Page 97 of Mafia Underboss

“Your son is dead. Has been for years. He lied to you,” Bash says from behind me.

“You can’t know that. They never found his body. He could be alive.” I see the hope in her eyes.

I pity her.

“I know he’s dead because I had him killed. Fillipo never had your son. He probably never even knew your son. He lied to you to get you to do his bidding. Like he lied to Gina. You’re a stupid, foolish woman.”

She cries out at his words to the point where he’s yelling over her screams by the end of her sentence.

“Do you need her?” I ask Bash.

He gives me a questioning look but shakes his head. I lean down in front of her and look her in the face.

“I only did it for my son, Mia. You understand, don’t you?”

“I do. I would do anything to protect my family. Those people standing behind me? They are my family, and I need to protect them. I’m sorry, Hilda,” I whisper this to her before reaching forward andwrapping my hand around her neck.

She immediately starts to thrash around. Lo runs up to me and grab my shoulders.

“Mia! Stop! No! Mia!”

“Don’t touch me, Lo,” I say calmly as I watch her face turn red. I keep squeezing tighter, and she begins to choke on the limited air she’s getting. Lo is still behind me trying to talk to me.

“Please, Mia. You don’t have to do this.”

I turn and look at him over my shoulder. I see recognition in his eyes when he looks at me. I don’t know what he sees, but it calms him a little.

“I need to do this, Lo. For my family.”

I turn back toward Hilda. I dig my fingers into her neck until I can feel her heartbeat in the vein beneath my finger. Her skin is now turning purple as her throat attempts to drag in any oxygen it can. Her body is tense. I stare into her eyes as realization settles in them. She knows she is about to die. She is suffocating with no way to save herself.

So many emotions run through my head. I can see her begging me not to hurt her in her eyes. I let go abruptly and fall back. Before I hit the ground, Lo catches me.

“Mia, are you okay?” Sofia’s voice comes from my right.

I expect to see repulsion from her when I turn to her, but instead I see understanding and respect.

“I couldn’t do it.” I turn and see Hilda hunched over as she gasps for air. “I couldn’t kill her. I thought I wanted to, but I can’t.””

"It’s okay, Mia. You don’t need to kill her.”

“She threatened my family, Sof. I should want to end her life, but I cannot kill someone who doesn’t want to die. I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right.”

Sof gives me an odd look, but simply nods like it all makes sense.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Lo loosens his grip on me as he grabs my hand leading me out of the room.

“Why do you think I need cleaned up?” I look at my hands and body, but see nothing that would need to be corrected.

“I thought you might want to wash your hands.”

“Thank you.”

He offers his shirt for me to dry my hands on as soon as I am finished. I turn to walk around him to go back, but Lo stops me.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” His soft voice unnerves me.

I am used to Lo being dominating and husky. This soft side is new.

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