Page 48 of Assassin Daddy

‘Well, I think that clears that matter up,’ Faustino said, shaking his head.

‘Coffee?’ Michael asked, arching his eyebrow. ‘I’ll make you an espresso before you head out for the night.’

‘Capital idea,’ Faustino said, taking his cell phone out of his pocket. ‘One second.’

‘Everything okay?’ Michael enquired, the concern in his voice drawing Kyan’s attention.

‘Is it Daddy? Tell me that Matteo is okay,’ Kyan pleaded, a sense of panic bubbling up inside him as he looked at the grave expression on Faustino’s face as he studied his cell phone.

‘Everyone. Out of this room. Right this fucking second,’ Faustino bellowed. ‘Move!’

With that, Faustino and Michael grabbed the three Littles and hurried them out of the living room. Kyan’s heart was thumping inside his chest. Something was up – and it was evidently a very real and dangerous turn of events.

‘Lights off. Michael, all lights off downstairs. Now,’ Faustino said. ‘We’ve got a direct threat inbound.’

Kyan let out a cry of pure fear as he, Reece, and Benjamin huddled together around Faustino.

‘W-w-w-w-what’s happening?’ Benjamin asked, panicking as his eyes filled with tears.

‘Quiet,’ Faustino barked, his voice gruff and full of urgency. ‘Boys, stay low and get yourself into the kitchen.’

But before Kyan and his friends could go anywhere, there was a sustained, incredibly loud sound thundering outside the house.

‘Direct fire,’ Michael said. ‘Boys, with me.’

The boys scurried toward Michael and huddled around his legs. The loud, heavy sound continued outside. Kyan knew that Matteo’s windows were bullet proof, but that was of littlecomfort in that moment. He could tell from Michael and Faustino’s reaction that they were far from safe.

Matteo’s house was under siege. And as the bullets continued to rip, Kyan began to cry. Kyan needed his Daddy, and he needed him right that second…

Chapter 24

Matteo

The rain was lashing down harder and harder as Matteo and Steele drove back towards the city. With Steele following closely behind in his souped-up truck, Matteo was pushing his Porsche as hard as he could given the weather.

‘Give me a fucking break,’ Matteo barked as he drove toward the bridge that would connect him back onto the final stretch into the city only to see the lights turn red.

Briefly, Matteo considered busting the lights and hoping that he could make it across the bridge without hitting any of the oncoming traffic. But this was a fool’s errand. Matteo knew that he had to ensure that he got back to Kyan in one piece.

Kyan was being looked after by Faustino and Michael back at the townhouse. And while Matteo knew that his life was now under serious threat following the failed hit back at the lodge, Kyan’s situation was Alphonso still believed him to be dead, so he wouldn’t be a target. Matteo wanted to get home as quickly as he could in order to plot his next step, but there was no sense in putting his own life at risk in doing so.

‘Hurry the hell up,’ Matteo growled as the red light seemed to be stuck.

As the rain continued its torrential downpour, Matteo did his best to calm himself. If he learned one thing from his many years of working as a hitman it was that a cool head and controlled demeanor was always preferable to an emotional outburst or succumbing to frustration.

Control what you can control.

Use this time to plan.

Alphonso took a shot and missed. Now it’s my turn…

Matteo looked in his rear view mirror and saw Steele staring back at him. Moments later, a message came through on Matteo’s cell phone and it was from none other than his hulking ally…

Steele:My best guess is that someone’s been watching you. Probably one of the spies that Alphonso has been using from outside the family. I’m messaging my sources now to try and find out more. We have to consider the possibility that your house has been under deep surveillance. You’re a smart guy and observant as hell, but if someone has been watching the house without you noticing them, then that gives me reason to worry. But we’ve got this. Whatever happens, we’re going to come out on top – just like we always do.

Matteo could see that Steele was worried about the situation back at the townhouse. And as much as it irked him to admit that someone might have been spying on him undetected, it wasthe only logical way that Matteo could explain how Alphonso might have known that there was something going on.

As Matteo typed out his reply to Steele, he paused in his tracks as he saw a message come in from Faustino. And it was the kind of message that Matteo never, ever wanted to receive…

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