Page 56 of Shackled By the Mafia Boss

He isn’t Capo, or Death, or the most feared man in the mafia. He is simply Dominic, Elena’s husband and father to two kids.

“Hey.”

Lucas looks up from his iPad. A grin plays on his lips. “Uncle Marcus.” He tosses his iPad to the side, runs to me and hugs my legs.

Dominic twists his head in my direction and the faintest of smiles lifts the corners of his lips. “Hey, man.”

“Hey.” I sink on the couch across from him, watching him in awe. He’s swinging a dream catcher side to side, and it’s somehow caught Kira’s attention. She’s clapping her tiny hands, talking in baby language and Dominic keeps replying like he understands her.

The sight in front of me is both ridiculous and heartwarming.

“You alright? You look fucked, man.”

“Hey! Mind your language around the kids, guys!” Elena yells from somewhere in the house. It’s like she has super-hearing skills.

“Sorry!” Dominic yells back. “Lucas, come take your sister upstairs. Dad and Uncle Marcus have something to discuss.”

Lucas sighs. He doesn’t look away from his iPad. “Just a minute, Dad. I’m almost winning.”

“Come on, little guy. Come take your sister and I’ll buy you that SpongeBob video game you asked for.”

Dominic’s negotiation buys Lucas’s attention. He finally looks up from his iPad and gives his dad a suspicious look. “Promise?”

“You know I never lie, son.”

“We have a deal then.” Lucas stands from the floor and shuffles to Dominic, carrying his baby sister, he leaves the living room.

I cringe when Dominic’s gaze follows his kids out of the living room. “You’re one doting father, aren’t you?”

He runs his fingers through his hair. “You don’t have a wife or kids. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

“I need to be alive and sane to make it to that stage—if I ever will. Don’t you agree?”

Dominic furrows his brows. “What’s wrong?”

“Two things; I made an ADA a vegetable this evening. And Victor Valentes is the guy we’ve been looking for all along. Alexei’s brother was just his fall guy.”

My brother inhales. I can tell he’s trying to digest everything I just said. “I can’t say I’m stunned about Victor Valentes being the fucking traitor, but what was that about making a cop a vegetable?”

“Rodriguez Valentes is his name. Forty-six. ADA at NYPD and Victor Valentes’ nephew. The Chief of the Homicide Department put him in charge of the Hell’s Kitchen’s murder cases. What drove me to the edge was that he is a misogynistic motherfucker who picks on women.”

“Enough for you to take him out behind my back?” He sits up, watching me like he’s trying to read me. “It’s about her, isn’t it?”

I clear my throat, my tongue darting out to wet my lips. “Yes, it is.”

Dominic covers his fave with a hand, then looks at me. “I told you to keep her out of trouble.”

“And I did. That fucker, on the other hand, was hurting her. I couldn’t just sit back and watch.”

“You’re about to start a war between thefamigliafor a woman.”

I scoff. “I’m not starting a war, you know why? The war has already begun.” It’s not my intention to yell at my brother, but I really can’t help it. I’m mad he’s become so soft since he got married.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that he is happy. But that happiness won’t last long if he keeps avoiding reality. “Don’t you care about finding who was behind our parents’ deaths. Are you still holding onto the bullshit that Kirill and Peterson killed them? Victor is arming himself for battle and you’re sitting on your ass here, playing babysitter.”

Dominic frowns. I’ve crossed the line and I know it. I shouldn’t have brought his family into this, but I’ll say anything to make him see reason. It’s either kill or be killed. I don’t mind dying, I made peace with death many years ago, but I absolutely cannot stand by and watch Jane or my niece and nephew get hurt.

“You’re my brother, Marcus. I love you very much, but I’ll rip your tongue out next time you talk about my family like that.” His voice is calm, but I can feel the storm raging inside. “That girl, Jane. Do you know who she is?”

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