Page 56 of Mafia King: Matteo
The handwriting is cursive and slanted perfectly. It’s too pretty to be the scribble of a man’s hand, but my handwriting is atrocious. I can’t make generalizations based on my limited handwriting interpretations.
Interesting. What was he meeting someone for? Why is it a paper note? Is it a secret? Was it for Dad or someone else?
I push a button underneath the middle of my cherry wood desk, and a fake drawer opens in the front. It looks like a decoration, but it’s the perfect hiding place. I slip the note inside and close it. I dump the papers back into the bottom drawer.
“Gio,” I call as I retrace my steps to the dining room.
“Yes?” He stands, stacking the breakfast plates with Federico.
“Let’s go visit some businesses. I want to make sure everyone sees me and fears me.”
“I’ll call for the car,” he replies, reaching for his suit jacket.
Minutes later, we’re confined by privacy in the G-wagon. I share what I’ve discovered with Gio.
“That’s odd. Antonio said the old man’s security feed only shows them coming and going from the house. He had no visitors.”
“Damn. Well, he had to go somewhere and meet someone. We don’t store things in clouds,” Gio states the obvious.
“I know. But all the same, it’s annoying. Let’s see if he had any meetings at our business locations. There is no date on the note, but the handwriting is elegant. I’m not sure we’re looking for a man.”
“Hard to tell. My mother writes like shit,” he replies as he observes me.
“I do, too. I’m trying not to be biased. It could be a man or a woman.”
“I’ll instruct Antonio to give us a list of everyone he has a meeting with or a potential for a meeting to occur at all our holdings,” Gio says, taking out his phone and texting.
I use my phone to text my fiancée at work. The word ‘work’ is like a cotton ball lodged in my mouth. I never actualized marriage. However, making an alliance through Alena will help me. All I want is for her to be a good mother to our children. I don’t want her to have the stress of working. I’m the one who takes care of her.
I receive a text back, and my grumpy mouth cracks into a half-smile. She’s amusing with her sassy retorts. We visit our new holding company, which is my latest venture. It’s a technology endeavor. Information is the key to power. We’re developing a software app to be installed as a messenger on websites and phones under the ruse of being encrypted. The caveat is that a back door will allow us to access the phone that uses it, so we can obtain information on other businesses and sell it under a shell company, so our opponents will never know it’s been hacked.
I plan to sell it to all our known rivals in the city as a test. It’s ingenious. I’ll obtain information as it leaves cell phones. I have a huge warehouse of water-cooled computers, and I’ll have the drop on all my enemies.
By the time we return to the city, it’s time to pick Alena up from work. Vito walks her out the door and opens the door to the SUV.
I step out, and I melt as soon as our eyes meet. My lips meet hers, and even though she resists, she can’t hold out long enough. Her lips surrender to mine and return my kiss.
“Hello, Mr. Grey,” she murmurs when I release her lips.
“Hello, Angel. How was your day?”
“Fine. And you?” She steps into the vehicle, and I want to slap her sexy well-rounded ass staring me in the face. However, at that exact moment, Vito hands me her winter coat. I take it and toss it in the back seat as I sit beside my fiancée. As soon as Gio closes the door, the driver drives off.
“Where is your ring?” I am peeved Alena isn’t wearing my ring.
“Oh,” her lips curve into a perfectly round O. “I didn’t want a thousand questions at work.” She slips her hand into her purse, pulls out a wallet that she unzips, and retrieves the ring.
I slip the ring onto her slender finger, pulling her hand to my mouth and planting a soft kiss before returning it to her lap.
The sound of her inhaling air causes my eyes to zoom to her face.
She is surprised by my gesture.
“You haven’t answered me,” I reiterate.
“Yes, I understand,” she replies softly.
“Now that we have that out of the way, here is a credit card for you—an unlimited amount.” I hand her the black card with her married name on it, even though our date hasn’t been set.
