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1024 Words
I inched slowly towards the door, my gun held firmly, but the knocking had ceased almost as instantly as it had begun.
The only person I could think of as being stupid enough to come up here was Sullivan.
That bastard.
It had to be him. At this point I don’t know if he thought he was invincible, or just f*****g stupid. Just because I was on a honey moon with my wife didn’t mean I’d come into a foreign country without any security. The Maranzano had enemies every where. And with Lena carrying my heir, I made sure I hyped up the security. So how the hell did someone get past them without a sound?
Even if it wasn’t Sullivan, who ever the f**k they were would meet the end of my gun tonight. But the second I pulled the doors open, my gun raised, finger on the trigger, I was meant with nothing but an empty hallway.
There was nobody out here. My brows creased as I stepped into the hallway, but I didn’t ease my grip on the gun just in case.
My jaw clenched when I swept the halls again but found no sign of anyone ever being there.
A sudden crunching sound under my foot had me looking down and the frown on my face became hardened.
There was a plain black envelope under my foot, and I crouched down and picked it up on the its front, written in bold golden script:
“Mr. and Mrs. Maranzano.”
And on the inside…
“Congratulations on your marriage. May your union be as unbreakable as the empire you inherit. We will see you soon. —M.”
Milano.
I’ve never even met this individual, so why the f**k was he so interested in my affairs? My jaw tightened as I inspected it closely as though it held some kind of secret, but it was just an invitation to a gala. And my wife and I were the f*****g guests of honour.
Was this their sick way of telling me that I was on their turf and at their mercy?
Fuck that s**t. Nobody threatens me. I don’t give a f**k who this guy is, but nobody backs me up into a f*****g corner. My hand that held the envelope clenched into a fist, crushing the piece of paper in my hold. I could feel my temper boil to a point already.
“Vince?”
Just when I thought I was about to lose my s**t, Lena’s voice called me from within the suite, and I let out a shaky breath.
I didn’t want her to see me like this—on edge, ready to kill. But there was no hiding it now.
I had to tell her.
I closed the door and locked it once I was back inside. Lena was now standing near the couch, her rob wrapped securely around her body like some kind of Armour.
“What is it?” she asked, stepping closer.
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
Her eyes narrowed into a hard glare. “Don’t lie to me.”
I studied her for a moment. Only Lena could use such a challenging tone with me and I’d fold almost instantly. I don’t have weaknesses, but with this woman, everything was different. With a sigh, I held up the envelope and began telling her everything that’s happened so far.
I don’t think she’s ever gone this long being quiet. She just sat there on the couch with me, listening carefully as if it was some grand mystery that needed to be solved and only she had the answers.
“So, this Milano character…” she started, finally breaking the Ice. “…What do we know about him…or them?”
I rubbed my face with my palm and threw my head back with another sigh. “They’ve got a pretty strong hold in Greece apparently. My family has only ever done business with them once, but even then, it was just a middle man. They needed goods passed through the border, and I had the necessary connections they needed. Honestly, I don’t even know if Milano is a person, or just the name of the organization” I was still trying to wrack my brain about what they could possibly want. What Sullivan wants…
“I see. And they’ve invited us to a gala?” the words left her lips with a cautious tone as if she were trying to figure something out. She looked cute whenever she had on her thinking face. The creased brows, and the tiny pout. Everything.
“I don’t want to risk taking you to this event, Len. I don’t know if Milano is a friend or a foe.”
“Because of Sullivan?” she quipped.
“Yes.”
“But if we don’t honor the invitation it could lead to something else.”
“Yeah.”
“If that’s the case, I say we go.”
“What?” I instantly sat up and faced her. “Did you not here everything I just said, Lena? It could be dangerous if we go. If I take you out there.”
“And it might be worst if we don’t either.” she seemed so sure as she placed her hand on my face. A small smile dancing at the corner of her lips.
“Look, I might not know much about the Mafia, but one thing I know is that you men tend to over complicate things.”
I grabbed her hand firmly as I shook my head. “You don’t understand. It’s more than just being complicated it’s-”
“Five minutes.”
“What?”
“In and Out. We show up, make small talk, then say you have an urgent appointment, then we leave. It’s as simple as that, babe.”
I looked at her then, I mean really looked. There was no fear in her eyes, just Lena. A crazy woman who agreed to marry an equally crazy man.
“Listen to me. Whatever happens, I will keep you safe.”
- Writer
