Page 75 of The Mafia's Surprise Gift

I ran through the park and didn’t stop until I reached the restrooms. In my panic, it was the only safe place I could think of.

“Mom!” Zack wailed as I dragged us both inside a stall and slammed the door.

“I know, baby,” I gasped breathlessly. “I know. We just—we’re playing hide and seek, okay? Just… I need you to stay here with me, okay? Stay here and stay quiet.”

Zack wailed louder, tears pouring down his face no matter how much I cuddled him and tried to soothe him. I kissed his face, cradled him close, and stood, frozen, with my eyes on the door.

What the fuck was I supposed to do?

I repeatedly told myself that Dino was dealing with it, but I hadn’t heard anything—no gunshots, no other yelling.

Should I have stayed? Would Dino be able to handle someone like that?

“Mom,” Zack sobbed, burying his face into my hip. I didn’t have time to explain anything to him. I was running on instinct to get him as far away from harm as possible.

Suddenly, thumping footsteps landed outside the bathroom and the door clattered open. Then each stall door was kicked in with a loud crack of wood against wood. I cradled Zack against me, my heart pounding so fiercely that all I could taste was iron on the back of my tongue.

The stall door next to us slammed open, and Zack wailed loudly.

Then my stall door was kicked in. Without thinking, I launched myself forward with a yell, ready to do everything I could to fight whoever this was—and landed right in Dino’s arms.

“Mae!” Dino yelled, catching me and swiftly removing the gun from my face.

I stumbled and looked up at him, then in a surge of anger, I slapped him hard across the face as tears sprang into my eyes.

“What the fuck?” I screamed at him. “Why wouldn’t you announce yourself?”

“I didn’t know if you were alone!” Dino yelled back, then he quickly shoved his gun away behind his back as Zack came running out of the stall.

“Mom!”

“Zack, baby, it’s okay!” I grabbed him, pulling him up into my arms as tears spilled down my cheeks. “Holy shit, I thought we were—” I couldn’t finish that sentence. In a few split seconds, I had been ready to fight, to die to protect my son from that monster, but luckily, it had just been Dino.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Dino asked, moving around me as two other men sprinted into the bathroom.

“No, I’m not fucking okay,” I hissed angrily through my tears. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Rocco will explain everything,” Dino said, wrapping his arms around me. “But trust me when I say you are safe now. I promise you.”

“You have some fucking explaining to do,” I snapped the moment I stormed back into my lounge. I had just spent over half an hour calming Zack down enough to sleep, and the sight of Rocco standing near the sofa looking calm somehow enraged me further.

“Mae—”

“Don’t Mae me. What the fuck was that? Some Russian tank accosted me in the park with our son, and Dino kept pawning me off, telling me you would explain, so explain.”

To my surprise, Rocco smiled.

“Why the fuck are you smiling?”

“You said our son.”

I hesitated briefly. “That’s… not the fucking issue right now!” I was so angry I was certain I was going to explode. My heart raced, my skin was flushed so hot that all my clothing felt suffocating, and I almost couldn’t breathe. “What the fuck!”

“I warned you,” Rocco said gently. “I told you this would happen, and if you just accepted my help when I offered it, then I would have been able to protect you and Zack much more efficiently instead of having my men tail you like it’s still some kind of secret.”

“You call that any kind of protection? Some Russian bear tries to kidnap me and my baby from the park and your only answer is that I should have accepted your help?” My chest tightened further. “You asshole!”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. But Mae, this is my life! I swear I have people on the Russian. I have men scouring the town, and whoever it is after you or Zack will be caught. But I warned you. Zack is an extension of me, and this never stays secret. You can’t run from this. I love you, but fuck, you’re stubborn! You have to listen to me. All I want to do is protect you. We all do! I am so, so sorry this happened, and I swear it will never happen again, but there’s no escaping this.”

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