Page 48 of Mafia Shade's Reluctant Bride
I pulled away, and a single image flashed in my mind.
Maria.
*******
“You want me to stab him or just make him disappear?”
Dante was leaning against my desk, arms crossed, face far too serious for someone suggesting murder like it was a business lunch.
I exhaled through my nose. “We are not killing Enrico.”
Dante’s brow lifted. “You sure? Because I think the world would thank us. And so would your business. You do realize he’s the reason our shipment is hanging by a thread, right?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Of course, I knew. Enrico had been meddling for weeks, cutting into my operations, well Shade’s operation, and making problems where there didn’t need to be any. And now, he was interfering with our latest shipment, sending his goons to burn some of my shipment over the past week, which meant money, resources, and my patience were running low.
Dante tapped his fingers on my desk. “He’s using Luca’s dad’s company to launder his drug money. And if we let this keep going, it’s going to put our entire network under a fucking spotlight. If you’re not gonna kill him, at least tell me I can make him disappear for a few months. Maybe send him to some nice remote location with no cell service or breathable air. I am sure your wife-to-be won’t oppose.”
I smirked. “You really want to take out my wife-to-be’s uncle?”
Dante didn’t even hesitate. “Without question.”
“Bold of you to assume she’s my wife-to-be.”
Dante rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. I saw how you were looking at her when she came over to the club, and don’t give me that ‘it is just business’ brouhaha. You and I know it ain’t.”
I ignored that because my mind had drifted to something else.
I needed to find out whether Luca knew about his uncle’s little side hustle. If he was complicit, and I was going after Enrico, I needed to know Luca or Maria wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire. If they were, things were going to get messy. But I had to be careful how I brought it up without giving away that I had my own dealings.
I pulled out my phone and dialed.
Luca picked up fast. “If you’re calling to tell me you got Maria pregnant, I don’t want to hear it.”
My lips twitched. “Yet.”
There was a beat of silence. “I hate you.”
I laughed. “I want to come over for dinner tonight. Can I?”
“You want dinner?” Suspicion laced his tone. “Are you coming for dinner, or are you just looking for a means to see Maria, Bianchi?”
“You wound me, Russo.”
“Like you wouldn’t kill me first.”
I grinned. “So, I’ll see you tonight?”
“Fine. Just don’t piss me off.”
“Can’t promise that,” I chuckled right before cutting the call. He wasn’t wrong, though. I did want to see Maria.
Later that day, I drove to the mansion. The Russo mansion was just as obnoxious as ever. A damn palace, if you asked me. I let myself in. The scent of garlic, tomatoes, and something rich filled the air.
And then I heard it.
Music.
Low and sultry. Something you’d hear at two in the morning in my apartment when I wanted to just forget my troubles and soak myself in music and a glass of champagne.
