The Mafia Boss and the Spy
Failure to appear would be treated as insubordination.
I dressed carefully that morning in a charcoal suit, perfectly tailored, my hair slicked back, my jaw clean-shaven. The man in the mirror looked every inch the mafia boss. Cold. Commanding. Unshakeable.
Inside, I was anything but.
Maria stood at the window of the safe house, watching the sun rise over the estate. Her bruises had faded to sickly yellows and greens, but she still moved carefully, protecting ribs that had not yet fully healed. The plain black dress I had provided hung loose on her frame, but she wore it like armor.