Page 47 of Taken By the Mafia King
The big brute of a man chuckled and started leading the way, for once not feeling the need to put a hand on me and escort me physically. “Move your ass, princess.”
CHAPTER 36
KILLIAN
Morning sunlight split the room into long shadows. Several of my men were in the room, all of them leaning against walls or sitting with their legs splayed in the scattered armchairs in my office. Mikey twirled a pen over his fingers, which Francesco snatched out of his hands with an irritated growl.
“I think it’s pointless,” Francesco said, tossing the pen onto my desk. “Giuseppe is an infant, Boss.”
I shrugged, turning my coffee mug in a circle. “He may be young but he’s not stupid,” I replied firmly. “We’re going to teach him a very valuable lesson. He’s not untouchable. He’s under the impression he inherited his father’s legacy, when in reality, every other family is gunning for the opportunity to end the de Lucas now that he’s in power. I want to be the one to wipe them off the map.” I wanted to play with Giuseppe first and see how far I could push the man. Every man had a breaking point. I would take my time finding his. “We’ll raid his compound. That’s final.”
I eyed Francesco, holding his gaze until he looked away. He didn’t like that I’d placed him on babysitting duty, but he was the only one Sera seemed to behave around.
A little food and rest had gone a long way toward reviving her fighting spirit.
“Bianchi.” I looked each of my men in the eyes. “He’s the one we need to be worried about right now. I have confirmation that he has the blueprints to the warehouse up north. The raid on that warehouse earlier this year was nothing more than a mission to scope it out, see how valuable it was, and how difficult it would be to get inside. Selling those blueprints to someone elsecannothappen.”
“We could trade the girl for the blueprints.”
“No.” Not an option.
“Why?” Francesco arched an eyebrow.
If Tommaso were at this meeting, I would have allowed him to tell the group what he’d heard after the auction. But I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted the truth about Sera’s situation out just yet. I trusted my men, but Edoardo’s deception left a sour taste in my mouth. Anyone could be a rat.
“Andre Bianchi is looking for money, not another mouth to feed,” I said firmly. “If he does attack the warehouse, or goes as far as to come here, it will be all for show. I don’t know who his allies are or what they’re planning. We need to be prepared for anything.” Sera being sold at the auction was part of a bigger plot.
I broke the men into groups, sending several up north to ready my main warehouse for an attack. My other warehouses were already under strict surveillance. Another group was sent out to meet up with Alonzo to go over the plan for getting back at Giuseppe for his failed raid last week.
No one had ever fucked with me or my enterprise before to this extent. Not until Bianchi. Having his daughter in my clutches was the only thing stopping him from acting, but I knew that wouldn’t last forever.
I was the king, and he wanted my throne.
“Francesco,” I said as he started to walk out the door. “I need you to call Riccardo Marino and ask for a meeting. A neutral location.”
Francesco nodded, but his brow arched as I stood from my desk.
“Sera is missing something. A necklace, I believe. I want to know what happened to it. It was likely taken from her when she was abducted, and I want it back. I don’t care how much it will cost, get it done.”
Francesco grunted.
“Do you have something to say?”
He shook his head. “No, Boss. I’ll get your girl’s necklace. Anything else?” I heard a challenge in his tone.
That grated my fucking nerves.
I said nothing. I stared at him until he submitted with a nod and left the room.
I walked over to the bar cart Olivia had wheeled in before the meeting and poured myself a fresh cup of coffee. The windows overlooked the expansive grounds beyond the house. I’d let the grass grow long and wild, covering the gardens my father once kept.
At the edge of the lawn where the tall grass began, I saw my mother smoking a cigarette. She had her back turned to me.
I sipped my coffee and watched her, her words ringing in my ears.
“Kill her, Killian. You promised.”
I had promised I’d brutally wipe every Bianchi off the map. Without mercy.
