Page 6 of Secret Mafia Daddy

Stop it, Angelo! You need to focus on the job.

I need to focus on this scarred sonofabitch and on taking him out and Silver Eyes is not helping. If Nico knew I almost screwed up because of a girl, he’d have my head. So, I do my damn job for once and follow Claudio home.

A couple of days after crossing paths with Silver Eyes, I step into Abato’s regular diner as I’ve done for the past couple of weeks. He goes there nearly every morning, so it’s a safe bet he’ll be here this morning. I’ve been following him around for a while now and have his routine down to a T.

I sit in the diner, ask for a burrito, and not five minutes later, in walks ole Claudio. Perfect.

I figure I’ll just enjoy my breakfast as I watch my target. Win-win on my book.

When my phone rings with a videocall, I take it out of my pocket. I sigh and answer.

Nico shows up on my screen, sitting there with a baby in his lap, who’s staring at the camera and cooing.

For a second, I think about hanging up, pretending the call died or something like that– Nico can be a hellion when he’s pissed off and this job was supposed to be his – but in the end, I stay on the line.

“You steal a baby or is this one yours?” I joke, and Nico smiles a little, looking down at what is, presumably, his baby boy.

“This one’s mine,” he shoots back. “Where are you?”

I make faces at the little guy and he grins and swings around his little baby fists. Man, he’s already like his father.

“He’s quiet,” I comment.

“Not at three in the morning, he’s not,” Nico cracks.

I snort out a laugh, looking curiously at the baby. What would it be like to have one of my own? To have someone to come home to? Not just a woman but a baby.

It seems crazy, like it would fuck up my whole way of life, but at the end of the day, it would be nice to have someone waiting for me.

“Where’s our friend?” Nico asks in a low voice.

“What the hell are you even doing calling so early?” I ask, trying to change the subject while my eyes veer for a second to the “friend” in question, just to see the guy ordering his regular breakfast order and flirting with the waitress, who finds him less than amusing, to say the least. “Shouldn’t you be enjoying married life in bliss?”

Nico scowls. “I am. Besides, wasn’t sure you could do the job.”

I know he is just trying to push my buttons. “Feeling like second best? Or are you just jealous, honey?”

He grunts. “I haven’t been able to go out anywhere.” He rolls his shoulders. “I guess I’m just feeling antsy. Thought maybe I could go out there and help.”

I look at the baby in his lap and laugh. “What, with a baby on your hip?”

Nico scowls. “Don’t go thinking I’m soft just because I’ve got a little one.”

I hold up my hands in defense. “Would never think it, bud, but still, you have to admit you can’t stay away from him or the missus, and you can’t exactly bring him or her on a job.”

“I know,” he sighs. “That’s why I’m just on the phone, talking to you about yours. Now, again, where is he?”

“Close,” I mutter, turning the camera feature to give him a visual of the man himself, before turning the camera back to show him my ugly mug. “Won’t be long now before I get really close and personal with the fucker.”

“Don’t curse in front of the baby,” Nico scolds, and I look down at the baby on the phone screen He grins up at me as if he doesn’t give a damn about my language.

“He’s not old enough to understand,” I say, but Nico stares me down. “Okay, okay. I won’t curse in front of the little guy. Sheesh.” I stick out my tongue at the little guy and he laughs.

My heart seems to swell. Okay, maybe I like kids. I haven’t really been around them much, given my upbringing, but Dante’s little girl and Nico’s kid – they’re pretty cool.

“Just give us updates once in a while and let us know when you are done,” Nico mumbles. “I wouldn’t want to have to go there and do it myself.”

“Liar.” Something tells me Nico would love nothing more than to slit Claudio’s throat himself. All that pent-up energy since he’s been spending so much time with his wife and kid would make it that much sweeter for him.

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