Page 59 of That Time I Accidentally Took Over the Mafia

I set my fork down, looking at the two of them, and lean in. “So, who’s trying to make me the next ‘Caputo casualty,’ and why?” I ask, my voice steady, though my brain is still trying to process the fact that I’m now a pawn in some twisted mafia chess game.

Jax doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he slides a thick stack of photos across the table—blown-up, high-quality color images that scream professional surveillance work. This isn’t the grainy black-and-white stuff from TV crime shows. This is the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.

“These,” Jax says, tapping the stack, “are from our surveillance on the Serrano family.” He meets my gaze, his eyes serious. “I know you don’t know who they are yet, but trust me, you’ll want to.”

I look down at the photos, scanning them quickly. There are people coming and going from various buildings, cars parked in random spots. It’s clear someone’s been tailing these people for a while now.

“Who are they?” I ask, trying to make sense of it all.

Luca leans forward, pointing to one specific photo—a man in a tailored suit walking through a back alley with a briefcase. “This is Marco Serrano. Mid-level guy in the Serrano family. We’ve been tracking him for months. He’s trying to make some serious power moves.” He pauses, letting the weight of his words sink in. “And not in a good way.”

Jax picks up where Luca left off. “He’s been making connections with some unsavory types—arms dealers, money launderers, you name it. Whoever’s trying to destabilize the Caputo family, Marco’s definitely got his fingerprints all over it.”

I swallow hard, the pieces starting to fall into place. “You think Marco’s behind the hits on me?”

“He’s too much of an idiot to be the mastermind, but he’s definitely acting like a fixer,” Luca responds, his hand tightening on my thigh. “If he’s involved, we can use him to get to the boss behind it all. This isn’t just about taking you down. It’s about getting control of the Caputo family—and the power that comes with it.”

I lean against Luca, trying to let the information sink in. The weight of it presses down on me. This isn’t just about surviving anymore. It’s about winning, taking control, becoming who I was meant to be.

“Well, I’m not planning on sitting around and waiting to get taken down.” I stare at the two of them, my resolve hardening. “Let’s lure him out. I’ll be the bait. If he’s an idiot?—”

“No.” Luca doesn’t even let me finish.

“Yes,” I snap, partially turning so I can face him. “If you wanted to lock me in an ivory tower, then you should’ve done that when you kidnapped me.”

“Do you even know what you’re asking for?” Luca’s face flushes with frustration. “It takes a lot to keep you safe, and you want to just piss on that and throw yourself into the line of fire? No fucking way.”

I get off his lap now, carrying my plate to the sink, needing some distance. “Well, by all means, keep being a brooding asshole and keeping me in the dark. That’s working so wonderfully for you.” I set the plate down with a little more force than I intend.

Luca stands, pushing the chair back like it offends him. “You’ll do this our way.”

“Then you don’t fucking know me at all. Perhaps you should’ve stayed around an extra few minutes to at least wipe my blood off your cock before you ran away.” I regret the words the instant they leave my mouth.

“Dels,” Jax’s tone is a low warning.

“No, fuck this.” Luca grabs his phone from the table and stomps toward the hall. “Let her go off and get herself killed so the last six fucking years can be a goddamn waste.”

I give Jax my back, leaning against the counter with my arms folded over my chest, staring at the kitchen floor. I ignore the scrape of Jax’s chair and the sound of his footsteps approaching.He tosses his half-eaten sucker in the trash and stands in front of me.

He rubs his hands up my arms and then tilts my chin so I’m forced to meet his gaze.

“I can’t help you two fix each other,” he says softly, his eyes searching mine.

“He doesn’t want to fix anything. He just wants to lock me in a bubble,” I mutter, my voice low and raw. I circle Jax’s waist with my arms, holding him, never wanting to let him go as he cups my face gently with his hands.

“Luca is just frustrated he hasn’t figured it out yet. The world’s best hacker, and he’s missing one key,” Jax murmurs, leaning down to kiss me tenderly. “It’s the one thing he needs to make sure the girl of his dreams can live a safe life.”

I snort, trying to push back the emotions welling up in me.

“No, ma’am. Don’t you scoff at that.” His eyes lighten with amusement, and one of those irresistible dimples makes an appearance. “You are the girl of our dreams, Delaney.”

“Oh, I have no question about that,” I reply with a small smile, my anger melting under his touch. Jax matches my smile with his own, shaking his head slightly. “The ‘safe life’ part. I’m supposed to be the queenpin of the Italian mob. Are you going to convince me that will be a safe life?”

“Point taken.” He grins and kisses me again, his tongue brushing mine in a teasing swipe before pulling back.

“I need to protect myself,” I say, my tone firm.

Jax raises an eyebrow, a sly grin forming on his face. “Oh, don’t worry, Peach. We’ll make sure you’re ready for whatever comes. Starting with teaching you how to use something better than a spatula.”

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