Page 51 of Mila: The Godfather

“I’m hanging up now.” The call lasted more than fifty seconds. This is a new record for us.

“Don’t do anything stupid, man. That girl…” I listen intently to what he says next. Brother or not. One bad word about the girl, and Andrea Nicolasi will become a young widow by tomorrow. “Mila is a good girl. She’s too good for the type of life you lead.” I’ll give it to him. He actually sounds concerned. It still pisses me off.

Pinching my nose, I suppress the impulse to tell him to fuck off and mind his business. “Your point?”

“My point fucker is that she deserves a good life, and if you think you’re the man that can give her that, then fuck, good luck, brother. Just know that there’s a man-eating piranha losing her head searching for her and promising a painful death to whoever had a hand in Mila’s kidnapping.”

I could say many things right now. Like I could care less about Kadra Parisi and her threats and how there was no kidnapping involved. She chose to come willingly, but I chose to say the only thing that matters here. “Mila is mine, and if I need to go to war for her, I will. God help anyone who intervenes and tries to take her from me. That includes you, brother.” With that, I hung up on my brother. Not in the mood for more unsolicited advice and useless chatter.

Not even two seconds after I hang up the phone chimes with an incoming text.

Biological Nuisance: ????????????????????????????

Very mature, little brother.

Ignoring his message, I scroll down and tap on my conversation with Maeve. I type a quick message and wait for her response.

Me: Parisi?

Maeve: Well, hello to you too, Cap.

Me: Don’t push me, Maeve. Not in the mood.

Maeve: Hasn’t left Detroit, and there’s still zero suspicious activity on her accounts. My brother is hot on her tail, just in case she makes a move.

Me: Good.

Me: Do whatever is necessary to find the one who ordered the hit. While you’re at it, put a message out there to any mercenary that I’m willing to pay ten times more than the original offer for her head to whoever snitches on the fucker.

Maeve: On it.

Maeve: Wow, Cap. This girl must be really something.

The fucker behind all this offered a large sum of money to the first mercenary who pulls the trigger.

Now I’m flipping it on him or her.

I’m offering a larger amount to the first man who snitches on the bitch.

Me: Keep me posted.

Maeve: Yeah, yeah. Will do.

Maeve: And I haven’t forgotten how you chose to take Kelly on your getaway. Not cool, cap.

Me: You’re more useful to me in the city, Maeve. Nothing personal. Now get to work.

Maeve: ????

Pocketing the phone, I turn around. The sound of the waves crashing as they reach the shore in the background soothes my soul as I keep my eyes trained on her window. The wind blows softly. The moon shines brightly down at the water, giving it a beautiful glow yet I can’t seem to look away from that damn window.

Everything and anything falls away around me, and all that exists in this moment is her and this damn feeling I once couldn’t put a finger on.

I feel a pressure in my chest, one that makes breathing difficult and one I’ve never felt before. Lifting my hand up to my chest, I tap it.

Three times.

Three-fucking-times. Like I saw her do before.

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