All Chapters of My Mafia Boyfriend Wouldn’t Play Favorites, so I Found Someone Who Would: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

I turned and walked away.Then my phone rang. It was Andre.For once, he was the one calling me.But his first words were about another woman. "Annie, don't listen to Nora's nonsense. She jokes around with everybody."I kept my voice even. "Then why does she get to walk in and out of your study whenever she wants?"That caught Andre off guard.He was quiet for a long moment. When he finally spoke, he sounded a little guilty. "That's only temporary. There's some Marino family business I need to discuss with her over the next few days, and it's a hassle for her to keep waiting outside the door.""And what about me?" I shot back. "I pick up your shipments. I run your docks. I handle your intel. None of that counts as business, right?"He sighed like I was wearing him out. "Annie, you can't keep bringing your feelings into work."It's different with you. I don't want anyone thinking I play favorites with you. This is how we keep things above board."Stop being jealous. I'll have a word wit

Andre pushed his glasses up his nose as if I were testing his patience. "Annie, those little tantrums stop working on a man if you throw them too often."The way you treated Nora last time scared her. I haven't even made you apologize to her yet, and here you are, keeping score."He took my arm and steered me straight to a seat.I was just about to sit down when the water pitcher in Nora's hand tipped and drenched me. The seat was soaked too.She gasped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to. It just slipped... Why don't we switch seats?"Before I could say anything, Andre frowned. "Switch seats? You're on your period. You don't need to sit on a cold, wet seat. Annie's healthier than you are. A little water won't hurt her."The water slowly soaked through my dress.I'd only just come in from the freezing wind. I'd barely had time to warm up, and now the cold closed in around me again.Andre had forgotten that I was on my period too. I'd always gotten cold easily, ever since I was little, and it too

Andre ran out after Nora, only to find she'd been faking the tears.He turned to head back, but Nora caught his arm and put on a wounded look. "Andre, don't go back. Let her stew a little. She won't have the heart to stay mad at you anyway."Let's go shopping. By the time we're done and you get home, she'll have calmed herself down. She'll come trotting right back to you."Andre hesitated, troubled by a faint unease he couldn't explain. But he didn't dwell on it. He agreed to go with Nora.It wasn't until he'd followed Nora through a third boutique that he finally realized something was wrong.Smiling, Nora held a pair of earrings beside his ears and asked if they looked nice. But he was staring at his reflection in the shop window, lost in thought.His phone was far too quiet. By now, Annie would usually have sent one text after another. When was he coming home? Had he eaten? Had he forgotten his jacket again? She sent them even though he never replied.But today, there was nothing. N

Meanwhile, at Ibis Pier.The rain had stopped. The wind coming off the sea was damp and salty.Arthur took me from the pier to the Vitale estate. It was huge and filled with beautiful flowers. Almost all of them were kinds I loved.He told me I could go anywhere on the estate, whenever I wanted.Arthur never made me wait. He gave me a room where the morning sun spilled across the whole bed every day. He made me the Donna of the Vitale family, and no one dared whisper behind my back about where I came from. He gave me a company and had me learn the business from the ground up, starting with the simplest tasks. Step by step, he trained me himself until I could run it on my own.I was always afraid that being his favorite came with a catch.But Arthur just smiled. "Did you forget? Back when we were at the group home together, I promised I'd give you everything you wanted."He'd said it when we were kids, half joking. I'd never imagined he'd take it seriously.He didn't seem to want to kee

It was a winter evening when Nora ran into him.She wore a mink coat and was laughing and preening on a man's arm. He was Enzo Bellini, the new Don, and he was young, rich, and powerful, with far more prestige than Andre had ever had.Nora recognized Andre right away. She stopped and looked at him huddled against the wall, and then she burst out laughing."Well, well. If it isn't Don Marino. How did you end up like this?"Andre raised his head and looked at her.Nora's face hadn't changed, but her eyes glittered with mockery and triumph. She reached out and tipped his chin up with her fingertip, like she was playing with an animal."What's the matter? Annie doesn't want you anymore?"Andre didn't say anything. Nora laughed even harder and turned to Enzo behind her. "Babe, did you know this guy used to be a real big shot? He kicked me off his estate over some woman. And now look at him. The woman ran off, and he's a bum."Enzo walked over and kicked Andre. "Get lost. You'll get my shoes