บททั้งหมดของ TIED TO THE MAFIA MAN: บทที่ 41 - บทที่ 50

The car had been parked for almost an hour now with the engine turned off. Inside, two men sat watching the entrance to the construction site. "That’s her," said the one, sitting in the passenger seat. He nodded toward Sofia as she stepped out of her carThe one behind the wheel, followed her with his eyes. "Yeah. She’s been showing up a lot lately."They watched Sofia walk toward the site office. She was dressed neatly, holding a clipboard in her hand, and had a sunglasses on. She didn’t look nervous, or like she was hiding anything."She’s not here for long," The first muttered, checking the time. "At most ten minutes, tops. She'd be out."The second chuckled briefly before speaking. "You've even mastered her schedule and timing." He leaned in, his expression serious "What do you think?" He asked. "Is she connected to him?""Hmmm. . I'm not sure. It's kind of hard to tell," The first said. "She’s not acting like someone with personal ties. They don't hang around. There was no form o

Noah stepped back onto the sidewalk, brushing off his jacket like he hadn’t just been nearly taken down by a woman half his size. Seriously, who packs that much fight in those tiny fists? He shook his head as a grin spread on his face. "Note to self: don’t mess with Gabriella Lorca."There was something about her. She was definitely not your average social worker or an average lady. The way she moved quickly, that warlike look in her eyes was more like someone who could handle herself… and ten others.His phone buzzed with a message from Detective Thompson, but Noah barely glanced at it. Instead, he let out a soft laugh. "Watching her isn’t just going to be a job. It’s going to be interesting."He looked up at the streetlights, already preparing himself to tread carefully when next he cross paths with her. If this was the warm-up, he had better get ready for the main event.Noah stepped into the station later that evening, loosening his collar as he made his way toward the back desks.

Gabriella stepped into the small Italian restaurant and immediately spotted Noah near the back. He was seated at a table by the window. He looked up at the sound of the door and stood when he saw her, wearing a polite smile on his face."Ms. Lorca," he greeted, pulling out her chair before sitting across from her.Gabriella smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she sat. "Detective. You are looking superb."He chuckled. "I figured showing up in a hoodie might kill the thank-you dinner vibe. Since I'm getting free food, I ought to at least give my host good visuals."She laughed softly. "Yeah, you're right. That might have made me rethink the invite."A waiter arrived to take their drink orders, and once he was gone, a comfortable silence settled between them but not for long.Noah glanced around the place. "This is nice. It's calm and quiet.""I like it here. They have good food, and while you're here, you feel no pressure to rush out," Gabriella said, folding her ha

It was late afternoon and Rachel was in a narrow street lined with pop-up flower stalls near the art district. Rachel didn't see him at first. She was too busy arguing over a ridiculous surcharge for a bouquet Gabriella had ordered for a donor. The vendor was giving her a hard time, and she was just about done being polite."That was not what we agreed on ma'am," she snapped, crossing her arms."I don’t set the prices, lady." The woman replied her.Rachel who was ready to fire back opened her mouth to respond but caught a flicker of movement to her right. She turned, and froze. It was that guy who was with Alejandro the other day. What did he call him, Leon? Leonard? Leonardo? "Oh!" She muttered in a low voice as she recalled, "Lorenzo, he called him Lorenzo."He was not in a suit this time but, he still carried the air of someone who thought rules did not apply to him. He was coming out of a side building, maybe a print shop, maybe some secret dungeon for annoying fellas. Whatever!

The police station was pretty much always busy, but sometimes it had its quiet moments. Those were the times when the phone wasn't ringing off the hook, or the station wasn't crowded with all manner of persons. Noah really liked those calm moments. It was during these peaceful stretches that the city felt real to him, without all the usual noise and pressure.He was sitting at his desk with his case on the desk. A forgotten, cold cup of coffee sat next to his elbow. The report open in front of him hadn't been read much at all. His mind, without him even trying, kept going back to Gabriella.It had only been a couple of days since their dinner. It wasn't a date, just a meal to say thank you, but something about it had really stuck with him. Maybe it was how easily she laughed. Or how she didn't ask him for anything, didn't treat him like he was invisible or a bother. She just acted like a regular person sharing pasta and chatting.He really shouldn't be thinking this way. Not with who