Page 59 of Mafia Boss's Surprise Baby

“That’s what I was thinking,” I say, this strange combination of excitement and guilt rising in me. I’m ready to get rid of Luca, but at the same time, I think about what a daddy’s girl Mia is. I think about how devastated she will be, and it hurts my heart. “But I don’t know,” I say slowly. “We’ll have to find someone to pin it on.”

Nico scoffs. “There’s about a hundred men you could pin it on, Dante. Luca Lorenzo doesn’t have a shortage of enemies.”

When I just stay silent, Nico adds, “You’ve changed,capo. You were never the type of man to hesitate.”

I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth. Nico’s right. I have been hesitating. I thought I was biding my time, but really, aren’t I just procrastinating? And all because of Mia.

I need to focus on my goal. I’m right at the end.

“Set up a meet with Lorenzo,” I order, and Nico grins. “He told me he does business alone. Tell him it’s a business call, and I’ll take him out at the dinner table.”

“That’s more like it.”

22

MIA

Iscream when Dante backs out, slamming my fist on the garage door as it closes. Alberto walks out to the garage with a quizzical look, but I wave him away.

I’m not hurt or in trouble. I’m justmad.

The most I can hope for is that Dante is too shaken up to go after Vincenzo now that I’ve told him about the baby, but his reaction leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

He’d been so pale, just staring at me and not speaking. Does he not want this baby?

I don’t know, and I can’t believe he just walked out on me, without even talking to me about it. I consoled myself by calling Marta. All I have to tell her is “I need you” and in fifteen minutes, she’s at my door with a bottle of my favorite wine.

I groan inwardly as she heads to the kitchen, pouring us both a glass.

“I can’t,” I say softly.

Marta scoffs. “You drank a bottle of this a night when we were teens,” she jokes. “You can have one glass.”

“No, I really can’t,” I insist, frustration growing in me, anger at Dante, stress about the nightmares and Vincenzo Gallo. Everything is piling up and I don’t know how to release it.

Marta doesn’t listen, just keeps pouring, and before I know what I’m doing, I knock the glass off the counter and it shatters on the floor, spilling red wine onto the white tile.

She jumps and blinks at me.

“Shit,” I curse. “I’m sorry, Marta. It’s just...there’s a lot going on.”

“I know, honey,” she says, coming closer to me and hugging me, stepping over the shattered glass.

I sniffle, tears streaming down my face. “It isn’t just about Vincenzo,” I admit. “I’m pregnant. I’m pregnant and I don’t know if Dante and I are okay—”

“Wait, wait, go back. You’repregnant.”

I nod miserably and Marta’s mouth drops open.

“Congratulations?” she says, but her voice is hesitant, and it strikes me as so funny I manage a laugh, wiping my eyes. “Oh, and congratulations about that other thing, too.”

I look into her eyes, confused. “What other thing?”

She shrugs, looking sly. "You know. Vincenzo being missing.”

It slowly dawns on me what she’s saying. Vincenzo Gallo is already dead. I’ve been freaking out about Dante getting hurt going after him, and he’s already gone.

Likely, he’s gone “missing” because they haven’t found a body, and the famiglias in this city have good cleaners, so there will probably be no trace of him.

---