Page 7 of Claiming the Mafia Queen

Tony has that.

That much is apparent.

I’m glad I made my choice to hire him out of the blue, because if not, I very well may still be in the club bleeding out all over the place. Or even worse, shoot up some more.

And then what?

My reign is over, and who is going to take my place?

I sigh.

The answer that Edoardo always had was Alessandro.

As the first born son he was always set to be the next reign, unless we both got knocked off before he was old enough.

But the question is, do I really want him to be involved in all this?

Is this a world that I want to bring him into?

Chapter 2

Tony

Ileavethecornerstore. There’s a bell on the door that sounds as soon as I swing it open. I curse to myself. I know it’s only a matter of time before this headache takes complete control of me.

I sigh and open the pack of cigarettes I just bought, my fingers shaky. It’s been a few years since I smoked.

“There’s something special inside,” the clerk had said with a menacing smile.

That only meant one thing.

She’s watching me…

I snap the carton shut and glance down the street. There’s a few people out and about and the wind doesn’t seem to bother them like it does me. It’s bitter and cold. And from what I just found in the cigarette pack, I’m not getting warm for a long time.

I keep my face down, protecting myself from the cold air.

I grab a cigarette and then the piece of paper is stuffed inside. She really needs to lay off all this creative bullshit. She can open her mouth and speak if she has something she wants from me. Why try to go through all the theatrics?

I walked a few blocks to the place where I first set out from that morning.

My buddy Joshs’ house.

He’s in the garage. I know he is. It’s where he’s always at.

The hood to his candy apple red 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 350 is up and I can see him hunkered underneath it. “Hey, asshole!” I blurt out just before chucking the entire pack of cigarettes I’d just bought at his chest. He catches them.

“Woah…” he utters. “What the hell is your problem?”

“If Madam Rosa wants me, just tell me,” I snap, my chest pounding, body shaking with adrenaline. There wasn’t a lot that worked me up more than her. “Don’t send me to run a stupid errand in the cold. Just relay the fucking message.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about…” he says. “I ain’t talked to her in what…two months…”

I look around my shoulder in one direction and then another, paranoia creeping up all of a sudden. If he didn’t tell her, then how would she know where I was going to be?

There were times she really did surprise me.

This is one of those times.

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