Page 35 of Deadly Don's Baby Contract

"She'll hold her own," I say, sitting beside her. "I'm sorry we married without your blessing." I need to distract her.

She shakes her head. "Franco has always been hard-headed and stubborn. I expect nothing else from him.

"Franco walks in, followed by Donald, Marido and Jarrod. "We're going to Don Vito's estate. We suspect he has Giulia there. We can't find any trace of Marco. Mama, why don't you see if Marco is at the casino? It will give you something to do.

"Sofia nods and gets up. "You stay here," he says. "Let me know if there's any sign of Giulia."

"Be careful," I say, tilting my head to kiss him. "Come back to me."

"Of course," he says before he leaves.

I fret. I don't know what to do with myself to keep busy. I'm worried about Giulia. I want her to be okay if they've taken her because of me because Vito wants me.

I sniff. Why do bad things always happen to me? Why can't I just enjoy my new life?

I hear footsteps, and thinking Franco forgot something, I turn around to speak to him but see Marco standing there in the doorway.

"What do you want?" I ask sullenly. "Giulia is missing, and you're nowhere to be found."

"My sister will be fine. It's you you should be worried about," he says, advancing into the room.

I take a step back and clench my fists. "I will defend myself."

"Ha, how?" He pulls a knife out from behind his back. I stop retreating and stand my ground.

"Marco, stop. This is pointless."

"If I can't have you, then no one can," he threatens.

Marco walks towards me and swipes at me. I grab his hand, turn around, and slam his wrist over my shoulder so he drops the knife before I turn around and knee him in the balls. I scoop the knife up and hold it to his throat. "I'm not a defenseless little fucking girl," I say. "I'm a grown-ass woman with a history."

Marco looks up at me, and I keep the knife at his throat. "I could kill you now, and Franco would be head of this family, do you understand that? And no one would miss you because you're an 'A' grade asshole.

"He stands up slowly, and I lower the knife. "Now, piss off.

"He opens his mouth to say something, reconsiders it, and turns to leave. I lay the knife on the table and sit down, I might never be able to escape the mafia life, but I'll be damned if I die by it. I get lost in my thoughts as the minutes tick agonizingly by.

There is the sound of tires outside, and I stand, worried.

Franco walks in, looking a little haggard. "She wasn't there."

"Fuck," I say. "Where could she be?"

"Donald thinks we should regroup and attack Vito's laundromats. That's where we're headed now." He sees the knife on the table and looks at me.

"It's nothing," I say with a smile. "Go get our sister back."

Chapter 13

Franco

Something about my wife isn’t sitting right with me. And the way Vito evaded me but still demanded a swap… I can’t shake the feeling that there is something I don’t know.

I will burn every wishy-washy fucking laundromat in this city until I find my sister. Vito has no idea who he is playing games with. One clean shot at him is all I need, and I will take it. I’m not in the mafia for the politics of truces and allies. Aria was right when she called me a killer, a murderer. That is who I am.

Vito is a petty, low-life criminal, though, a tit-for-tat moron. The way he thinks he can touch me is laughable, but I’m not taking chances. His new obsession with my family has me asking questions, though.

“This is not a discussion, Aria.” Her pushback is unwelcome today; we still haven’t found my sister, and I am almost out of patience. “I can’t keep you safe and find her, so this option is all I have right now.”

---