Page 23 of Claiming His Mafia Princess

The door chimes, a soft jingle of a bell as it opens, and I lift my eyes to see who’s coming inside.

It’s her brother.

I watch his face as he walks into the wall of heat. His nose scrunches up in annoyance and as he walks towards me, he’s already shrugging his coat off his shoulders.

“Nevio.” He says, hanging it over the back of the chair next to me and then pulling it out so he can sit down.

“Masaccio.” I reply.

“Quite festive out there, isn’t it?” He chuckles, dry and unenthusiastic.

I stay quiet.

The barman puts my whisky down in front of me and looks towards Mas without a word.

“Same.”

Once he’s settled and has his drink, I get straight to the point.

“You need to tell me what is going on, otherwise I can’t protect her.”

“I know, man.” He sighs. “The problem is that I don’t know the entire story. I only know what my dad bothered to tell me and that was enough to let me know I had to make a different plan to the one he had.” He’s gone against his father, which is a red flag.

“Tell me what you know.” I push. Getting annoyed and beginning to understand why Dalila is so angry at everyone.

“That night of the poker game. Well, earlier that day—” The barman arrives with his drink and he pauses, takes a sip, and waits for the guy to leave again. “Earlier that day, my father called me into a meeting alone. He told me that someone had information about him and the family. He had to make some kind of deal.”

He pulls his mouth tight and shakes his head. “That deal was exchanging my sister for the safety of the family.”

“Exchanging her by giving her to who?”

“One of our rivals. Lenny Malone.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Even I can’t believe that.

That man is a psychopath. He is doesn’t have a single bone of empathy or softness in his body. He would kill a man for blinking at him wrong and now Mas is telling me that her father was going to hand his own daughter over to that monster. And he isn’t even an alley. He’s a rival.

Now, you must understand something.

I am called a shadow, a monster, a villain - and I’ve earned it - but Lenny Malone - he would have skinned Dalila for fun. I don’t understand what her father was thinking.

“It doesn’t make sense.” I shake my head.

“I know. But that’s why I did what I did on poker night. If she was married off to someone else before Malone got his hands on her - well - fuck man. I had no choice.”

“I agree. You had no choice. Is this why our fathers were not there on poker night?”

“Yes, all of them were out — concluding this deal.” He nods, then picks up his whisky and drains the glass.

“And what happens now? Where is Malone?”

“I don’t know where he is, or my father at the moment, but I know one thing. Malone is pissed off and looking for revenge for the dishonored deal. That’s why you need to keep her locked up, out of the public eye. It’s just too risky.”

“And that’s all you know? There isn’t anything else you are keeping from me?”

“Nothing else, man. Please tell Lila I’m trying to find dad. I’m trying to fix this.”

Chapter Thirteen

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