder on it. I want the damn trifecta of wedding, championship and great-grandbaby to rub in that stronzu’s face before the year is out. Capisci? ’

I transferred my hold to her shoulders, pulling her into my body. ‘We’ll work on it, Nonno.’

He stared us down for another full minute. ‘Then you have my blessing. Mine, and your father’s,’ he said, then walked out the door.

My father’s gaze met mine, still full of pain. But lurking beneath it was a measure of understanding. Nodding after a minute, he too left.

I exhaled long and deep. Then dragged Maddelena closer, dropping my chin on her head. ‘Fuck.’

Her arms wrapped tight around me. ‘Rafaelle is furious.’

‘I know.’

‘Is he going to be all right?’ Worry husked her voice.

I kissed her crown. ‘I’ll make sure he is.’

We held each other, basking in the aftermath of an avoided catastrophe.

‘So… we’ll work on it?’ She echoed my words, eyebrows raised.

I shrugged. ‘You were thinking of telling El Topo you’re pregnant. Orazio’s frothing at the mouth at the thought of a great-grandkid. We’re just bringing the timeline forward a little.’ I tilted her head so I could stare deeper into her eyes. ‘You do want my baby, don’t you?’

Yearning, sweet and powerful, darkened her eyes. ‘Yes. More than anything.’

‘There you go. I can’t wait to breed you, bedda mia .’

Some of her sass evaporated. ‘You don’t think we’re tempting fate with all this?’

I kissed her long and deep. ‘If she won’t be tempted to our side, then we make our own fate, baby. But I have a feeling with the amount of effort we’ll need to put into making everyone we care about happy, she’ll have no choice.’

Wrapping my hands around her trim waist, I picked her up and flung her over my shoulder. She shrieked. ‘Wait, what… Where are we going?’

I slapped her ass. Enjoyed it bounce against my cheek. ‘First, I’m going to take this ass as payment for your earlier near-insubordination. Then we’re going shopping for the fattest diamond on Fifth Avenue. We’re good for now, Fist. Be ready to head out in an hour.’

She groaned at the reminder that Fist was seeing her slung over my shoulder on the way to getting reamed.

I grinned as I stepped back into my bedroom and kicked the door shut.

Things had been hairy for a second – and would probably remain tricky for a while – but for now, I was going to enjoy my woman in all the ways God had intended. And in some of the ways he didn’t.