Chapter 29: Chapter 29

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"Sure you can do that?"

Ricchar's question was filled with doubt and dissent as I'd expected, but I couldn't risk dragging Mykaela deeper into our family's complicated mess. Especially now that the huge can of worms got opened—by no less than the damned Russian mafia, too.  "Only way I can keep her out of this."

"You didn't ask her to stay?" Ricchar stepped closer to me and glanced behind us.

I did the same.  Pappa Stefano stood by the covered windows in the corner of the study room, busy talking to someone on the phone. More like, barking orders over the phone.

We already discussed what happened to the ambushed convoy and agreed on our next steps with the head of security.  Mamma Eleana now looked too bothered by everything to even speak. She sat in the swivel chair, the stacks of paperwork partly covering her slumped posture. Her brows and lips creased in concentration as she kept silent.

"Why?" I glanced sideways to look at Ricchar. Did he think Mykaela would stay if I asked her to?

"Maybe she changed her mind," my cousin replied, mumbling this time.  "You could get married this week, if you wanted. The chapel's half an hour away. Did you forget already?"

"I highly doubt she would take that question seriously." I scoffed and stood near the locked door, gathering all the patience I had left while waiting for Leandro Tomassini's private plane.  I'd been told Zio Dante and Zio Maurizio used our jet to meet with a French diplomat. So, for now, we'd just have to wait for Enzo's ride.

But what the heck's taking them so long? I just wanted to get out of here. With Mykaela, of course.

The mobsters were harassing us to an infuriating extent.  Those murderous bastards even sent a slew of death threats to Ricchar and Pappa.  I knew it wasn't purely because of Ricchar's poor business choices inciting a new conflict within the drug trade.

Our family business was growing immensely, and our current operations were covering more international markets.  Some envious rivals undoubtedly wanted to rattle the cages.

As much as I didn't like the idea of sending Mykaela home and telling her not to come back,  I needed to keep her out of Italy.   Safe.  Living a normal life.  Far away from the onslaught of the cartels' spite for our entire clan.

"Get guys to keep an eye on her in New York." Ricchar clasped my shoulder.

"I don't have the money for that right now."

"I'll pay for a couple months. Cloe wanted to give her money but Mykaela declined." Ricchar shrugged. "I'll call someone to hire two guys. They'll follow her around for a while, till she  complains about someone stalking her all over New York." He chuckled at my reluctance.

Yep. Mykaela wouldn't want to have some total strangers tailing her wherever she went. She'd always been more of a loner; she liked her privacy as much as I preferred social isolation. No doubt she would find it bothersome, to say the least.  "Just tell them to be discreet."

"Alright. Fine. And cut comms, like I said," Ricchar advised with a frown.  "Just to be sure."

"Yeah."

"You can take her to the airport with the guards. But once she's on her way to New York, you don't know each other. Clear?"

"Yeah. I know." I swore to myself again.

The idea of suddenly cutting ties with Mykaela didn't suppress my worries, but at least the risk of involving her and her family would be lessened that way.  The cartels wouldn't think to use her as a bargaining chip or anything of the sort. I would sacrifice our friendship for now. For her own safety.

"You know where Niccolo is right now?" I asked Ricchar in a quieter voice,  murmuring the words so my parents wouldn't overhear.

"In the warehouse. Working."

"Working?" I frowned. So Niccolo's still alive?

"He agreed and signed a deal. We need guys like him, bambino." Ricchar shrugged casually and slightly grinned at my opposing reaction.

"Fine." I sighed shortly.  Well, least the guy's not rotting in a swamp somewhere.

To clear my name and deny any involvement, I'd thought of calling the police once or twice. They would suspect me to have had something to do with my ex gone missing, because I was more likely one of the people who last saw Niccolo before he was reported missing by his parents.

Out of rage, I'd been planning to call them about their son being kept hostage at one of Pappa's warehouses. But of course my father warned me not to;  he even threatened to cut off my inheritance.  I hardly slept that night.  I didn't mention a thing to Mamma, and I'd kept imagining Pappa had shot the guy dead and told his men to get rid of the body.

A momentary relief calmed me down at the thought of Niccolo being alive after that horrific night of pure torture. Pappa must've realized Niccolo would be a great addition to his security and surveillance staff. The guy had skills, so to speak.

"You miss him?" Ricchar teased after we both fell silent for a moment. "I'll tell him to call you sometime."

"Maximiliano?"

It was my mother's voice. "Mamma." I glanced behind and saw her get up from the swivel chair.

"The guards will be with you and Mykaela in the plane till you get to the airport," she informed with a straight face. "The medical team and Lorenzio's security staff will take up most of the seats. Then the guards will give you a ride back to Brescia."

"Okay."

"Portati una pistola," Pappa suggested.

We waited for him to say something else but he kept staring out the window. Our speechlessness at his suggestion prolonged a moment of silence in the room. I couldn't remember a time when my father encouraged me to use a gun.

"È solo per precauzione." Pappa eyed the door and pocketed his phone.

I almost grinned. My father wanted me to carry a gun now. It sounded better than debating with them over redundant issues, so I wouldn't argue this time. I had a lot to do. Better safe than dead. "Not a problem."

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