Page 52 of The Mafia King's Baby

“And if he tries to set you up?”

“Then Leonid eliminates the threat, and we disappear.” I say it matter-of-factly, but I can see the impact of my words in herexpression. She’s still adjusting to the casual way we discuss potential violence.

She presses further. “How do you know he won’t record the conversation?”

I shake my head. “He wouldn’t because he’s as implicated as anyone else in the corruption we’ll be discussing. Recording our meeting would create evidence that could destroy him if it fell into the wrong hands.”

The logic seems to satisfy her, but I see tension in her shoulders that speaks of anxiety about tomorrow’s meeting. She’s brave, but she’s not naïve about the dangers we’re walking into.

“Get some sleep,” I say to both of them. “Tomorrow will be complicated.”

Leonid nods and heads for the door. After he leaves, I lock up and engage the security bar. Hotel security is minimal, but every precaution matters when federal agents and rival criminals are actively hunting us.

As I check the window locks, Celia asks, “Are you nervous?”

“Always.” I join her on the bed and pull her against my side. “Nervous keeps you alive. Overconfident gets you killed.”

“You don’t seem nervous.”

“I’m very good at hiding it,” I say with a small smile.

She settles against my chest, and I feel some of the tension leave her body. Having her close helps calm my own anxiety, which is both comforting and concerning. Emotional attachments create vulnerabilities that can be exploited by enemies, but they also provide motivation that makes survival feel worthwhile.

“What’s the worst that could happen tomorrow?” she asks.

“Moretti could be working with Lang’s partners and could have set up the meeting as a trap. We could be walking into an ambush with federal agents and rival criminals waiting for us.” I stroke her hair while considering other possibilities. “Or he could refuse to provide useful information, leaving us with no better understanding of the threats we’re facing.”

“What’s the best that could happen?”

I think for a minute before answering. “He gives us detailed intelligence about the corruption network, identifies the key players, and provides evidence we can use to neutralize the threat permanently.”

She asks quietly, “Neutralize meaning blackmail them into leaving us alone?”

“Neutralize meaning whatever works. Blackmail, bribery, exposure, or elimination. I’ll use whatever it takes to ensure they can’t hurt us.”

She’s quiet for several minutes, processing what I’ve said. I don’t try to fill the silence with reassurances or explanations. She’s intelligent enough to understand the reality of our situation without me softening it with false optimism.

“I love you,” she says finally. “It’s insane and far too soon, and I should be fighting against it, but I can’t. I don’t want to.” She looks at me again, staring into my eyes “I love you the way I’ve never loved anyone before. It’s real and lasting in spite of all the craziness that’s happened.”

The words still surprise me, even though we’ve said them before. In my world, love is rare and dangerous, a luxury that few canafford and fewer still survive. But hearing it from Celia, feeling the truth of it in her voice, makes me believe that some luxuries are worth the risk. “I love you too.”

“Whatever happens tomorrow, I want you to know that.” She squeezes my hand.

“Nothing will happen tomorrow.” I tilt her chin so I can look into her eyes. “I’ll meet with Moretti, get the information we need, and return to you safely. That’s a promise.”

She shakes her head. “You can’t promise that.”

“I can and I do. I’ve survived worse situations than this, and I’ve never had better reason to come back alive.”

She kisses me then, with softness and desperation, carrying all the fear and love and hope she can’t put into words. I kiss her back with equal intensity, trying to convey everything I feel without having to say it out loud.

We make love quietly and carefully, aware Leonid is in the next room, and thin walls offer little privacy, but the connection between us is profound despite the need for discretion, and afterward, I hold her close while she falls asleep against my chest.

I remain awake much longer, listening to the sounds of the city outside our window and reviewing tomorrow’s plan for flaws and oversights. Everything depends on Moretti providing accurate information and not betraying us to his other criminal contacts. Everything depends on federal agents not having already traced our movements to DC.

Everything depends on luck, which has never been something I trust completely.

The next morning,we wake early and review our preparations one final time. Celia wears dark clothing that helps her blend into crowds, while Leonid and I dress like the kind of professionals who might have business in expensive neighborhoods. Image matters in operations like this. The wrong appearance can draw unwanted attention or raise suspicions.

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