Page 59 of Mafia Princess

I leave cash on the table, pick up my phone, and head to my father’s office to discuss business.

My father sits in his large office chair, a chair fit for a king, a king of the underworld. He glances up at me and scowls, as though I’m an inconvenience in his important day.

“Anyone else joining us?” I take a seat in the chair in front of his desk and place my ankle on my knee, waiting for him to speak.

“Have you found the guilty party yet?” He glares at me as though it’s my fault his consigliere was decapitated.

“As you know, they wiped the security footage. My men are working on it,” I answer nonchalantly.

“Any idea where his daughter, Amara, has disappeared to?” His eyes regard me like I’m lying through my teeth, which I am.

“She decided to leave the city to grieve, I guess?” She most definitely did leave, in a body bag.

I knew that bitch would talk, so I had my men stalk her the morning of her father’s death and dispose of her body, ensuring it would never be found. Franko, my second, is crafty like that. His specialty is the local pig farm, where the owner looks the other way for a nice sum of money.

“I’m seeing a pattern here.” My father sits back in his leather chair, deep in thought.

“And what pattern would that be? I’m not catching on.” I scratch the stubble on my chin, my thoughts running a thousand miles per hour.

“Never mind.” He dismisses my question. “We have other matters to discuss,” he continues. “The wedding is this weekend. I do suppose you’ve managed to get your blushing bride to sign the NDA?”

“I haven’t even discussed the fucking wedding with her, let alone signing shit,” I say exasperated.

Maya and I have played a volley of insults, throwing them at each other as enemies should. Discussing important details of this arrangement was not even on the cards at this point, to be honest.

“Get it signed before the weekend,” he orders, the urgency in his tone not going unnoticed.

“What the fuck is going on?” I ask, irritation at being kept in the dark, making the sneer carve itself deeper in my features.

“Focus on getting the papers signed and her down the aisle. I’ll handle the rest.”

“The rest of what? What are you cooking up? You can’t keep me in the dark and expect me to run your affairs,” I huff.

My father’s eyes catch me mid standing, rooting me to the spot. “My dear son, you think you’re on top of everything and aware of all that goes on in this family. I have kept you from the depravity and the abhorrent nature of this life, and I expect to keep you from it until the day I die. I sold my soul to the devil many years ago, to keep us safe.”

“You failed to keep Romana safe,” I say under my breath, but loud enough for him to hear.

“And I fucking pay for it every day I’m alive.” He smashes his fist into his desk, not saying another word to me.

Striding out of his office, I want to gut the next fucker who passes me, my anger still as raw as it was the day she was murdered. My older sister, the one who looked after me from the day I was born, taken from this life too early.

I still remember the day as though it was yesterday. I was eight years old and was collected from school early, to come home to the news that my sister had been murdered, execution-style, as she exited her car at school that morning. My world ended that day. My innocence was ruined and a lifetime of darkness ensued.

Tearing out of the undercover parking lot, my tires screech as I turn into the traffic, cutting off cars as I roar down the street. I head straight for the gym, dialing my trainer to meet me there to pummel the shit out of me. The need to feel my pain on my skin, to rid the murderous anger within me, takes over my train of thought.

After getting the shit beaten out of me, and coming up with a few bruises that will hurt like a bitch tomorrow morning, I head to meet my second in charge. I find him standing beside his black Escalade.

“Franko, my man.” I grip him in a one-arm hug.

“You look like shit.” He pats me on the back, running his eyes up and down my sweaty and beaten body.

“Thanks. I’ll ensure I’m well-rested next time we meet up,” I laugh and climb into the passenger seat as Franko takes the wheel. “Any updates on the merger?”

“All systems go, I just need you to sign the paperwork, and the deal with Nero Constructions is signed, sealed, and delivered.” Franko side-eyes me and grins.

“So, they weren’t suspicious of the disappearance of their CEO?” I glance at my phone and scroll through my emails.

“No mention of it. He’s been disposed of, never to be found.” Franko nods as he merges onto the highway.

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