Page 8 of Assassin Daddy

With his mind gearing itself up for a meeting with one of the untouchable members of the family in the shape of Alphonso Fendi, Matteo put his foot to the floor and thundered along the road with his mind locked in and ready to do whatever was required of him.

But what Matteo didn’t know was that this was going to be a job like no other.

And it might just be the death of him too…

The log fire in the grand reception hall of Fendi House was roaring and as he handed his overcoat to one of the security guards, Matteo couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like to actually live at the mansion.

How many bodies would I need to put away?

Damn, who am I kidding…

This place will never be for me.

Matteo smiled as he took a seat in one of the luxurious armchairs. There were always plenty of security men milling around the mansion, and that day was no different either.

‘Hey, how’s it going?’ Matteo enquired to one of the men he recognized from previous visits. ‘Any intel on the whole Pirlo thing?’

‘You think I know?’ the security man laughed. ‘Look, even if I did know I’d have to keep it quiet. There’s been a real crackdown around here lately. A lot of whispers and closed doors. Something’s up. But exactly what… beats me.’

Matteo nodded and fist-bumped the security guy.

While he may not have gone into any specifics relating to the Pirlo family, there was something about the burly man’s tone that told Matteo that the rumors about an upcoming conflict were likely to be true.

But Matteo didn’t have any time to consider matters further. A nod of the head later and Matteo found himself walking into the ground floor meeting room.

‘Matteo, so good to see you,’ Alphonso said, standing from his armchair and offering Matteo his hand.

‘It’s a pleasure, Mr. Fendi,’ Matteo replied, smiling politely and firmly shaking Alphonso’s hand. ‘I’m happy to be of service.’

‘Of course,’ Alphonso answered, taking his seat once more. ‘Please, sit down next to me. We have a lot to talk about. And now more than ever, I’m relying on your unquestioning commitment to the family.’

‘Absolutely, Mr. Fendi,’ Matteo answered, his interest piqued as he sensed that he was about to be given the real lowdown onprecisely how the Fendi clan were planning on ending the Pirlo threat once and for all.

However as Alphonso started to talk, it soon became abundantly clear that Matteo’s next target had very little to do with feuding families and seemed far more of a personal hit.

As Matteo sat increasingly uncomfortably in his armchair, his mind began to spin.

Alphonso wants me to kill… a civilian?

This doesn’t make sense.

It doesn’t feel right… at all.

The more Matteo listened to Alphonso, the stranger the whole situation appeared to be. Alphonso was talking in riddles, alluding to the behavior of his son, delving into the kind of financial details that Matteo would never have dared ask about let alone expect to hear.

From what Matteo could gather, one of Alphonso’s sons had racked up a significant debt with some very dangerous foreign gangsters. And while Alphonso had plenty of money, it was clear that he was being prevented from dipping into the family money to make things go away. But… why did this mean that Matteo had to take out an innocent boy?

‘I can see that this is troubling you,’ Alphonso said, a hard edge suddenly in his voice. ‘Tell me, Matteo… can I rely on you? Or do I need to look elsewhere?’

Matteo knew that saying no to Alphonso was a death sentence.

For all the credit in the bank that Matteo had accrued over the years, there simply wasn’t an option for him to refuse a directorder. That wasn’t how things worked in the mob, and especially not in the Fendi family.

‘You can rely on me,’ Matteo said. ‘My job isn’t to question. It’s to follow orders. Just like I always have done and will continue to do.’

‘Good,’ Alphonso replied, a hint of a smile on his face. ‘I just had to check. Now, let’s move on and enjoy a nice glass of wine together. I take it you will be driving back this evening, so I’ll have one of my men provide you with a couple of bottles of the vintage. And just so we’re clear… I’m looking for you to wrap up this business sooner rather than later. Understood?’

‘Understood,’ Matteo said, taking a glass of full bodied red wine from the server’s tray. ‘I’m a Fendi in my blood. I’ve lived my life like one, and I’ll go to the grave one too.’

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