Page 96 of Mafia Kingdom

The simple question carries the weight of absolute trust—trust I'm not certain I deserve, given all I've exposed this child to in recent weeks. But I nod with equal solemnity, understanding the sacred nature of promises made to children.

"With my life," I tell her quietly.

Karen stands nearby, her expression carefully neutral as she watches this exchange. She hasn't spoken directly to me since the attack. But today, she surprises me, stepping forward as the drivers indicate it's time to leave.

"If anything happens to her," she says, her voice low enough that Lily can't hear, "I will never forgive you. And I will make sure Lily never does either."

There's steel in her tone, a fierceness that reminds me suddenly of Sasha. Perhaps it runs in the family, this unexpected courage in the face of threats most people would cower before.

"Fair enough," I acknowledge, respecting the warning for what it is—the protective instinct of family. "But nothing will happen to her. You have my word."

Karen's skeptical expression makes it clear what she thinks of the word of a man like me, but she nods curtly before turning to embrace Sasha one final time.

Then it's time. Lily climbs into the SUV, Buddy jumping in after her with surprising agility for his size. Karen follows, not looking back as the door closes behind them. The security team completes final checks, confirming routes and communication protocols with Tony, who will be tracking their journey remotely.

The convoy pulls away, Lily's small face pressed against the window, her hand waving until the vehicles disappear around the bend in the driveway. Sasha stands motionless, watching long after they've gone from sight.

I move to her side, not touching her, simply offering my presence as silent support.

"They'll be fine," I say quietly. "The Kerry property is completely secure. No one knows about it except Tony and me—not even my father."

She nods, still staring down the empty driveway. "I know. It's the right decision. The only decision, really." She turns to me finally. “But that doesn't make it easy."

"No," I agree. "It doesn't."

We stand in silence for another moment, both understanding that with Lily and Karen's departure, we've crossed a threshold. No more delays, no more distractions. Today, we prepare; tonight, we confront the O'Reillys, my father, and Gerald.

"The team leaders are waiting," Tony calls from the doorway, respectfully maintaining his distance but reminding us of the schedule ahead.

"We're coming," I confirm, offering my hand to Sasha. After a brief hesitation, she takes it, her fingers curling around mine with surprising strength.

Inside, the dining room has been transformed into a tactical operations center. Maps and satellite images cover one wall, surveillance photos another. My core team—Damien, Tony, and four section leaders—stand around the large table where a three-dimensional model of the O'Reilly compound has been constructed with painstaking detail.

Throughout the briefing, Sasha remains silent but attentive, absorbing information with the focused intensity I've come to recognize as her way of processing complex situations.

As the meeting concludes, team leaders disperse to handle final preparations, leaving just Sasha, Damien, Tony, and me with the model of the compound.

"I should check the equipment loadout," Damien says.

As he leaves, Tony follows after a brief nod.

Sasha chews her lip glancing from the model and back to me. She takes in a deep breath as if preparing herself for something. She doesn’t speak for a moment, but I wait and give her time, sensing she needs to say something to me.

"What about us?" she asks. "What happens to us after tonight? After all this is resolved?"

"That depends on what you want," I say carefully, needing her to understand this is her choice as much as mine. "On what you need your life to be, for yourself and for Lily."

"I meant what I told Lily,” she says finally. "That I'll come to Kerry when this is over. But not to stay. To bring her home—wherever home ends up being."

"And where do you want that to be?" I ask. "Where is home for you now, Sasha?"

She meets my gaze directly, unflinchingly. "With you," she says simply. "But not like this—not in a fortress, surrounded by armed guards, jumping at every shadow. That's not a life for Lily. It's not a life for any of us."

The assessment is fair, accurate, and challenging all at once. Because, while I agree with her vision in principle, the practical reality of my position, my responsibilities, makes such normalcy difficult to imagine. The Walsh family business, even reformed along the lines I've been considering, will always attract enemies, always require certain security measures.

"I can't promise you complete normality," I say honestly. "Not immediately. Not until we've stabilized things after tonight, secured our position."

"I'm not asking for immediate," she clarifies. "I understand transitions take time. But I need to know it's possible, Marco, that we're working toward something beyond constant vigilance and violence. That there's an after we're both committed to building."

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