Page 32 of Assassin Daddy

And true enough, as Matteo looked across to the diner, he could just about make out Steele’s face from behind a pair of Ray-Bans and a trucker hat. Steele was sitting by the window, looking innocuous as ever – which was quite the feat given how tall and broad he was. But Steele always found a way to blend in amongst the crowd.

As Matteo got out of his car and walked over toward the diner’s entrance, his mind flashed back to the moment where he could have killed Kyan. The mere thought of it made Matteo shiver. Knowing what he knew now, Matteo was eternally grateful that he listened to his instincts and didn’t send his wonderful boy to his death.

But how Steele would react to this story remained to be seen…

‘Well hot-diggity-dog,’ Steele said, his southern drawl coming to the fore. ‘Matteo Fendi loses his killer instinct for a boy. He must be something special.’

‘He sure is,’ Matteo smiled, motioning to the server for another round of coffees. ‘Now let me tell you a little more about the situation around him. And then maybe you can tell me what you know about Alphonso…’

Steele nodded and then listened intently as Matteo went into more detail about Kyan’s poker career, the threat to his life, and the possible connection to Alphonso’s financial situation.

‘I’m going to need some time on this,’ Steele said, running his finger over the brim of his coffee cup. ‘I’ve heard plenty of whispers about Alphonso. He’s not the unassailable boss he once was. Well that’s the perception anyhow. And with these Pirlo guys on the come-up, we could be talking about a period of change in the hierarchy.’

‘But do you have anything concrete?’ Matteo asked. ‘Don’t hold out on me. You still owe me for Miami.’

‘Hey, I could have taken those guys,’ Steele laughed. ‘Except they had Uzis and I had… my fists and a pocket knife.’

‘Hey, I actually kind of believe you too,’ Matteo said. ‘Damn, those were some wild times in Miami. Life feels a lot more complex now. But Kyan… he’s worth it.’

‘I hear you,’ Steele nodded, being a Daddy himself he evidently could see how important Kyan was to Matteo.

‘And you?’ Matteo enquired. ‘Still living the single life?’

‘I am,’ Steele answered. ‘But I do have my eyes on a boy. Don’t ask me who. Or where’s from. You know me, I play my cards close to my chest.’

‘The closest,’ Matteo said, knowing that it was utterly pointless in mining the notoriously secretive Steele for any more information on this mystery boy.

Being a fellow Daddy, Matteo was confident that Steele would understand his decision to fight for Kyan rather than obey the mobster code. Steele had done plenty of bad things in his life,just like Matteo. However when it came to Littles, the two of them were very much on the same page…

‘Remember the twins in Miami?’ Matteo said, his mind wandering back to times gone by. ‘Or should I say,the twin spanking?’

‘I’m not likely to forget that,’ Steele chuckled. ‘I’ll be an old man sitting on the porch and that night will be replaying in my mind. Twins though… damn. We live in a wonderful, wild world. But I know you didn’t come here just to reminisce. You need some real word on Alphonso, his son, and why the hell they really put the hit on Kyan. And don’t worry, brother, I’ll find out for you. You have my word.’

‘I appreciate it,’ Matteo replied, knowing that when Steele committed like this, there was no stopping him.

Matteo and Steele had been through plenty together over the years. From the ups to the downs, and via a few frolics with boys in clubs too, the pair of them had seen it all together.

‘So, are we ordering some pancakes?’ Matteo asked.

‘We sure are,’ Steele replied. ‘And when we’re done with that, I want a race. My BMW against your Porsche. There are some epic backroads around here. Call it payment for my services.’

‘Deal,’ Matteo laughed, fist bumping with Steele. ‘You know I was actually going to pay you cash, right?’

‘Ha! I really screwed myself over with that one,’ Steele said, shaking his head. ‘But seriously, I wouldn’t have accepted a single cent. This is personal for me now. This is my gift to you, and to your boy too.’

Matteo’s heart filled with pride.

To have a man like Steele so resolutely on his side meant the world to him.

All that was left now was to devour some piping hot sweet pancakes and then burn some serious rubber along the twisting, turning upstate roads…

Chapter 15

Kyan

With his Daddy out on business, Kyan had the run of the house – and he was determined to make the most of it too. After much persuasion, Matteo had agreed that Reece and Benjamin could come over to his house for a playdate, a decision that filled Kyan’s heart with joy.

There were caveats to the playdate of course…

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