Page 78 of Secret Baby for the Italian Mafia Don

A gentle, constant reminder:

Don’t forget that I fucking own you.

“If I’d known who you were with, I would have gotten you some better company as a present.”

She barely keeps a straight face when she says,

“Don’t talk badly about my fiancé, Nico. It’s not polite.”

Our eyes lock across the table. I can smell the alcohol on him. It makes his face ruddy and wet, his frustration visible in the lines on his forehead.

“What’s the problem, Nico?” Thaddeus finally asks, straightforward. “I don’t want any trouble, and I don’t want to cause any for Ava, but I’ve made an agreement with Salvatore. This is his business. He won’t be happy that you’re interfering with it.”

I grin like a shark when Thaddeus immediately resorts to running to tell teacher. He better keep his nose clean. That kind of knee-jerk reaction doesn’t play well in prison.

“..Is that what this is?” I ask. “Interfering with your business?” I have all of Thaddeus Mori’s greedy little dreams and dollar signs tucked under my arm, and it makes his teeth grind.

“You’re interfering with Ava’s birthday.”

“Oh, yeah? Did I crash her party in a room full of old-money geriatrics?” I turn to her. “Hell, next year, I’ll take you to an authentic nursing home. The real deal. Diapers and bedpans as far as the eye can see—”

“We’re about to eat,” she complains, and for a second, I see her almost smack me on the arm with the menu. But she catches herself and doesn’t go through with the gesture that would be just a little too casual, too familiar. She buries her attention behind the laminated paper again. Even if Ava won’t play a side, I can tell she’s enjoying watching me torment Thaddeus.

I have the waitress bring a bottle of sake and three glasses to the table. Ava knocks hers away, uninterested.

“You want to know my problem, Thaddeus? I’m protective of my reputation. Of ourfamily’sreputation. You get this close to me and Sal on the totem pole, you better prove you can play with the big boys.”

His expression shifts. Now I’m talking his language, dangling raw steak in front of the nose of a hungry dog. He licks his chops.

“Sal trusts me, Nico. Give it time, and you’ll trust me, too.”

I slide the shot glass to him.

“Yeah? Let’s do a little exercise then. Let’s say I trust you for the night. Hell, let’s be generous and say that I even like you. For Ava’s birthday.”

“Alright.” He watches as I fill our drinks for us. He mimics me, taking the shot glass.

“You and I have a lot to celebrate,” I say. “To your upcoming marriage. I never formally gave you my congratulations.”

He forces a smile, and we both down the drink.

His face twists as both of us swallow down the shot. While he chokes back a cough, the waitress comes by.

“I’ll go first,” Ava volunteers, offering up her order. She asks me if I want something. Never breaking the death stare I have on Thaddeus, I shake my head. Chopsticks and murderous intent are just an awkward combination. Ava primly folds up her menu and hands it over. “That’s all for our table then, thank you.” Without questioning it, the waitress walks away with only Ava’s order.

Thaddeus looks unsure of himself.

“I was going to order...”

“Why?” Ava smiles. “You’re drinking your calories.”

She reaches over the both of us and fills up his shot glass again. He stares at it, his mouth twisting. Suddenly, Ava and I are on the same team, though I’m not sure why. I don’t know what he did to deserve it, but I can see that little vengeful streak in her, and I’m sure whatever it was, he had it coming.

I back her play.

“To Ava’s birthday,” I say, lifting another glass. Thaddeus goes pale. He sees the game now, and how it’s going to end. His fingers tremble as he picks up his shot glass, lifts it with mine, and drinks.

Ava puts down a sushi roll and some maki like she’s never tasted food before. It feeds some primal instinct in me, watching the girl finally eat. She didn’t weigh anything when we first met, and would always pick at her food or shove it away. Now, she could put me to shame as she tears through her birthday meal like she’s remembered how to enjoy eating.

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