Page 25 of Taken By the Mafia King
I opened my mouth to reply, unsure of what I could even say to that. I was the most feared and hated man in all of the families, and he knew Sera was safest here, in my possession. How backward would that seem in the eyes of the other bosses?
A crash splintered the air and shouts rang out from the foyer outside my office. Fred stood abruptly, as did I, grabbing the gun I kept under my desk.
“Where is she?!” a male voice shouted.
I hummed, rolling my eyes as I readied my gun and met Fred’s gaze. “No one else will have her,” I told him. “Only me.”
His lips twitched, but he said nothing as he followed me out of the room and into the foyer, where a blond man knelt on thetile, blood dripping from his busted lip. He looked up at me as I crouched in front of him and dragged the barrel of my gun over his cheek.
“Found him down the drive trying to find a way in the gate,” Mikey said smugly. I looked up at him and Francesco.
“I’m here to save the woman I love,” the man growled.
“Which one?” I asked, tilting his chin up with my gun so he had to look me in the eyes. His face began to swell, making him look like shit. Mikey and Francesco had done their jobs well.
But something in my gut twisted. Did he mean Delaney?
Or Sera?
The thought of him being here for her sent a whisper of rage through my body as I lifted him upright by the collar of his shirt and shoved him forward, dragging him into a darkened room and slamming the door behind us.
CHAPTER 21
KILLIAN
Jim.
This must be the guySera’s friend Emma mentioned during their phone call. The same Jim that witnessed her abduction. I couldn’t tell if I was more amused by his heroic, albeit pathetic attempt at a heroic rescue, or pissed. I had more important shit that needed my attention. This clown? He should have stayed away.
I shoved him on his ass into a seldom used room on the first floor of the house and slammed the door shut behind me. The blue-eyed, blond-haired, all-American poster boy looked up at me and sneered. Blood flowered from a split lip and stained his teeth.
I flipped on the light and crouched in front of him. Overhead, the fluorescent bulb buzzed. I had to admire the way he kept those blue eyes fixed on me instead of looking around to get his bearings.
His hands balled into fists as he pushed himself up to his knees. “Where is she? You piece of shit, I know she’s here!”
My right eyebrow lifted toward my hairline. That settled it. Amusement outweighed my irritation.Look at the little boy, all tough and brave. What a clueless fool.“Shut the fuck up.”
Jim eyed me. Calculating. Assessing. Did he think he could take me? I flashed him a smile and he took the bait. Like a feral cat, he sprang off his knees, fists flying, eyes wild with fury. My fist met his jaw with an audible crunch. He stumbled backward, hissing and moaning.
I flexed my hand, snickering as he spat blood on the floor and tried coming at me again.
My palm pressed against his throat before he had a chance to blink.
I tightened my grip. “Who are you here for?”
His lips peeled off his pearly whites before his voice came out in a strangled croak. “Sera Bianchi.”
“Why?” I squeezed the column of his throat a little tighter, restricting his air. He winced but didn’t flail the way others had in my vise grip. Kudos to him. I imagined him going over his options in his mind. Comply or fight? Back down or continue playing a game he knew he was bound to lose?
I looked him over, taking in the baby blue polo shirt and faded blue jeans. He wore an athletic watch on his wrist, something that likely kept track of his movements and locations while feeding that data back to his phone. This motherfucker belonged at a country club with his douchebag friends in argyle sweater vests, not here in my house.Myempire.
“Take off your watch and give me your phone,” I said.
“No.”
Fine. Let the game continue.
With a wicked grin that had turned many of my enemies to puddy in my hands before I killed them, I slid my thumb up half an inch, pressing it right under the soft spot of his jaw. He let out a startled whimper at the fresh pain and some of the ignorant bravery in his eyes snuffed out like a wind-blown candle. He immediately obeyed and dropped both items into my open palm.
