Page 72 of Claiming the Mafia Queen

He shakes his head. “I can’t worry about that…” he says. “I have a job I need you both to do…”

I had billions of dollars at his disposal…Under my mother’s reign. Josh knew that.

He also knew I was sick of everything being under her reign.

Everyone wants a piece of the pie in this world.

I was no exception to that.

He knew me well enough to know that I want mine. My own everything.

Wealth… control…

I just wanted my own life.

Once and for all.

“There’s a big payout…” he says to me, wiggling his brows suggestively. “It’s a chance of a lifetime.”

Chance of a lifetime…?

I feel like the only chance I even want revolves around a petite mob boss nearly five hours away…

I scorn myself. I need to stop going there.

There’s no use.

It’s a pipe dream. She hates me.

But dammit… I miss her.

“It’s finished…” is what I intended on grumbling to Madam Rosa. “She’s dead.” I wanted to tell her — so bad. I almost did, too. I wanted to leave it undone, and tell her otherwise. I wanted to have her rush in, expecting Aria to be dead, and have her walk directly into a trap. But I couldn’t…

Instead… I thought I’d buy more time.“I just need a little more time…her second in command, Luigi, is always breathing down my neck…” That part is true, but I know it doesn’t matter how much time she gives me; I’ll never kill Aria.

It felt so wrong. Biding time like that.

It felt…dangerous…

She pulls my collar and jerks my tie roughly. “Please, don’t make me make an example out of you.”

I need to focus. She’s going to catch on.

I look at her. Like I’m floating there…just existing…

Riding the motions.

She’s staring at me through slitted eyes. I can’t tell what she’s thinking.

“Tony…” A man’s voice calls. My attention snaps to the door where it came from. The guy’s tone is strange. Like he has a question.

“Yeah?” I ask. He’s huge. One of the guys that kidnapped me no less.

“Do we have a problem here?”

I don’t respond. I just stare at him. I see mom in my peripheral vision. She’s still glaring at me. “Who the hell are you to ask me that?” I snap.

"Tony." Mom’s voice pulls me back again and I give an answer immediately.

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