Page 22 of Arranged Mafia Marriage

He turns to Misha. “I need you to get into Damiano’s systems. Find out what they know.”

Misha nods, all traces of playfulness gone as he immediately pauses the game and sets aside the controller to turn back to his laptop. “On it, boss.”

“Anya, contact our people at the port. Make sure they’re on high alert.”

“Consider it done,” she says, already pulling out her phone.

Kiril looks at me. “Felicity, I need you to memorize these new codes. If our original plan has been compromised, we’ll need to switch to Plan B on short notice.”

He hands me a sheet of paper covered in seemingly random words and phrases. I scan it, committing each one to memory.

As I study, I feel a mix of excitement and fear. This is real, dangerous and potentially deadly, but a small part of me thrills at being included and trusted with something so important.

I look up to find Kiril watching me, his expression unreadable. “I won’t let you down,” I say softly. Then I ask, “What’s Plan B?”

He gives me an assessing look. After a moment, he nods. “We’ll use the underground tunnels to move the shipment. It’s riskier, but Damiano won’t expect it.”

“Underground tunnels?” I ask, surprised.

“Remnants from Prohibition,” says Misha without looking up from his keyboard. “Pretty cool, right?”

I nod, trying to absorb this new information. “So, how does it work?”

Kiril spreads out a new map on the desk. “We’ll split the shipment into three parts. Each will take a different route through the tunnels, converging here.” He points to a spot near the docks.

“What about Damiano’s men?” I ask.

“That’s where you come in,” says Kiril. “You’ll be our coordinator, moving the teams from a safe location.”

My heart skips a beat. “Okay, I can do that, but... I want to be there. On-site.”

Kiril’s expression hardens. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” I ask. “I can handle it.”

“It’s too dangerous,” he says flatly.

“I’m already in danger. At least this way I can be useful.”

Anya and Misha exchange glances, clearly trying to stay out of our brewing argument.

Kiril’s jaw tightens. “You’re not trained for this kind of operation. You could get hurt or worse.”

“Then train me. I’m a quick learner, remember? You said so yourself.”

“This isn’t a game,” Kiril snaps. “These are hardened criminals we’re dealing with. They won’t hesitate to kill you, and that kind of training takes time.”

“I know that,” I say, my voice also rising, “But I’m not some helpless damsel. I can contribute more than just sitting in a safe room, relaying messages.”

He bares his teeth. “My decision is final. You’ll coordinate from here, where it’s safe.”

“Safe?” I laugh bitterly. “Nowhere is safe. Damiano’s already tried to kill me once. What’s to stop him from finding me here while you’re all out there?”

“We have security measures in place,” says Kiril, his tone clipped.

“And what if they fail? I’d rather be with you, where I know I’m protected.”

Kiril slams his hand on the desk, making me jump. “Enough. You’re staying here, and that’s final.”

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