Page 42 of Secret Mafia Daddy

He snorts and wakes, turning over with a groan.

“What happened? Who’s dead?”

“Nobody,” I huff. “But Mia gave Chelsea all this money, and we need to return it.”

Angelo frowns, running his hand through his messy hair as he sits up cross-legged on the bed.

“She gave it to her, right? Chelsea didn’t steal it?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s not like she gave her five bucks, Angelo, there are thousands in Chelsea’s toy box. And jewelry.”

Angelo barks out a laugh, but then he shrugs. “So? She intended her to have it, then.”

“Chelsea’s three years old, what is she going to do with five grand?” I ask, just guessing how much is in there.

“We’ll put it in a fund for her or something,” he says easily. “Don’t get your panties all twisted.”

I thin my lips, glaring at him. “I’m not wearing any,” I hiss. “You left them on the floor of the Four Seasons.”

Angelo looks up the line of my thighs with a hot look, but when he sees my face, he sighs, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck.

“Fine, I’ll call Mia, see what the deal is.”

He grabs his phone from the nightstand and calls and I stand there, stomping my foot.

I know that wiseguys and their wives do things differently. Hell, for my sweet sixteen, my stepfather gave me an SUV and fifteen thousand dollars, but Chelsea isn’t sixteen. She’s three.

Angelo leaves the room, walking into Chelsea’s room. She’s counting her money and wearing the pendant like some kind of maniac, cackling at all her goodies.

“It seems Chelsea hit the jackpot with her pirate booty,” Angelo drawls, not taking this nearly as seriously as I am. He hums through the rest of the call, nodding at parts. “Mia says it’s fine,” he says, shrugging. “She says consider it a wedding present.”

I gape at him. “A wedding present is like, a set of silverware, maybe five hundred bucks,” I tell him. “Chelsea can’t grow up thinking this is okay.”

Angelo tilts his head. “But that’s how she has grown up,” he says. “You’ve been living with your stepfather since she’s been born, and you can’t tell me that he doesn’t spoil you both.”

I bite my lip because he’s right, but also because I can’t tell him I’m planning on escaping this life altogether. Angelo will always be in Chelsea’s life, but in a diminished capacity once I get out of this marriage.

“She’s keeping it,” Angelo says firmly, looking at how her eyes light up when she counts out each denomination. “It’ll teach her how to count.”

“One old guy,” Chelsea murmurs. “Two old guys...”

I look over at Angelo. “It will, will it?”

He laughs and scoops her up into his arms. “You made a good living yesterday, pirate queen. Are you going to grow up and become one?”

“Nah,” Chelsea says, dropping her money on the floor casually, making me groan and pick it up. She wraps her little arms around her father’s neck instead. “I’m gonna be a princess. A fairy princess.”

“Well, and here I thought pirate queen was a good job,” Angelo mutters, and I hear Chelsea babbling about how fairies can grow their wings and hers just haven’t grown in yet as he takes her down the stairs.

I get on my knees, counting up the money. There’s seven grand, a Rolex watch, a diamond pendant (which is still around Chelsea’s neck) and a few rings, look to be expensive stones like rubies and jade. This is definitely over ten grand worth of treasure, and Mia had just casually given it to Chelsea.

I blink. I’m not sure even my stepfather spoils us this much.

I just have to put up with it until I can get her out of here, I tell myself. Then we’ll start a new life.

That’s still the plan. Right?

I’m not going to let Angelo Bianchi sidetrack me anymore than he already has with his death threats and arranged marriage. In fact, this is all going to work out well for me. I just know it.

---