Page 66 of Mistletoe in the Mafia

He officially retired from table matters two years ago. But I requested yesterday that he come out of retirement because I have a lot of questions he could have the answers to.

“Dominic, you asked us all to gather. Now tell us what’s wrong,” Nicholas states.

I slide into a chair and everyone else follows suit. Once they do, I look straight at Marco.

“Hello, Uncle,” I greet. We might not be related by blood, but he was my legal guardian throughout my childhood—he housed me and fed me and took care of me the best that he could, despite not liking me very much. “I need information that only you have access to, apparently.”

Yesterday, I went through every single article, everything I could get my hands on in relation to the serial killings that happened twenty years ago. Madelyn was right, though—either the FBI made sure to wipe the internet clean of any useful information, or the killer did it himself. Anyway, short of hacking into the FBI and potentially bringing them to my doorstep, I can only ask the adult who was present when it happened in the first place.

My other option is Collin Benson, but he’s also decidedly not a fan of me. He knows I was brought up in the mafia and hates my relationship with his son.

“What information?” Marco asks slowly.

“Information on my family’s murder. Tell me about the man that did it.”

Marco frowns. “Unfortunately, Dominic, I couldn’t tell you his name if I tried. And we did try. After your family was murdered, the entire Cosa Nostra threw out its weight to find the man responsible. Hell, even the Bratva helped, despite the hostile relationship between both fractions at the time.”

A muscle pulses in the middle of my forehead. My father might not have been in the mafia, but he was a Russian businessman with an incredible amount of power and reach.

“And yet you all found nothing?” I grit out.

Marco nods. “As you know, your father had many enemies. We thought the murder was orchestrated either by someone with mafia ties or by someone in the business world with a vendetta against your family. It’s why you’ve had to live the way you did. Once it became clear the person wasn’t going to turn up, I made the decision to keep you hidden away.

“Your father’s people wanted to take you with them back to Russia but you were a sick boy that would have been no help to them had you gone. They would have made you a figurehead for your father’s business, put you right in the eye of the storm. Ithought it would draw the attention of the killer. So I kept you here—I fostered you and I protected you.”

“Trust me, I’m grateful as fuck,” I drawl. “But the best method of protection would have been to find the bastard that did it in the first place.”

To that, Marco has no reply. So Nicholas speaks up.

“What’s all this about, Dominic?”

“He got in touch with me. The bastard that did it. Twenty years later and he’s finally showing his face again,” I spit.

Uneasy expressions come alight around the table. Camila’s eyes widen fearfully.

“Oh my god, what did he say to you?” she questions.

“A lot of fucking nonsense. But he did make me aware of something. Something I never even considered. Sebestian’s daughter, Madelyn—he was responsible for her mother’s death as well.”

Camila looks stricken. “What?”

Adrian blows out a breath. “Damn, that’s hardcore.”

“So what are you saying?” Nicholas asks, levelling me a look. “Were the both of you targeted because of your connection to the mafia? Or…?”

“No,” I shake my head, “I don’t believe we had any connection at all back when the murders happened. I’m almost sure the sick bastard chose his victims at random. But Madelyn and I were the only two that survived. And the moment I found her, he did, too. He found us both.”

My fists clench. I put her in danger. This never would have happened if it wasn’t for me, and now I’ll make sure to do everything in my power to keep her safe.

“What do you need, Dominic?” Nicholas asks on a frown.

“I need you to help me find him. He’s taunting me, challenging me to a chase, and I plan to happily oblige him. Andonce I find him, I’ll make him regret the day he decided to mess with me or her. I’ll make him suffer for it.”

They all nod in agreement.

“He did give me something important,” I continue. “Uncle, is the name Specter familiar to you at all?”

Marco blanches, his eyes growing wide. “What did you just say?”

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