Page 25 of Mafia Boss's Baby Surprise

Maybe this is about something completely different. We’ve been looking for someone who’s met with Marya, and Rodri is one of those people. Talking to him might be helpful, but if it’s a trap, I don’t want to give Marya exactly what she wants. I’m not going to rush into danger for no good reason.

“I’ll double-check, but I believe we can.” Theo pulls out his phone.

“If that’s the case, then set up a meeting with Rodri. I want to know what the hell he has to say.” I doubt it’ll be too useful, but you never know.

Rodri might slip up and reveal something he’s not supposed to. And I’m not afraid of Marya. She should know that. Her schemes and plans won’t work against me. If she thinks I’m like my father, she’ll see just how wrong she is.

* * *

Rodri getsto his feet as soon as he sees me, a smile on his face. His short dark brown hair is greasy, and his brown eyes are guarded.

There’s no one else in the bar except my guards and a few of the Amaros. Rodri offered to meet when the bar was open for everyone, but I figured that was too much of a security risk because my guards would have to constantly watch random people coming and going.

“Hello.” He grins. “I’m honored to be meeting with you.”

I just watch him, keeping all emotion off my face. As I take a seat, my gaze falls on the cocaine on the table.

“If you want some, it’s free.” Rodri wiggles his eyebrows. “The best quality in the country.”

I meet his gaze. He knows. Someone told him I used to have a drug problem. He’s testing me, or maybe Marya is. They want to see just how easy it’ll be to get me out of the picture.

But I’m not a dumb boy anymore. Before, I’d be tempted to experience that wonderful high just once, but now I know it never stops there. The high turns into a terrible crash that’s hard to recover from.

“Don’t waste my fucking time. What do you want?” I say.

“I have a special offer for you. XY342.” He spreads his arms as if I’m supposed to admire some wonder.

I raise an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain what the fuck he’s talking about.

“It’s a new drug. It’s going to change the market completely, and one of my guys came up with—”

“Why do you think I’d be interested in something like that?”

He shrugs. “Why wouldn’t you be? I thought you wouldn’t want your competition to get ahead of you.”

“What competition? Marya Balakina?” I eye him carefully.

He smiles. “I brought this deal exclusively to you because I thought you were different from the others. They sell all kinds of stuff, but you... I bet you’re waiting for something special like XY342.”

I scaled down the drug aspect of my business a long time ago. It was better to remove anything that might tempt me, even if the numbers in my financial reports were the only thing I’d be looking at.

I didn’t see the need to get back to it later. There were just so many better business opportunities than selling drugs.

“And I bet you tell that to everyone. Then if we agree, you’ll come up with something and ask for more money,” I say.

“No. No.” Rodri shakes his head. “It’s not like that. I’m telling you, people asked, but I didn’t want to give it to them. Marya wanted it, but I refused. She’s small fish. She wouldn’t give XY342 the attention and scale it deserves. It’ll be the next big thing.”

“What about Marcello Valentino?”

His smile fades. “Look, man, if you’re not interested, whatever. I’m not here to waste your time. The product is good. I can show it to you—”

“There’s no need.” I get to my feet because it’s obvious he’s not going to tell me anything useful. “We’re done here.”

“But—” Rodri starts to say, but I walk away from him.

Theo falls in step with me. “Well, that was useless.”

“Not entirely.”

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