Page 15 of Taken By the Mafia King
Francesco crossed his thick arms over his chest. “He knows.”
“Well, that didn’t take long,” I said.
A maid hurried in with a tray of coffee, her eyes flicking up to Francesco for a split second before she bristled and hurried over to me. She poured me a cup and I arched my brow at Francesco, who glared at the maid.
“Thank you,” I said, but she only nodded and hurried away. I turned my attention back to Francesco and sighed audibly. “Do you have to scare everyone in my house?”
“Everyone knows, Boss. The spies we have planted in every family have been calling me all morning. You started a war. Every boss from Florida to Maine is furious?—”
“Do you think I give a flying fuck how these menfeelabout what I’ve done?” I asked, my voice harsh and clipped. “This isn’t fury, Francesco. It’spanic.”
“It’s a fucking mess,” Tommaso added as he walked in the room. He nodded at Francesco, who curled his lip in response to Tommaso’s broad, twinkling smile. “Not a morning person, Francesco?”
“We have the Gottis up our asses already for taking out one of their caporegime last month,” Francesco pushed as Tommaso poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned casually against the armchair next to mine. “Now the Pesci family is up in arms because they had a deal with de Luca about a shipment?—”
“I just gave that halfwit Giuseppe de Luca his father’s empire,” I cut in, curling my fingers over the armrest of my chair. “The other families should be calling tothank mefor what I’ve done for them.”
The bite in my voice knocked Francesco down a few pegs but I understood his frustration.
I’d walked right into Gabriele de Luca’s home and killed nearly every one of them. Literally every single person in that house had died. That old, filthy snake of a man had beefed up his security in recent days, likely because he planned to have a Bianchi in the bunker under his floorboards. That in itself interested me.
I took a sip of my coffee, watching Francesco over the rim. “What exactly are you hearing from our spies?”
Francesco took a breath. “Several bosses are blaming the Marino family for their lack of oversight when it came to the women this year. The Bianchi daughter wasn’t the only one taken and sold underneath their family’s noses.”
“That happens all the time,” Tommaso cut in. “What’s different now?”
“A boss ended up dead for his purchase, that’s what.” Francesco shifted his focus from Tommaso to me. “Now everyone is clutching their purchases and running their mouths about who’s next.”
Tommaso snorted with mirth and shook his head. “They think you’re coming after their women?”
“They think I’m coming after their thrones,” I corrected, leaning back in my chair. “Gabriele was said to be untouchable. He had one weakness and I exploited it.” I’d walked right into his house and killed his guards. I’d caught him in the act of violating that girl and put a bullet through his neck before he even knew what hit him. Good fucking riddance.
I could do that to anyone, and they knew it. Gabriele and I had never had a public reason to feud. I never made deals with that monster. He was the worst kind—boisterous, inflated, his ego larger than the compound where he kept his dames like slaves.
I’d killed them all, sparing his son only because I might need him one day to prove to the rest of the families that I was in charge—had been in charge, and always would be.
A dream come true to my allies.
My enemies’ worst nightmare.
They didn’t call me theMano Della Mortefor no reason.
“Giuseppe will try to avenge his father and call on Gabriele’s allies for assistance,” I continued, absently dragging my thumb over the rim of my coffee mug. “And I’ll be waiting for the culling to begin. Until then, I have a dame to speak to.” I rose from my chair and nodded to Francesco, dismissing him.
He trudged out of the room, grumbling to himself like usual.
“She won’t eat or drink,” Tommaso said as I refilled my coffee.
“Let her starve for a while,” I said, shrugging. Seraphina had survived far worse than being hungry. “Be prepared for all hell to break loose.”
I left my office and walked through the quiet hallways of my house, knowing my rivals would be knocking at my door any moment now and my allies would be watching with bated breath.
I had other things to worry about right now, however.
I walked up the stairs and through a door, a soft gasp ringing clear as the lock clicked into place behind me. Call me sadistic, but I loved the fear just the sight of me could ignite.
CHAPTER 14
