Page 89 of Broken Mafia Prince
28
GIULIA
“Hello to you, too, Montanari.” Raffaele’s deep timbre rumbles through the phone, and despite knowing this call alone could be disastrous for both of us, everything inside me relaxes at the sound of his voice.
The way my body responds to him is a creative flaw. One I need to correct if I don’t want to fall any deeper into this than I already am.
Oh, darling, a voice in my head mocks,you’ve fallen all the way to the very bottom.
“Shut up,” I mutter.
“What’s got your panties in a twist?” he asks.
I clear my throat. “What’s this call about?” Even though the question is seemingly simple, I know there’s nothing insignificant about it. I find myself holding my breath as I wait for his response.
“I need to see you.”
“Raffaele, I…” I can hear him breathing over the line. I press my phone closer to my ear, wanting to feel his breath against my skin. I need to see him just as much as he does, but someone has to be the voice of reason here.
“I’ll be at Bayer Park in an hour,” he tells me. “And I’ll be there until a quarter past eight.”
He doesn’t need to say more for me to know the rest. If I’m not there by a quarter past eight, he’ll know I’m not coming, and this thing is over. Silence takes over before I can give a response, and I toss the phone away with a sigh.
My family is already in a chaotic mess after what happened with Luca. The Cozzolis had been insistent on a full-blown war until the truth about Luca’s involvement with the Syndicate came out. The matter has died now, but sometimes, I can still feel my father’s curious eyes on me.
While Father was unconscious, Isa and I concocted a story about how we managed to escape from Luca and raze the building to the ground. My cousin made sure I went over it again and again to get all the facts right, and wouldn’t mistakenly reveal Raffaele’s involvement in the entire thing.
Since that day, security around the house has tripled. We’re back at the estate now—the penthouse is no longer an option, not after it was compromised. Even the builders repairing the damage from the Syndicate’s attack work under constant watch, flanked by guards to prevent another attempt to finish what Luca started.
Staying here is the smart choice. Inside these walls, I’m safe—not just from physical harm but from everything else that threatens to unravel me.
Father’s suspicions about what happened that day are another problem. He hasn’t said much, but I see it in his eyes—the questions he’s too proud or too calculating to ask outright. What if he’s already had his men tracking my every move? What if?—
My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the door flinging open.
I glance up to see my cousin racing in, eyes wide in surprise. “What’s going on?” I jump to my feet, reaching for my gun.
She waves her hand dismissively. “We’re not in danger. I just got information that Edoardo Gagliardi has been hospitalized, and apparently, it’s serious enough to keep him indisposed for a long time.”
I blink, shocked. “When did this happen?”
“About half an hour ago or so. The news is everywhere right now.” She pauses. “Have you, um, heard from him?”
Is that why he had sounded so urgent over the phone? What does this mean for him? Is he now in charge of the Gagliardi family? Even though he’s six years older than me, twenty-four is still far too young to be in charge of an entire family and business.
I don’t doubt Raffaele’s capability, but there’s no way he’s ready for something this massive, and so suddenly. Father’s near-death experience from a week ago has made me see more than ever that this isn’t a life I want any part of. I don’t want to become so familiar with death that it stops fazing me. I don’t want to have to hold my breath each time someone I care about leaves my sight, wondering if that’s the last time I’ll ever see them.
“I need to call him,” I say instead of answering her question.
What would I even say over the phone? That I’m sorry his father is hurt, or I’m sorry he has to accept a position I’m sure he wants nothing to do with? His words replay in my head, bringing with them a giddiness that I shouldn’t feel.
“I’m going to see him,” I add, spinning around to march to my closet.
She sucks in a breath. “Are you crazy? You can’t see him now. There’s now far too much risk. He’s the head of the Gagliardi family now. Do you know what that means? If you’re caughtwith him now, it’ll be seen as a betrayal to our family. Hanging around with the Don’s son was one thing, but the Don himself?”
I grit my teeth. “Why are you speaking like his father is dead? The position is temporary.”
I’m already flinging off my tube top and booty shorts, replacing them with dark jeans and a red silk blouse that does wonderful things for my complexion. Which isn’t something I should be thinking about right now anyway. I just want to talk to him, nothing more.
