Page 41 of Claiming the Mafia Queen

I definitely wasn’t a nice guy.

And I actually kind of appreciated his protective apprehension.

He’s right not to trust me.

The fact that he’s so dead set against me already means he has a pretty good judge of character. And I’m actually pretty impressed.

The milliseconds turn into what seems like hours as he stares at me, ready to strike. I keep my hand extended. I’m not the type to give up so easily. My entire job revolved around getting untrusting people to trust me.

Surely I can fool a child…

It sort of feels like a standoff. An old Western standoff. Like what you’d see in a Clint Eastwood movie. My fingers twitch as I hold my hand just inches away from his abdomen.

His eyes narrow even more and he licks his lips slightly.

There’s a ball forming in my throat. The kid is good.

I just wonder if he knows me somehow.

Because when he looks at me, it’s like he’s really seeing me…

There’s an anticipation that arises until he finally clears his throat and takes my hand, his grip tightening for all that it’s worth.

But again, I don’t back down either.

I squeeze his hand in return, his fingers cracking. My own jaw clenches as I shake his hand. I can’t help but wonder… is this Aria’s successor?

All of today’s events have single handedly put me in a rotten mood. Which explains why I’m four and a half hours away on an impromptu journey to see my dumbass best friend. “You ok?” Josh asks as I hand him the alternator.

I shake my head. “This assignment is just…” I’m frustrated. Too frustrated to really express it. I’m not sure why I see Josh to make me feel better. He’s actually pretty lousy at it. He has the emotional range of a banana; but maybe that’s what I liked about him..

Not only had I discovered that I have feelings for my mark, but I also just met her damn kids.

Killing isn’t usually personal to me.

This just got a whole hell of a lot more personal than anything I’d ever experienced.

The worst of it is, I have no idea how the hell I’m going to get out of it. The clock is ticking. It’s only a matter of time before Madam Rosa gets suspicious. She’s already as impatient as they come. What’s she going to do if I keep putting her off?

She’s not getting any younger.

“Madam Rosa…” Josh sighs. “I’m glad I got out of the game…”

Josh didn’t just get out of the game. He was cast out of it. What he should be glad of is the fact that I convinced her not to kill him. He’d missed. Once. And his mark got loose…

Long story short, he’s the reason she has a scar just above her right eye.

“It’s not even her…” I mumble, grabbing for the socket wrench. “It’s just this mark…”

“They don’t trust you?” He asks, his eyes wide.

I shake my head. “It’s not even that…”

“Then what is it?” He asks, setting the alternator down where I’d just pulled cranked out the old one. “You get in and you get out.”

I nod. “It’s usually that simple…”

His eyes contort. “What’s different?”

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