Page 96 of Mafia King's Surprise Baby

“I should’ve checked the intel myself,” he adds.

In an ideal world, that’s what we’d have done. But I had no plans to see Bianca before seven today, which means there’s no way I could’ve been here to protect her. Had Mattia been home, he’d probably have been dead, too.

Thinking back to the lighthouse reminds me we have special cargo in the trunk of the car.

“Find Pano outside,” I tell Luigi. “We got the fucker who tried to get the drop on me.”

“On it, boss.” He’s directing his men on the way out, some assigned to cleanup, others coming with him to grab the prisoner.

“I’ll bet you it’s those fucking Albanians,” I tell Mattia. “They have Bianca.”

Roberto gasps. “But…why?”

I have no idea why Jasir Abrashi would want her now, and it’s driving me crazy, this not knowing. I’m like a caged bull with nowhere to go. The only thing keeping me grounded is the heavy weight of my son’s sleeping body in my arms.

“Bianca,” I whisper, closing my eyes as I imagine what she must be going through.

“I should’ve been home with her,” Hana says softly.

I open my eyes and stare at her. “You’d be dead, in that case.”

She pales, tears pooling in her eyes.

Her distress calls to something in me, and I soften a bit. “There’s been enough death tonight.”

On my side, I don’t add. Whoever’s responsible for taking Bianca won’t make it out alive when I get my hands on them. I’ll drag them down myself into the bowels of Hell.

Luigi pops in again.

“Boss? He won’t talk.”

“Make him,” I bite out.

He shrugs. “That’s just it. Says he knows nothing, was just given a thousand bucks to shiv you. Didn’t even know who you are, by the sound of things.”

Fuck! There’s nothing more I want than to pound the answers out of that little shit. But like what happened earlier today, I know it’s not the monster in my blood I need to feed. It’s the cold one’s rationality and cool head I need right now. Andhereminds me it’s the Albanians I’m dealing with, the very ones we just wrangled a hard-won peace with. We can’t risk another war. I certainly can’t.

This will have to be played out in the field but on the terrain of diplomacy. There’s no way out of this. All the hard work I’vedone to make the Dons know not to cross me, it will be for nothing if I start a tiff with the ones we’re still warily eyeing as our enemy.

“Make sure he stays alive,” I tell Luigi. “I’m gonna need him.”

“Boss.” He nods and leaves.

I turn to Mattia, trying to disentangle Enzo from around my neck. He’s fast asleep now, and I manage to pry him away, cradling him in my arms as I hand him over to my best friend. But Mattia shakes his head.

“Keep him safe for me,” I say with a frown.

“You’re not going out without me. She’s my sister.”

An echo of the time we went after a man who we thought had hurt Bianca reverberates in my mind. Today, we’re on a similar mission, going to confront another Abrashi brother. How did I ever think he wouldn’t accompany me?

So I nod, my gaze then landing on Roberto. I don’t like the man one whit, but Enzo is also his grandson,sangre. He’ll be safe with him. I take the child to him and place him in his lap.

He lifts tear-clouded eyes to me as he gently clutches the boy to him. “Bring her home, Leo. I can’t lose her again.”

Neither can I. Soundlessly, I acquiesce.

“Do whatever you have to.”

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