Page 28 of Mafia Kingdom

She laughs, but there’s no humor in it. "So that’s it? You lock me up like I’m some asset you can control?"

I don’t answer because that’s exactly what I’m doing. She doesn’t need to understand it. She just needs to listen.

Her nostrils flare, her jaw tightens, and for a second, I think she’s going to hit me. I almost wish she would. But instead, she steps closer, so close her breath scorches my skin.

"You can’t keep me here forever, Marco." Her voice is razor-sharp, laced with defiance, but underneath it, there’s something else—something breathless, something she doesn’t want to acknowledge.

I lean in, my lips grazing the shell of her ear as I murmur, low and deliberate, "Watch me."

She shoves me hard enough that her palms sting against my chest, but I don’t budge. A cruel smirk tugs at my lips as she glares up at me, her eyes burning with fury and something else.

"Fuck you, Marco," she spits, her voice shaking, her body wound tight like she’s seconds away from coming undone.

She spins on her heel and storms past me, her shoulders stiff with fury, but I don’t stop her. Not yet.

I let her go.

For now.

I step toward the door, ready to leave, when one of my security men steps into my path. “Boss, Mike’s here.”

I glance at the time before nodding. “Take him to my office. I’ll be there in a minute.”

As I make my way down the hall, the scent of sizzling steak drifts from the kitchen, rich and mouthwatering. My steps slow for half a second. Sasha hasn’t eaten. I consider telling him to prepare something for her, but I already know how that will go. She’ll refuse, stubborn as ever. Right now, she doesn’t need food. She needs to calm the hell down.

I exhale, rolling my shoulders back as I undo the top button of my black shirt. The tension in my body is a familiar weight, one I don’t shake easily.

By the time I push open my office door, Mike is already seated, waiting. His posture is relaxed, but I know better. The sharpness in his gaze, the way his fingers tap once against his thigh before stilling, tells me I’m not going to like what he has to say.

“It’s bigger than we thought.”

I don’t like those words. They coil in my gut like a slow-burning fuse. I shut the door behind me, rounding the desk as I lower myself into my chair—the leather creaks under my weight.

Mike doesn’t waste time. He slides a thick file across the desk. “The Black Crew isn’t acting alone. They’ve been aligning with another syndicate. One that’s been watching you for a long time. Waiting for a crack.”

My jaw tightens. There is always someone waiting. Ever since the O’Reagans handed power over to us, we’ve had targets on our backs. They want what we have, think they can take it if they’re patient enough. But they’ve underestimated us before, and they’ll regret it again.

I flip through the pages, absorbing details—names, locations, surveillance photos. My mind is already moving ahead, calculating.

“Where did this information come from?” My voice is even, but inside, the pressure is building.

Mike drags a hand over his bald head. “We had Lee do some digging.”

Lee. Our IT guy. If there’s something to find, he’ll find it.

I toss the file onto the desk, my fingers curling into fists. They’re wrong if they think they can take us down. They don’t understand the kind of men they’re up against.

“Has anyone heard from James?” The question slips out before I can stop it. I should call him myself, but the thought of him drowning in his own mess over Danny has me hesitating. It’s easier to keep my distance.

Mike shakes his head. “Not sure, Marco. I haven’t heard from him. But maybe Lucas or Damien has.”

Of course, he’s right. I should ask my brothers. But that would mean facing them, and I’ve been avoiding that, too.

I nod. “Thanks, Mike.”

He rises to leave, but before he reaches the door, a commotion erupts in the hallway. The sharp shuffle of footsteps. Raised voices. Tension tightens my spine, and before I even register the movement, my hand is on my gun, drawing it from the holster.

Mike mirrors me, his own weapon ready.

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