LOGINLeandroThe clock on my desk was mocking me.Tick. Tick. Tick.Every second felt like a needle under my fingernails. I had been sitting in this same leather chair for what felt like a lifetime. My eyes were bloodshot, and the taste of cold espresso was like copper in my mouth. I hadn't slept. I hadn't eaten anything that didn't taste like ash.I stared at the large map of the city pinned to the wall. It was covered in red marks every warehouse, every basement, every low-rent motel that Silvio Vanni had ever touched. My men had raided them all. They had kicked in doors, broken bones, and burned down half of the Bronx looking for a whisper of where he was keeping her.But everywhere we went, we found nothing. It was all negative. The trail was cold, like Silvio had just vanished into the earth with my wife.I looked down at the digital timer I had set on my laptop.4 Days. 4 Hours. 27 Minutes. 4 Seconds."Where are you, Delia?" I whispered, my voice sounding like it was coming from the
DeliaWaking up was slow and painful. It didn't happen all at once. Instead, it felt like cold, dirty water slowly leaking into my brain. At first, everything was black, and I couldn't remember where I was or how I got there.Then, the smells hit me. The air was thick and gross. I could smell damp concrete, like a basement that hadn't seen the sun in years. There was the heavy scent of old grease and the sharp, metallic tang of rust. It smelled like a graveyard for old machines.After the smells came the pain. My head was throbbing so hard I thought it might actually break open. It felt like someone was using a giant jackhammer right against my skull. My brain was screaming, and I knew why. It was because of that chemical rag Silvio’s men had forced over my face at the club. That stuff was poison, and it was leaving me with the worst headache of my life.I tried to reach up to rub my eyes because my vision was blurry, but I couldn't move. I tugged at my arms, but my hands wouldn't b
LeandroI was sitting in my study, the glow of three different computer monitors reflecting off my glasses. I had the heads of the Chicago and Miami outfits on a secure video call. We were ironing out the final details of the transition. "Look, Moreno," I said, leaning into the microphone, "the Jersey docks stay under Cavalli control. My niece is young, but she’s got the backing of every loyalist in this city. You try to squeeze her, you deal with me. Even from a distance."The man on the screen nodded, looking respectful or at least smart enough to pretend. "We understand, Leandro. We aren't looking for a war."Knock. Knock. Knock.The sound was sharp and frantic. I frowned. My staff knew better than to interrupt a high-level summit unless the house was on fire."Hold on," I told the monitors, muting the mic. "Enter!"The heavy oak doors swung open, and Matteo stepped in. He wasn't wearing his usual calm, professional mask. His face was pale, and he was breathing like he’d just r
DeliaI pulled her onto the crowded dance floor. At first, she stood there like a statue, her arms stiff at her sides. But I started moving, showing her it didn't matter what she looked like. I saw a few guys looking at her really looking at her and for the first time, she didn't look back like she wanted to gouge their eyes out. She looked... shy.Slowly, the tension in her shoulders began to melt. She started to sway. It wasn't "dancing" yet, but it was a start.Then, a tall guy with a kind face approached us. He leaned toward Alexa. "Hey, I haven't seen you here before. You want to dance?"Alexa looked at me, panic flaring in her eyes. I just winked and gave her a 'go ahead' nod.She turned back to the guy. "I... I do not know how.""It’s easy," the guy laughed, reaching out a hand. "Just follow the bass. I’m Mark.""I am Alexa," she said, her voice barely audible over the music. She took his hand.I backed away a little, giving them space, a huge grin on my face. I watched as the
DeliaThe next afternoon, the sun was blazing as I made my way down to the home gym. I could hear the rhythmic thud-thud-thud of gloves hitting pads before I even opened the door. Inside, Alexa and Luca were a blur of movement. She was fast viciously fast but Luca moved with a steady, calm grace that seemed to keep her grounded.I waited until they broke for water, both of them dripping with sweat and breathing hard. Luca caught my eye and gave a respectful nod, his face still holding that faint, flushed glow I’d noticed at the dinner table last night.Alexa just wiped her forehead with a towel, her eyes looking a bit more "present" than they had yesterday."You two look like you’ve been through a war," I said, leaning against the doorframe."Just a light warm-up," Alexa panted, though she looked exhausted. "Luca is... a stubborn opponent.""And you're a dangerous one, Boss," Luca replied with a small grin.I waited for Luca to head to the locker room before I approached her. "So,
LeandroThe morning sun hadn't quite cleared the horizon when I stepped into my office. The house was quiet, except for the distant sound of the security detail changing shifts. I felt lighter than I had in years. Delia’s conversation with Alexa last night had done more for this family than a hundred strategic meetings ever could.Matteo was already there, leaning against the window sill with a cup of espresso. He looked at me and grinned."Boss, you look like a man who actually slept for eight hours," Matteo noted, tossing a stray folder onto my desk. "Did Delia work her magic, or did the lasagna just sit well?""A bit of both," I said, sitting in my chair and checking the morning reports. "The air feels different, Matteo. Like we finally aired out a room that’s been closed for a decade.""Good," Matteo said, his expression turning a bit more serious. "Because we’ve got forty-eight hours to make sure that air stays fresh before we’re on a plane. Speaking of fresh..." He nodded to
DELIA“Too bad…. I don't think I can tell you where Leandro is."Priyanka stood up the moment I said Leandro’s name.Her eyes widened just a little but she hid it quickly, masking her nerves behind a bored expression.“So,” she said with a slow smirk, “you’re running around pretending to be the que
DELIAAfter lunch, Leandro walked me to his black SUV.“Where are we going?” I asked.He opened my door, eyes glinting.“A job.”“A… job?” I repeated slowly.He climbed in beside me.“You wanted to see what I do. I’m giving you the chance.”My stomach twisted.“You mean… that kind of job?”“Yes.”
Delia Matteo looked exhausted mentally, emotionally, physically. And honestly… so was I. But we didn’t have time to rest. “We have to go,” I whispered. Matteo nodded. “Not home, right?” “No,” I said firmly. “I’m taking you somewhere safe.” His brows lifted. “Where?” “You’ll see.” We left t
DeliaThe man closest to the barrel swallowed hard.“O-Okay, okay!” he shouted. “We’ll talk! Put the gun down!”“I’ll put it down,” I said sweetly, “when someone explains why you idiots turned the warehouse into a WWE match.”The biggest guy bald head, thick neck, chest like a fridge lifted his han







