Page 83 of Dark Mafia Heir

Vivienne glances at me, then flashes a wide smile at Dario. “Thank you, Dario.”

Ginny raises her voice to get the attention of one of the maids in the kitchen. “Alright, I have to join them now,” Vivienne says with a playful grin. “See you boys at dinner.”

I nod in response, and she saunters off to the kitchen.

Turning to Dario, Lorenzo, and Luca behind me, I say, “We need to talk.”

They follow me to my study upstairs and wait for me to settle down. Dario sits on the chair across from mine, watching me as if he’s trying to see through my thoughts.

“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?” he asks.

“Shit! Is it that obvious?” I ask, leaning back in my seat and steepling my fingers in front of me.

“As obvious as the color of the sky,” he replies. “With Salvatore still in hiding, we don’t know what the bastard will come up with. We need to find him before he allies himself with one of our enemies.”

“How do we find him?” Lorenzo asks, from where he’s standing by the door.

“We scout the city,” I suggest. “If he’s gone into hiding, then I presume someone is helping him. We need to keep an eye on his allies. It has to be one of them.”

Luca sighs. “Do you think there’s a chance Peter Cole is helping him?”

I tub my jaw as I think. Peter is a tricky character in the midst of all this chaos. He definitely knows more than he lets on or shares. But there’s one thing I’m certain of, he would never ally himself with someone who tried to kill his daughter. “The chance is never zero, but no. I don’t think he’s in on it.”

Dario and Lorenzo nod in agreement.

“I’ll meet with Peter, see if we can get him on our side.” Vivienne is carrying his grandchild; I hope we can use that to our advantage.

“And if he still refuses?” Dario asks. “Will we kill him? I bet Vivienne wouldn’t want us hurting her father.”

“I’ll do whatever it will take to keep my family safe.” I crack my knuckles. It’s stiff from holding my gun for hours yesterday. “If that includes killing Peter, then so be it.”

Vivienne will be upset, but I would rather she be angry at me than dead.

“I’ll do my best to find Salvatore’s hiding place,” Lorenzo says. “I’ll scout the city until we find whatever hole the mole is hiding in.”

“Thank you.” I flit my gaze to Luca. “Tighten the security around the house and make sure my wife doesn’t go anywhere unprotected.”

“Yes, boss,” he responds.

“One more thing,” I say just as he’s about to leave. “Make sure Mariana’s house is well-guarded too. She won’t be the top of their priority list, but they know she’s a weakness too.”

He nods, and I dismiss them with a wave of my hand.

When they leave, my shoulders slouch, and I let out a frustrated groan.

Dario peers at me intently. “You’re disturbed about something, aren’t you? What is it?”

“It’s Vivienne.” My stomach churns as the image of her begging me to allow her to see her sister with tears in her eyes flashes in my mind. “I have to let her go when all of this is over.”

“Why?” he tilts his head. “You’re in love with her.”

“I am.” Fuck, I can’t believe how easily I am admitting this. How easily I said it to her the other day. “That’s exactly why I need to let her go. I can’t keep her a prisoner forever. If she stays, then it should be because she wants to.”

And God, I want her to stay. I know I’m a Grade-A asshole, but I want her here with me.

Dario smiles. It’s the first time he’s smiling at me in a while. “That’s the right thing to do.

I imagine Dante saying the same words to me. He used to say things like that a lot—used to tell me how proud he was of me and the decisions I make.

---