Page 45 of Pregnant By the Italian Mafia Enemy

Since being here, I’d always faced guards when leaving the room, but this morning, something was different. This morning, as I walked down the hallway silently, nobody else came to face me.

Was I truly alone here?

I supposed after what we did last night, he could trust me enough not to bolt. I listened diligently to the noise coming from down the stairs, and only two voices arose—Bria and Lucia. Neither one seemed to realize I was up and moving around, and Dante’s voice was nowhere.

I knew I was working with limited time, which was a risk, but…

I strode down the hallway, opening each door and peeking inside. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, and…

Bingo. An office.

I moved into it and closed the door behind me, realizing how limited my time was here. I pulled out the phone and powered it on, ignoring all the messages and dialing Valentino’s number.

It rang five times, and I wondered if he’d answer as I began sifting through the desk. “Hello?”

I didn’t dare to say his name aloud—not here. “You’re putting on blatant attacks?” I asked.

He paused for a moment before speaking. “Sienna?”

“Of course, it’s me. I heard about all the ways you’re targeting him, but I need time. I haven’t gotten information yet, and the attacks are making him suspicious that something else is happening behind the scenes.” I glanced down at a few papers, noticing addresses lining the top. It looked like an attorney’s office. “You’re supposed to be following my lead.”

“You aren’t the one leading here,” he shot back, anger lacing his tone. “It’s my job to lead, and it’s yours to follow goddamn orders. Your orders were to kill him by now.”

My heart sank at the demand. “I’m in a position to get information here, which was just as important as the execution itself. It’s not in our best interest—”

“You don’t know what’s in our best interest. You work for me, and I’m telling you that killing him now is what needs to happen.”

I ground my teeth, holding back my retort. He didn’t know Dante and had no idea what a mistake it would be to execute him without delving deeper into his assets and information. I washere.I was in a position to get more.

“You’re not listening to me,” I shot back, daring to push just a bit. “I’m in his office right now, and I have a few leads that I will lose if I kill him. I need time, and you need to back off. He’s preparing to come for you because of all these attacks, and I can’t stop him. He has too many people under his thumb.”

“Not as many people as I have.”

I couldn’t imagine Dante disregarding a warning the way my stepfather was. Dante would have listened and made accommodations, but Valentino was arrogant. He’d been successful for too long, and he had never met Dante. Not face to face. He had no idea what he’d be dealing with if he pushed too soon.

“I’ll send you whatever I find here, but I need time.”

“I’m notofferingmore time. His father killed yours, and your mother died from a broken heart. His family took everything from you, and you’re okay with letting him live to take more?” I clenched my jaw shut. He was right, of course…“Kill him. That’s your only fucking job.”

He ended the call.

Despite my mind reeling, I tucked the phone away, memorizing the addresses and names on the documents I saw. He had a ton of assets, and I knew this was just the surface of them.

“Why are you in here?”

I whipped around and found Bria at the door. I straightened and looked around, trying to devise an adequate excuse.

“I was looking for a pen and paper,” I told Bria. I grabbed the closest pen and an empty sheet of paper. “Do you want some paper to draw?”

“Uncle Dante doesn’t like me in here,” she admitted.

I moved around the desk and glanced around. A pack of printer paper sat beneath a printer, and I grabbed a small stack. “Then we can go and color somewhere else. Do you have crayons?”

If she was here, I knew Lucia wouldn’t be far behind. I could take her downstairs and excuse myself to the restroom where I’d sent Valentino the snippets of information I’d gathered. Then…

Then I’d need to follow through on the reason I came here. I’d kill Dante and protect my stepfather from any future attacks. I couldn’t experience the loss of another family member because I didn’t act. I knew the pain of that loss, and I wouldn’t endure it again. Two weeks with Dante wouldn’t do anything to change how his family ruined my life, but it could give him a chance to take Valentino from me the way his father had taken mine.

“Her crayons are in her room, along with coloring books and all the things she may need to entertain herself.”

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