Page 20 of Mafia Pregnancy

“Exactly. If Luca can trigger random inspections on our legitimate shipments, he can eventually force us to reroute through more expensive channels.”

The strategy is elegant in its simplicity. Rather than directly confronting our operations, Luca is applying pressure through regulatory channels, making our business more complicated and costly without risking open war. “Suggestions?”

Andrei consults his phone again. “We could reroute through Long Beach permanently. They charge higher fees but offer less exposure to Luca’s interference.”

I shake my head before he finishes the sentence. “No reaction. No mess. Not yet.”

His brow wrinkles, indicating he disagrees. “Then we maintain current operations and absorb the occasional inspection?”

“We maintain operations, and we increase surveillance on Luca’s activities. I want to know every move he makes, every person he talks to, and every place he goes. S-O-P.” I close the shipping manifests and stack them in a neat pile. “If he wants to play games with customs inspections, we’ll document his interference and use it against him when the time comes.”

“Understood.” Andrei makes notes on his phone, though his attention seems divided. “There’s something else we need to discuss.”

Before he can elaborate, I catch a shadow moving past the office doorway. Danielle has returned to the hallway, probably to retrieve something she forgot. Her movements are quick and efficient, but something about her posture suggests she’s listening rather than just working.

I stand and move closer to the door, ostensibly to check it’s closed while actually confirming what I suspect by opening it a couple of inches and peeking out. She’s positioned near the picture of me with my parents in the hall, supposedly dusting it, but close enough to overhear our conversation while maintaining the pretense of cleaning.

“The shell company documentation needs to be updated,” I say, slightly louder than necessary. “Make sure all the customs paperwork reflects the new corporate structure.”

Andrei picks up the cue immediately. “Already in progress. The lawyers have been handling the transitions since the Montenegro situation became complicated.”

I watch Danielle’s reflection in the hallway mirror. Her hands have stilled on the cleaning supplies, and her head is angled slightly toward our conversation. She’s definitely listening.

“Good. What about the shipment schedules?”

“Coordinated with our partners in Tijuana. Nothing moves without proper documentation through official channels.”

Her eyes narrow slightly at the mention of Tijuana. She’s not just overhearing random business conversation. She’s processing details about shell companies, customs documentation, and cross-border operations with uncomfortable comprehension.

She turns and walks away, disappearing around the corner toward the main staircase, likely unaware I saw her. Her movements are casual and unhurried, though I notice the way she glances back once before vanishing from view.

I close the office door again and return to my desk, where Andrei is watching me with patient curiosity. “How much did she hear?”

“Enough.” I settle back into my chair, running through the possible consequences of what just happened. “Shell companies, customs paperwork, Montenegro, and Tijuana. More than enough to pique the curiosity of the wrong people if she’s indiscreet.”

He looks resigned. “Should I handle it?”

The question hangs between us, loaded with insinuations neither of us needs to spell out. In our world, people who overhear sensitive information become security risks that require permanent solutions. Andrei has handled such situations quietly before.

The thought of him “handling” Danielle sends a surge of protective rage through my chest that surprises me with its intensity. My hands clench into fists before I can stop the reaction, and I have to take a careful breath before trusting myself to speak. “No.” The word comes out rougher than I intended, ragged with an emotion I don’t want to examine too closely. “I’ll handle it myself, if it comes to that.”

Andrei studies my face with the thoroughness of someone who’s learned to read between the lines of my orders. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

“I’m sure it’s necessary.” I force my hands to relax, unclenching fingers that want to wrap around something breakable. “She’s my employee and my responsibility.”

“She’s also the woman you’ve been avoiding for ten weeks after sleeping with her in this office.”

The blunt observation makes me look up sharply. Andrei’s expression remains neutral, though I can see the questions in his eyes. Questions about judgment, about complications, and the wisdom of letting personal feelings influence business decisions.

“I slept with her.” The admission feels strange spoken aloud, like acknowledging a weakness I’ve been trying to deny. I don’t bother to ask how he knows. I pay him to be aware of everything happening on and off the estate. “Once. It won’t happen again.” Twice, but I don’t admit the encounter four years ago, or ourpast. That’s private and doesn’t pose a danger of which he should be aware.

“It complicates how you handle the security risk she represents.”

He’s right, and we both know it. If Danielle was any other employee who’d overheard sensitive information, the solution would be straightforward. We’d assess the threat level, determine the likelihood of exposure, and eliminate the risk if necessary.

She’s not any other employee. She’s the woman who challenged me about wine selection four years ago and made me forget why I don’t get involved with civilians. She looked at me like I was worth saving instead of just using. Her memory kept me awake for months after I walked away from that hotel room. Years, if I’m honest with myself. I didn’t start sleeping well again until hiring her and having a reasonable idea of where she is day and night now.

Ten weeks ago, she was the woman who came apart in my arms like she’d been waiting four years for me to touch her again. “I’ll talk to her.” The decision forms as I speak it, though I’m not sure what I’ll say or how I’ll approach the conversation. “I’ll find out what she knows, what she understands about what she heard.”

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