Page 14 of Pregnant By the Mafia Boss

A surge of fiery heat runs through my body as I pull up the new file, which include the license plate. Skimming through the pictures, I note there’s a PDF file attached with all the Chicago DMV details of the car owner. A wry smirk covers my mouth when I see who the file is from.

“The sneaky old bastard, fucking Luca Marino. The old dog still has some fight in him,” I remark, sighing. “This throws a temporary spanner in the works, but it should be easy enough to rectify,” I bring up, taking note of how vulnerable the old man’s physical condition is.

“That’s the same thought I had. Trust me. Never in a million years did I think Luca Marino would be the one who would dupe us.”

Contemplating the next move, I say nothing, thinking it through. He might have beat us to the punch to obtain the files, but there’s no way he’s going to be able to keep them. “He killed Kian. It had to be him. There was only one car on the CCTV.” I hitch an eyebrow in admiration. “I’m surprised he didn’torganize someone to get the files for him. What’s he playing at?” I muse.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean why would you risk it in his condition to gain the files? He must have a bigger plan. He can’t hold on to them, he’s going to die,” I say to Mark.

“That’s true. So then who will he give the files to?”

Combing a finger through my well-kept beard, I run over the details in my head. If you’re going to stay one step ahead of the enemy, then you need to know how they operate.

“Wouldn’t his consigliere take over?”

“Sure. Isn’t that Marco?”

“Last time I checked. That’s the word on the street unless things have changed. He might be handing it over to him.”

I lean back in my plush leather chair, a glint in my eye. “This works incredibly well for us.”

Mark nods, grinning. “Yes. We don’t have blood on our hands for once, and we have only an old man to tackle. This is an instant win for us.”

“Right. So now all we have to do is pay Luca a little hospital visit, because after all, he might need a little extra bedside care,” I snicker, cracking my knuckles, and then there’s the other mystery to attend to….

Chapter Nine - Fiona

Listening to the loud chime of my wall clock, I stare at the small box in front of me, still shellshocked from the impromptu meeting with my father. What documents are inside that need to be protected so much? I’m itching to look inside the box, but I’m also scared of what I may discover. Why was this the last thing my father wanted before settling on his death bed? I reach for the box, opening it. I’m shocked when I look inside because there’s no files and there’s no hard drive either.

Just one picture.And that picture is of a large, dilapidated warehouse with red shipping containers in front of it. Puzzled, I stare at the printed picture searching for clues as to why my father would only have one glossy photograph inside the box.

Where’s the files?“Luca, what does this even mean?” I scrape around, turning the box upside down, checking there’s nothing attached to the box, but I can’t find anything. Flipping the picture back and forth in my hands, I can’t see any other information on it.

Huh? He said files, but why can’t I find any? Okay. Let me call.I retrieve my cell phone out of my bag, contacting my father on the last number he called me from. It was likely from a burner phone, but it doesn’t make sense what I’m looking at. Dialing the number, I chew nervously on my bottom lip.

Come on, pick up, Luca.What is this? I need more information.I’m about to give up hope as the phone rings all the way out. My finger hovers over the end call button but he finally picks up.

“Dad, about the box you gave me,” I pause, sucking in a deep breath, but there’s no reply on the other end. “Dad?” I squawk in a high-pitched voice, worried that he might haveslipped away already, and seeing him at the restaurant was my last time.

Please.No.There’s something wrong.My stomach somersaults in response aslight chuckling echoes in the background, my hand growing warm from the box.

Shit.Who is that?The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as the chuckling continues, along with heavy breathing. My hitched breath catches in my throat, while waiting for my father to answer.

“Oh no, poor bambina, your daddy’s dead, but we want the files he left for you. Do you have it?” says the charming lace of a venomous voice, spiraling down the line as my intestines turn inside out. The timbre of the man’s voice is chillingly familiar, but what did he say?

My father’s dead.A sickening wave of nausea shifts through me as I press my eyes shut. My worst fears actualized. I don’t know if I can handle these turbulent emotions back-to-back like this…but the voice.

Why do I know it?

The shocking realization hits me in a way I can’t explain as I pick up the faint murmurs of voices in the background.

Fuck.It’s Ruslan.

A flashback occurs as I recall his silky voice whispering compliments in my ear at the Destiny Bar. Only this time his whisper is one of death filtering down the line. A tear slips down my face because I knew there was something supremely dangerous about Ruslan when I first met him, but I just couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. It feels as if a hand is gripping my throat, but I manage to speak regardless, and it’s tough to reconcile letting a murderer take your virginity.

“What?”

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