Page 70 of Corrupted Heir (Mafia Kings: Corrupted 1)

Dominic cleared his throat from the threshold of the bedroom door.

“Pack your things,” he said, throwing a few suitcases on the bed. “We’re moving in with the family.”

I paused, holding the makeup brush inches from my face. “Why the sudden change?”

I turned on the small round stool to face him.

“Things are getting a little crazy. Don’t freak out—no danger yet. We’re just working on some plans. It’s best we’re all together in case the shit hits the fan,” he said. “If you forget anything, Marco will come pick up the rest.”

“Oh… okay.”

That seemed troublesome. I wasn’t sure what the implications of “shit hitting the fan”were, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. How bad could things get for a family like this, after all? Theirbadhad to be a thousand times worse than mine.

Within the hour, we were packed and ready to move in with the Lucas.

When we got there, I was surprised by the sheer size of the place. The property was enormous, a massive estate with greenery, healthy pruned grass, and even a hedge maze. The forecourt had a fountain at the front of the mansion, with a naked woman draped in a marble cloth that barely covered her lady parts. This was far from what I had imagined. For some reason, I’d pictured floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek stainless steel panels… something modern; not this amazing stone structure that could have been a small historical palace.

When we stepped out of the car, I stared up at the house. Old architecture, of course, but I wasn’t sure from what period, considering I wasn’t clued up on that stuff entirely. Maybe Colonial Revival? I wasn’t sure, but it looked familiar, with its symmetrical, boxy build. The front door had pillars that held up a small balcony that overlooked the front of the property. I counted ten windows overlooking the yard, and it made me curious, wondering how many rooms the house had.

The entryway was grand with a central staircase leading up to the second floor. From the base of those stairs, I could see another set that led up to the third floor. This was my first experience being fully inside their world. The house made me feel small the second I stepped inside. Definitely different from what I was used to—cramped tiny NY apartments with a nice view of a dumpster-filled brick-lain alleyway.

There were constant streams of people coming in and out, all looking battle-hardened, some even scarred. It looked like they were preparing for war. Most of them spoke among themselves or shouted at one another in Italian. Was it always like this, or were they so frantic because of the Novas?

I felt like a foreign object, and at any moment, would be cast out because I didn’t belong here. Dominic disappeared without me realizing, probably to speak to someone, so I was left to wander the halls.

Several associates, soldiers, and drug runners filled countless rooms in the house, sitting together, plotting their next move. They would glare at me, and stop speaking, until I was far enough to not understand what they were saying.

I went past a room with thick doors that reached the ceiling. The wood had ornate carvings on it, of plants and flowers and women. Inside the room, Vincent stood with several men his age, talking in hushed tones. It seemed something had just happened, something big, insurmountable.

Vincent greeted me with a stiff nod, but I was distracted by a familiar excited pitter-patter on the hardwood floors. Bullet stormed me from beneath the table, where he had been resting at Vincent’s feet. Bullet jumped up, whimpering, his tail swinging from left to right.I crouched to meet his level and gave him some scratches.The little pup recognized me as the lady who saved his life. I couldn’t stop myself from inspecting his wounds. He seemed to be healing up nicely. The hair around his wound was slowly growing back. Good. He didn’t look good with a bald spot.

I couldn’t help but giggle when Bullet jumped up into my arms, and I hugged him as tightly as I could without hurting him.

When I looked up, Vincent was standing in the doorway.

“Hello, Fallon. You are looking well.” He looked down at his dog. “It seems he likes you,” he mused. “Bullet is picky, an astute judge of character.”

Was that a compliment? By the unreadable expression on his face, it was hard to tell.

“It’s good to see that he’s doing better,” I said, standing up.

The expressionless mask slipped for just a moment, just long enough for me to see a glimpse of gratitude beneath it.

“You took good care of him,” he said gruffly.

“Thank you. I’m glad I could help.”

Having a conversation with Vincent Luca was strange. Not entirely unpleasant, I supposed, but weird.

“I’m sorry for intruding. Dominic disappeared, and I’m a little lost.”

Vincent chuckled. “Yes, it’s easy to get turned around in this big, old house.” He looked past me, searching for something. “Leo,” he called. “Will you see that Fallon finds her way to your mother? She’s probably in the kitchen.”

Leo nodded, coming up behind me.

“Of course. Follow me, my fair lady.” He motioned grandly, and I nodded to Vincent, then turned to follow Leo with an internal sigh.

I was definitely more comfortable around Leo, and in all this chaos, I was most certainly looking forward to some quiet time with Maria.

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