Page 76 of Mafia Kingdom

A soft knock soon draws my attention again. Sasha enters, hesitant but determined.

"Am I interrupting?" she asks.

"Never," I say truthfully, and rise while extending my hand. She approaches, placing hers gently in mine. "Everything okay?"

"Karen wants to know when Lily can return to school." She sighs. "I've been putting her off, but she's getting insistent."

The question highlights one of the many practical complications of our situation. Lily has been at the estate for nearly two weeks now, missing school and normal social interaction. While the estate tutors I arranged have kept up with her education, it's a temporary solution at best.

"It's not safe yet," I say simply. "Not until the O'Reilly situation is resolved."

Sasha nods, her expression resigned. She's come to understand the dangers we face, even if she doesn't know all the details. "That's what I told her. She wasn't happy."

"Karen rarely is," I observe dryly.

I reach up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing myself this small moment of tenderness despite the preparations for violence that surround us. "Tonight should change things," I say carefully. "If all goes as planned."

Her eyes sharpen immediately. "What's happening tonight?"

I hesitate, caught between my instinct to shield her from the uglier aspects of my business and my growing recognition that she deserves honesty. Sasha has proven herself remarkably resilient, unafraid to face difficult truths.

"We’re intercepting an O'Reilly shipment. If successful, it weakens their position considerably."

She nods, her expression reflecting the same mix of determination and anxiety I feel. "Be careful tonight," she says softly. "Promise me."

"I promise," I reply, though we both know it's a vow I may not be able to keep. In my line of work, careful doesn't always equate to safe.

The rest of the day passes in meticulous preparation. I brief the teams, review contingency plans, ensure every man knows his role and position. By early evening, everything is in place. Twenty of my best men, armed and ready, waiting for my order to move against the O'Reilly shipment.

I find Sasha in the kitchen, preparing dinner with Lily. The domesticity of the scene strikes me anew—this glimpse of normalcy amid the preparations for violence feels like a window into another life, one I never imagined possible for myself.

"I have to go out," I tell her quietly when Lily is distracted with her task. "I'll be back late. Don't wait up."

Sasha nods, her eyes communicating everything she doesn't say aloud. She reaches up, straightening my collar in a gesture that feels oddly intimate, wonderfully ordinary.

"We'll be here when you get back," she says simply.

The confidence in her voice, as if my return is a certainty rather than a hope, steadies me in a way I hadn't expected. I brush my lips against her forehead, a promise without words, before stepping away.

Michael watches this exchange from the doorway, his scarred face expressionless. My father's spy, reporting everything back. Let him report this, too, I think defiantly. Let my father know exactly where my loyalties now lie.

"Tony's in charge of house security," I tell Michael as I pass him. "Any issues, you defer to him."

A subtle power play, reminding the older man of the chain of command despite his connection to my father. Michael merely nods, neither accepting nor challenging the instruction directly.

Outside, it’s dark as we all climb into our vehicles and make our way to the docks. The traffic is light, and I keep going over the plan again and again in my mind. This needs to go smoothly. I need to end this tonight.

We depart from our vehicles close to the docks and move on foot, armed and ready for what awaits. Darkness covers the docklands as we approach silently.

Tony, at my side as always, checks his weapon one final time. "Something doesn't feel right, Boss," he mutters, voicing the unease I've been trying to ignore. The docks are too quiet.

"Stay sharp," I reply, scanning the area. The warehouse looms ahead, dimly lit and seemingly less guarded than expected. "Team Two, status?"

"In position," comes the quiet response through my earpiece. "No movement on the east side."

"Team Three?"

"South entrance secure. No visible guards."

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