Page 10 of Stolen By the Devil

Angel didn’t even flinch as the roll hit her shoulder and tumbled to the floor. Her reaction was calm, composed, almost serene. She turned to the servant standing nearby and spoke softly. "Please take Marco’s plate away. He’s done eating for tonight."

Marco’s eyes widened in surprise. He looked up at her, expecting some kind of argument or apology, but there was none. She didn’t back down. She had delivered her judgment with quiet authority, and he had no choice but to accept it. His anger simmered beneath the surface, but he slouched in his seat, defeated.

I watched the exchange with growing interest. Angel wasn’t afraid of them, wasn’t afraid of me. She wasn’t just teaching them discipline—she was teaching them respect. The way she had handled my son, not with harshness, but with steady control, impressed me. Few people in my world commanded that kind of respect without resorting to fear.

Angel turned back to me, her soft smile returning. "The current tutor simply can’t handle them.”

I studied her for a long moment, considering her words. She was right. Patricia Gustino was weak, easily manipulated, and the children had learned to take advantage of that. It was time to fix the problem. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” I said, giving her a nod of appreciation.

Angel, Liliana, and I finished dinner quietly after that, the tension in the room slowly dissipating.

As Rosa came in to retrieve the empty plates, I stood and gestured for Angel to put the children to bed. "Meet me in my office afterward. We’ll take care of this situation regarding the tutor tonight."

Angel nodded, her expression calm and composed as she led the children upstairs. I watched them go, my mind still processing the changes I had witnessed in such a short time. She had made an impact—not just on the children, but on me. There was something about the way she moved through my world with such grace, as though she belonged in it despite the danger, despite the darkness.

I made my way to my office and sat behind the massive oak desk. Picking up my phone, I sent a text to have the tutor brought to me. As I waited for the women, I made a call to one of my clients, an arms dealer I had worked with for years. I had heard rumors of him finding a new supplier, someone undercutting my prices, and I needed answers.

"Antonio,” I greeted him curtly when he picked up. “My sources tell me you’re doing business elsewhere. Who’s your new supplier?" I asked, my voice low and dangerous.

The man on the other end hesitated, his breath catching. "Drago…you know I can’t tell you that."

"You will tell me," I said, my voice filled with an icy threat.

There was silence, followed by a reluctant sigh. "I’m sorry, Drago. I can’t. My hands are tied.”

I clenched my jaw, the anger building inside me like a storm. The call ended without resolution, but the fury that simmered beneath my skin remained. Someone was stepping into my territory, and I intended to find out who.

I summoned Reaper, my right-hand man. I’d given him the nickname when I’d first taken him under my wing and it suited him well. When he entered the office, his presence was as imposing as always—tattooed, scarred, and deadly. "We have a problem," I said, my voice dark. "There’s a mole in the organization. Someone’s feeding information to a competitor,and it’s costing me. I want you to find out who it is. Do whatever it takes."

Reaper’s expression didn’t change. He nodded once, his voice gruff. "Consider it done."

As Reaper left, the door opened again, and Angel entered with the tutor, Patricia. The young woman looked terrified, her eyes wide and bulging as she stuttered through her excuses. "The children are...progressing well, Mr. Barone. They’re learning…slowly, but they’re getting there."

Angel, standing beside her, didn’t let her continue the lie. "That’s not true," she said calmly. "Marco can’t even recite the alphabet, and Liliana can barely read. They’re far behind where they should be."

Patricia’s face flushed, her eyes darting between me and Angel, her voice trembling. "They…they don’t like to learn. They refuse to cooperate. They threaten me and say they’ll tell you lies about me if I don’t let them do what they want."

Angel sighed, disappointment evident in her gaze. "They’re children, Miss Gustino. It’s your job to teach them, no matter how difficult they are. You can’t let them control you."

I leaned back in my chair, arms folded. Angel was right. The other woman wasn’t fit for her role, and the children had been neglected for too long. "What do you think should happen?" I asked Angel.

Her answer came without hesitation. "Miss Gustino should be dismissed for the good of the children’s future."

I nodded, my decision already made. "So be it." I punched the intercom button on the telephone console on my desk.

“Milo, come escort Miss Gustino to gather her things and show her out.”

The door to my office opened a moment later, revealing the hulking figure of my guard. The tutor didn’t dare to meet my eyes as she hurried from the room under his watchful gaze. Once they were gone, I turned my attention back to Angel. "I want you to tutor the children for now. You’ve already shown you can handle them better than anyone else."

She didn’t look surprised, though her eyes softened with concern. "I’ll do it," she said, "but Liliana needs to go to school. She needs to socialize with other children her age. If I work with her, she could be ready for first grade next year. I think a private academy would be best."

I considered her words, the sincerity in her voice. She wasn’t just offering a solution—she was offering a future for my children, something I hadn’t truly considered before. "I’ll think about it," I said, my voice softer than usual. "Thank you."

Angel smiled and left my office, leaving me feeling a rare sense of peace that I hardly knew what to make of. I’d never trusted anyone to make decisions on my behalf or about what was important to me. The fact that I’d just allowed her to do so struck me with wonder. For once, my demon felt tamed, and I slept more soundly that night than I could remember.

***

The next day, I found myself wanting to join Angel and the children for dinner again. My evenings were usually filled with late-night meetings or a workout session, followed by a solitary meal or the company of a whore whose name I would never remember. But tonight, I felt the pull of home, of witnessing more of the changes that had begun to take root under Angel’s care. I sent a message to my staff before leaving the office to alert them that I would be joining my children and their nanny again for the evening meal.

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