Page 29 of The Mafia's Second Shot

The fight isover by the time I return to the house with Zoey by my side. The estate is in ruins, but the immediate threat is eliminated. My men are securing the remaining attackers, and Marco is interrogating Dante in the basement.

Zoey sits beside me in the living room, her hands clutching a cup of tea Marco brought her. She’s quiet, her eyes distant, but I can see the weight of the night pressing down on her.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I say finally, my voice raw. “The lies, the violence, the constant threat. I’m done.”

She looks at me, her expression unreadable. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’ll step back,” I reply. “From all of it. If it means keeping you in my life, I’ll walk away.”

Her lips part, but she doesn’t speak. Instead, she reaches for my hand, her touch warm despite the chill in the air.

“I don’t know if I can trust this,” she whispers. “But I want to.”

It’s not a promise, but it’s a start. And as we sit there, surrounded by the aftermath of the storm, I feel the flicker of hope—the kind worth fighting for.

21

COOPER

The meeting room is tense, the air thick with the weight of what I’m about to propose. My most trusted men—Marco, Liam, and a few others—sit around the long table, their eyes on me. They’ve been with me for years, through fights, betrayals, and victories. They know the stakes, but even they don’t see this coming.

I lean forward, my palms flat on the table, and take a deep breath. “We’re disbanding the organization.”

The room erupts into protests before I can finish the sentence. Marco, as always, is the loudest. “You can’t be serious, Cooper.”

“I’m dead serious,” I say, my voice cutting through the noise. “This isn’t permanent, but it’s necessary. Rossi knows too much about us—our structure, our routines, our alliances. If we scatter, we’ll be harder to track. It’s the only way to keep everyone safe.”

“You’re talking about dismantling everything we’ve built,” Marco argues, his fists clenched on the table. “You think Rossi’sjust going to back off because we spread out? He’ll pick us off one by one.”

“That’s why you’ll oversee the factions,” I reply, meeting his glare head-on. “You’ll make sure everyone has what they need to stay under the radar. No unnecessary moves, no flashy activity. Just survival.”

Marco shakes his head, frustration etched into his features. “And what about you? Where will you be?”

“With Zoey,” I say without hesitation. “I’ll take her to a safe house, somewhere Rossi can’t find us. If they’re looking for me, it’ll draw their attention away from the others.”

The room falls silent, the weight of my words sinking in. Liam is the first to speak. “You’re making yourself the bait.”

“I’m the priority target,” I say simply. “If I stay visible, Rossi won’t waste time chasing anyone else.”

“That’s a hell of a gamble,” Marco mutters, his voice low but heavy with disapproval.

“It’s the only move we have,” I reply firmly. “We’ve already lost too much. I’m not losing anyone else.”

After the meeting,I catch Marco in the hallway. He’s still fuming, his jaw set in that stubborn way I’ve come to expect.

“You don’t have to like it,” I say, falling into step beside him. “But you do have to trust me.”

“I trust you,” he says, though his tone is reluctant. “I just don’t trust this plan. You’re putting too much on the line.”

“I’m putting Zoey first,” I correct him. “This isn’t up for debate, Marco. She’s the priority.”

He stops walking, turning to face me. “And what happens if Rossi finds you before you can take him down? What happens to her then?”

I meet his gaze, my voice steady. “That’s why I need you to hold the factions together. If anything happens to me, it’ll be up to you to make sure she’s safe.”

Marco sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You’re asking a lot.”

“I know,” I admit. “But you’re the only one I trust to handle this.”

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