Page 18 of The Mafia Man's Baby Deal
“Shut up,” Mateo said.
Luca’s face went a bright shade of red, and clearly, he wasn’t used to being told to be silent.Mateo didn’t give a fuck if he upset the man.What he had to say didn’t matter to him.
“There are traditions—”
“The same kind of traditions that mean I should never be in this seat in the first place.If you remember, my father wanted to put my brother Enrique in that title, and I recall you didn’t like the idea of him running things, did you?”
“Your brother—”
“Half-brother.We only shared the same father and had very different mothers.”He loved interrupting him.This is why he would never be a good fit to be boss.He didn’t follow the rules.Yes, he was strong and fought his way to the top and understood the rules, but to put it plainly, he didn’t abide by them.
From the moment he made the decision to have Ella as his wife, he knew it would upset the capos, and the truth was, he didn’t give a fuck what they thought.They were only interested in the wealth and status he could provide them.This is what he did, which is why for a long time they did leave him alone, and he wanted them to go back to leaving him the fuck alone.He didn’t want to constantly be giving them reasons why he did the shit he did.
“Your half-brother did not have what it took to take care of things.He would have handed us over to anyone stronger.You know this, and I know this.We all know this.”
“And instead, I’m the one who keeps our enemies at bay.”
“There is talk—”
“There is always fucking talk,” Mateo said.“It never stops with the gossip and shit you want to talk about.I married Ella.She was my choice.You got a problem with that, say so, and trust me, you can all be on your own.I don’t want or need any of this shit.”
He was not interested in being told what to do.
Luca stared at him and then nodded.“I will talk to the others.”
“Fuck this,” Mateo said, and turned to look at the room.“You all got a problem with me choosing the woman I fucking wanted?”he asked.
Some of the men looked shocked.The women aghast.
He didn’t follow the rules.He made them up.
“You got a problem with the way I do things, then fucking take over and leave me the fuck alone.Stop calling me to deal with whatever shit is bothering you.I didn’t want to marry any of your daughters, you want to know why?They’re fucking boring.I didn’t want a damn doormat in my life.I didn’t want to go home to someone so boring that watching paint dry is fucking exciting.Ella is my wife.She is going to stay my wife.You got a problem with that, you’re on your own.”
He held his hand out.“Come on, Ella.”
His wife rushed to his side, sliding her hand into his.
“When you make a decision, let me know.”He turned on his heel and walked out of the house with Ella at his side.
His men were already waiting with the car, and he climbed inside.He was not interested in driving tonight.
Staring out the window, he felt a rage he hadn’t felt since that night.He was aware of Ella looking in his direction, and he didn’t intend to lose his shit in front of her, so he clenched his hands tightly together and counted to ten.
“Are you okay?”Ella asked.
The temptation to yell was strong, but he avoided it.This was not Ella’s fault.
“I hate them,” Mateo said.“They think because I allowed them to live, they have the right to dictate shit that is of no concern to them.It’s fucking infuriating.”
“I think you made it loud and clear that you’re not happy,” Ella said.
He turned to look at her, and there was a smile on her lips.“What are you smiling at?”
“You,” she said.“That was amazing.I mean, I don’t know if that was like the showdown of all showdowns, but it was so much fun.They all gasped, and I had to wonder what they were shocked about.”
Mateo couldn’t help but laugh.
“Honestly, it was like you had gone in there with a stinking rotting fish and just slapped each one of them with it.”She shrugged.
