Page 66 of Corrupted Heir (Mafia Kings: Corrupted 1)

“That’s millions a year. You’re willing to give that all away just to build your casinos? What’s really going on here?” Belemonte leaned in closer, eyeing me closely. “Is there some kind of trouble afoot? The Novas, perhaps.”

It didn’t faze me that he knew; Belemonte had many ears to the ground.

“That is correct. Do we have a deal?” I asked.

“I don’t see why not. Here,” he said, handing me a card. “I’ve got a couple tricks up my sleeve if you run into any trouble with permits and licenses. It’s easy when you’ve done it for decades.”

“Thank you, Belemonte,” I said, but the words scraped and clawed their way up my throat. It was physically painful to ask this asshole for help. But it needed to be done I just hoped like hell it would be worth it.

***

I stared at the tumbler of whiskey in front of me. One deal with a slimy asshole was taken care of. Next, was one angry wife to placate.

“So, what are you going to do?” Leo asked me from where he sat across the table.

I’d reported the outcome of my meeting with Belemonte to my father then ran into Leo in the hallway and unloaded on him about Fallon.

“The smart thing to do would be absolutely nothing,” I said, reigniting the battle in my head between logic and something else. Something that only seemed to peek its ugly, irrational head up when Fallon was involved.

“But you’re not going to do that?” It came out like a question, but there was no question in Leo’s eyes. He knew damn well Fallon had me second-guessing myself. And I bet the smug asshole was getting a real laugh out of it.

“I’ve got to talk to Marco,” I said, picking up the tumbler and downing the rest of the whiskey.

“You’re not going to make Marco follow Fallon around all day, are you? The poor guy would go stir-crazy with no need to use his baseball bat.” Leo swirled his whiskey around his glass.

“Oh, so what is it you propose? Have you ever tried keeping a hellcat locked up in an apartment?”

I liked Marco. I even sympathized with him. Standing guard over Fallon all day at the clinic was going to drive the man up the wall. But when it came down to it, he’d do what he was fucking told.

“I’ll watch her,” Leo said with a shrug.

I shot my head up. “Found a new calling?”

If my brother wanted to stand around, bored shitless in an office building all day, certainly there were easier ways to accomplish his goal. Besides, Leo had never struck me as the office-type.

“Nah, man. I just know the girl’s important to you.”

The offer was genuine. I could see it in his eyes. But there was something off in the tone of his voice.

I stayed quiet, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. I could have pressed the issue, but I trusted my brother. If there was something that needed to be said, he’d say it. And in truth, if I couldn’t be there to keep her safe, my brother was the next best thing. He’d defend what was important to me with his life.

“Grazie, fratello.Fallon will be relieved to hear she can get out of her cage.”

Leo laughed. “She’llbe relieved, huh? I have a feeling she’s got your balls in her purse, and you’re just hoping she’ll give them back if you play real nice.”

“Stronzo” I cursed at him, loathing that there might have been an ounce of truth to his words. Not that I was ever going to admit it. “You just worry about your own balls.”

“Will do.”

And with that, I was anxious to leave, to get back to the woman who currently wasn’t speaking to me but who would be smiling as bright as the sun soon.

At least, that’s what I’d been expecting until I stood in front of her a half hour later, and she was staring up at me with a blank look on her face. I’d shared the good news. She could go back to work. Wasn’t that what she’d wanted?

“Fallon?” I smiled, hoping it would start the ball rolling.

“You arranged for a babysitter for me? Are we going to have snack time and nap time too?”

It was something other than the monotonous silence that had filled my apartment the past several days, but it wasn’t the reaction I’d been hoping for.

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