Page 97 of Mafia King's Surprise Baby

His voice is hard this time, and I know what he means. Death will cross my path again very soon, but I have no plans for it to win against me.

Mattia’s squeezing Hana tight, then he releases her and comes up to me. I exchange a nod with her, then we’re on our way. Luigi’s men on cleanup duty will stay back, the others joining us as we set out.

“Dispatch a small crew to all the Albanian hubs in The Bronx,” I tell my enforcer. “Wait for my go-ahead to breach.”

“Boss.” He’s on the phone next, swiftly arranging for soldiers.

“What’s the plan?” Mattia asks.

I sneak in a breath, using it to tamp down the anger trying to fire my blood and take over. I can’t let it, though. I need to keep my wits about me right now. Bianca matters, as does the need to keep the peace.

“We’re going to see Daku,” I say.

“The head of the Albanian council?”

“Yes. He lives on the edge of Scarsdale and The Bronx. The package is for him.”

The little piece of shit we nabbed is back in the trunk. I want his people to know what I’m about to embark on is not an unprovoked assault.

I keep my piece and hold myself together for the thirty minutes’ drive it takes us to reach a modest house on the outside periphery of Scarsdale.

Mattia’s by my side as I alight, and duty and conventions bide I’m the one to knock on the door. This is a somewhat-social visit.

The man who opens is small in stature, with a hooked nose andkind eyes behind rimless glasses. They boggle a little when he sees me standing there.

“Don Pellegrini,” he says, a question as much as there’s awe in his tone. Or is that fear?

I incline my head in greeting. “Mr. Daku. My apologies for disrupting your evening.”

He swallows hard. “Anything I can do for you?”

“I’m sorry to bring business to your doorstep.”

He waves me off with a tight smile.

I point to the car, Luigi taking it as the sign to open the trunk.

“I have something of yours, I believe.”

Daku frowns. “Really? May I?”

“Be my guest,” I say, showing him the way with my hand.

His eyes grow wide when he encounters the trussed-up man in the space. He says something in Albanian, which none of us understands. Luigi’s hand is going to his back; I stay his movement to get his gun with a soft shake of my head.

Mattia removes the gag on the young man’s face, and the two Albanians confer in their mother tongue. Daku then turns to me.

“He is Albanian, but he is not one of ours.”

My eyes narrow on him. “This man tried to shiv me earlier, and that was a distraction so a group could abduct the mother of my child in the meantime. Your council has nothing to do with this?”

His hand goes to his heart. “I assure you we do not! In fact, we will help. How can we help?”

He sounds genuinely perplexed as well as outraged. No one wants to see the hard-earned peace we’ve brokered shattered again and this soon.

“I have men posted outside all the hangouts your mob frequents. They won’t hurt anyone, but they need to look,” I say.

“Go ahead. You have my permission.”

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