Page 32 of Mafia Darling

“I’m sorry, Don Ravazzani. She looked like a nice older woman. I never suspected she was a GDF agent.”

Likely why Rinaldo had been chosen to approach Francesca. Still, this was sloppy. I didn’t like sloppy, especially when it came to my woman.

I moved behind my desk but didn’t sit. I wanted to loom over Benito and use my size to intimidate him. “You shouldn’t have allowed anyone in there, old or not.”

“I figured she was safe. It’s your restaurant.”

“Trust no one where Francesca is concerned. No one. And if it happens again, you’ll be buried in the hole next to D’Agostino. Capisce?”

“Understood.”

I flicked my hand toward the door. “Go, get out of my sight. Don’t let me see you for a few days.”

Benito nodded, then exchanged a glance with Marco before departing. “Rav,” my cousin started. “He—”

“Don’t make excuses for him.” Benito was one of Marco’s favorites. “He knows better.”

“True, but none of us expected the GDF to be so bold.”

“No one expected D’Agostino to kidnap Francesca, either. I’m tired of excuses. You know Rinaldo’s arrival was no coincidence. The GDF obviously trailed us to the obstetrician, which means they are watching the castello more closely than we thought. How are you not aware of this?”

Marco’s chest ballooned as he drew in a deep breath and let it out. “I’m stretched thin between the kidnapping, Enzo, and everything else I deal with on a daily basis. What more do you want from me?”

I slapped my hand on the desk. “I want answers! Put Giulio in charge of security, then, if you can’t handle it. The extra responsibilities will be good for him and help keep his mind off his other problems.”

“I’ll speak to Giulio,” Marco said. “I’ll let him decide.”

“No, you tell him what to do. My boy knows his place. And it’s past time that he takes a larger role around here.” Instead of waiting for Marco to argue, I grabbed the phone and punched a few buttons. “Get in my office now,” I snarled, then hung up.

“Giulio is out on a job,” Marco said.

“That was Vic.” I dropped into my chair. “As long as I’m in this mood, I might as well get to the bottom of the security camera issue.”

“I already talked to him. You heard his answers weeks ago. What’s gotten into you?”

“You just said yourself that you’re stretched thin. Maybe I can get more information out of Vic than you did. These men need to kept in line, cousin, and if you won’t do it, then I will.”

“Madonna,” Marco murmured as he lowered himself into his favorite chair. “I hope you get laid soon.”

So did I, but I didn’t dare say it.

But this was a good reminder to calm down. I needed my wits about me at all times. I forced my hands to unclench and dragged in a few deep breaths. I had Francesca back, and she and the baby were safe. Enzo was in my dungeon, bleeding from my knife. I would have answers regarding security, then I could focus on everything else.

A second later we heard the knock. I called out and Vic entered, his hair disheveled like he’d been running his hands through it. I didn’t stand or offer any greeting. Instead, I leaned back and folded my hands across my stomach. “Sit.”

Vic slid into a chair and gripped the armrests. He rubbed his lips together, as if moistening them. “Don Ravazzani. How may I help you?”

“I want to hear for myself how my woman was kidnapped and no one noticed on the security cameras.”

“I-I don’t know. There was a security update. I was busy and not paying attention. Sal was on duty at the beach, and she usually stayed inside until Giulio’s afternoon visit. I wasn’t expecting anything to happen.”

“But you are never alone in there. Where were the others?”

“We thought a camera went down. They went to investigate.”

I resisted the urge to glance at Marco. This was too many coincidences for me. “And this was the precise moment that Francesca disappeared?”

“They were gone for about forty-five minutes, so somewhere in there, yes.”

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