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Daddy’s Here
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Bab terkait
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS In my arms again
CAMILLA'S POVI paced the sitting room as my heart hovered over each elapsed second. The silent mansion choked me to a suffocating degree. Every ticking of the clock seemed to mock cruelly at my helpless situation. Anthony stood close by, his eyes scanning the room, as if he could, by will, usher Jasper safely back. Yet neither of us was able to do more than wait.My baby. Jasper.Where was he? Was he all right? Has Dante found him yet?I flexed my fists into my palms, digging my nails in as a mechanism to breathe. The worst thoughts crept in, my son, alone and scared, hurt, and it was just more than I could handle. Swallowing the lump in my throat, trying to steady my voice, I turned to Anthony. "Do you think Dante found him yet?”Anthony's jaw flexed. Of course, he didn't say it, but the fear lived in his eyes. "Dante won't stop until he does," he said, his tone unyielding. "He'll bring Jasper home."I nodded, but my nerves had finally started to come undone. "I should be out there
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Silenced
DANTE'S POVI watched Camilla sleep, her arms wrapped protectively around Jasper. Her face was serene, but there was something in the way she cuddled him that showed a residual fear that hadn't left her since we'd rescued him, it made my gut roil with emotion. I couldn't blame her; it had been too close-far too close. The thought of losing him again gnawed at me. I felt my heart constrict as I bent forward, pressing my lips against Jasper's small head. He slept on, after waking up for a brief moment. Camilla stirred but didn't wake. She hadn't let him go since I'd brought him back. I raked my fingers through my hair, fighting the urge to stand guard over them a little while longer. There was work to be done though. Somebody had tried to take my son from me, and I wanted answers. I wanted to know who dared make that move.I emerged out of the room and closed the door softly behind me. My feet went downstairs with a deliberate, measured air. Save for the creaking of the floorboards ben
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Calculated steps
TOM'S POV"Imbeciles!" My voice boomed in the darkened room, my fist connecting with the nearest table as I glared malevolently at the men across from me. They hunched their shoulders when my hand came up to strike again; my anger was boiling over. "You had one job, one lousy job, and you couldn't even get that right!”The tall one, the one who had a busted lip and a thin physique, spoke in a low mumbling tone as he forwarded his feet. "Boss, it wasn't our fault," he muttered. "Dante…he showed out of nowhere. We don't know how he found us. We were at the outskirts, miles away from the city. We covered every trace. I swear.""Dante. Dante!" I spat the venom momentarily dissolved by a tide of anger at every mention of his name. How often would this be a thorn in my side? How often would he steal victory from me after it seemed so close? I grasped the man by the collar, hauling him inches from my face. "You were supposed to be hiding, fool. No one was to know your whereabouts, not a livi
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Broken Serenity
DANTE'S POVThe hospital smell clung to me as I entered my office, fresh from seeing Alex. He was stable but pale, the image of his bandaged body gnawed at my senses. Since everything went down, I hadn't had time for anything but to dive back into work. Work was my respite, the only place I could control it all. Today, it wasn't helping. I was thinking of a traitor walking free in my home, putting my wife and my son in danger.Just managed to sit at my desk, when I heard a knock. Too tired even to respond to whoever it was.She came in heels clicking against the floor, then paused as her eyes caught the contours of my face. "Dante, what's wrong?" she asked softly, though low, unmistakably laced with a line of concern. Then she went further inside, closer to me, her eyes searching mine.I leaned back in my chair, massaging my temples. "Jasper was kidnapped." The words were weighted, heavy like I'd never spoken them aloud to another living soul. Of course, I knew that wasn't true since
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS The unseen shadows
DANTE'S POV The ride home seemed to take forever, my head spun flying down the highway to the racing heartbeat in time with each throb of the reviving car. Whatever Anthony found. It just didn't feel right. There was something in the tone with which he spoke over the phone, reserved as if he didn't say too much until I saw it myself. No sooner had I stepped into the mansion than Camilla and Anthony were waiting for me at the foyer. Camilla leaned casually against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest, but all the while her eyes had not left mine since the moment I came into their view. "Dante." Her voice was soft, yet a drop of concern was clearly indiscriminate in it. I walked up to them, and the feeling of tension in the air was as thick as an ax. "What did you find?" I asked Anthony in a voice as flat as possible, while my stomach seemed to have a storm brewing inside it. Anthony nodded toward the hallway. "Let's go to the control room, and I'll show you." It was a
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Surprise connection
CAMILLA'S POVDays in the mansion had all started to blur together. Since the kidnapping attempt, Dante had been practically forcing me to take some time off from work to take care of Jasper, but being home was slowly eating me alive. Jasper, -was just so full of life, but weeks confined inside crippled me. I needed an outing.I turned back to Jasper, who lay on his play-mat staring in wonder at the dangling toys, his little hands swatting at them. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. At the same time, part of me was really coveting fresh air and adult conversation. Whipping out my phone, I tapped out a quick text to Kate. We haven't had time to see each other since I started working at the company. She and I had only recently clicked, so it seemed nice catching up with her.*Hey Kate! Was thinking of getting out for a bit. Want to catch up over lunch?*It wasn't very long before she did reply. “Oh, absolutely! I could do with a break myself. How about that little Italian pl
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Close Enemy
CAMILLA'S POVThis drive back to the mansion felt longer than usual because the tension between Anthony and me filled the space. Jasper slept peacefully in his car seat, oblivious to the awkward energy swirling around us.It just wasn't computing in my head, and I was stuck within it. Kate? Anthony's wife? What was the possibility of such a crazy coincidence? And to crown it all, that look they'd given across at the restaurant, things which at that time I wouldn't have given a second thought but were now nagging me as if there was more to them than met the eye.A few minutes of complete silence later, I couldn't help myself but turn to him and ask:"Anthony," I said, my voice tentative. "Why didn't you tell Kate about your work? About… everything?"He stiffened a fraction, his eyes on the road ahead, yet for one second I actually thought he wouldn't say another word."It's better she doesn't know," he finally grumbled in that deep hoarse voice of his.I arched my brow. "Better? You th
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS Silver Skull
DANTE'S POVCamilla had been begging to go back to work for weeks, and I finally relented. It wasn't easy to let her out of the house, much less out of my sight, not after everything that had happened. That kidnapping attempt on Jasper still haunted my every waking moment. But Camilla wasn't made to sit at home. I knew that. And so, I increased Jasper's security detail, instructing the nanny, as well as every last one of my men, to call me at the first hint of trouble.As we pulled up to the hospital, I glanced over at Camilla in the passenger seat. Intent on her phone, no doubt checking emails, like all was right with the world. But nothing had been since that night. I blew out a deep breath and forced myself to push down the unease crawling up my spine. We were going to see Alex first before heading to the office. We stepped through the doors into the hospital, into that world of disinfectant and quiet hum of activity. I clench my jaw as we head down the hall."There he is," Camill
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SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 95: UNPLEASANT WEDDING GUEST
CAMILLA'S POVBefore us was the stretched Italian countryside-endless rolling hills of vineyards bathed in shades of gold by the afternoon sun. If anything, the villa where the wedding was held wasn't less than magnificent, a true melting pot of old-world charm and modern-day elegance. Marble columns framed the entrance, while a string quartet floated its music across the open courtyard.I really should have been utterly mesmerized by the view, but Dante's tense attitude was impossible to overlook."Relax," I whispered, tugging at the hem of my silk dress as I leaned in toward him. "Why are you so tense over a wedding?"Dante's jaw clenched, his sharp features lit for a moment by a flash of annoyance. "This isn't just some random wedding.""What do you mean?" I pressed, my curiosity getting the better of me as far as letting him stew in silence went.He said nothing for a second or two, his dark eyes scouring the crowd ahead of us. "This is Rocco Cafaro's domain." he finally said; his
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 94: MIND GAMES.
TOM'S POV.I had been confined to a wheelchair for weeks, because of these symptoms. Whereas earlier I used to tower above all others because of my unbridled force, now I sat in this damned chair, legs useless weights, arms losing strength day by day. Irony indeed was bitter. People feared my dominance; now they pitied me. I hated it. Hated them.My fists knotted, my nails digging into my palms. The pain anchored me in the now. It wasn't some random event that had happened. My body hadn't betrayed me of its own volition. There'd been a puppet master yanking on strings, and I knew full well who was on the other side of them.That afternoon, My assistant wheeled me into my office, her soft footfalls barely audible over the dull roar in my head. Now she treated me as if I were glass, her voice perpetually soft, and guarded, as if some wrong word might shatter me."Anything else for you, Mr. Lockwood?" she asked, honey dripping with pity from her tone. She jerked at the blanket on my lap
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 93: TOXIC ENCOUNTERS
TOM'S POVIt had started as no more than a whispered unease, a faint haze across my sight that cleaned itself a second later, and I'd been sure I'd just imagined it. But as days slid by, that haze grew darker, creeping into my mind, weaving itself into my body like a parasite.I sat in my office, staring down at the contract I'd spent the last hour trying to read; words on the page blurring and swimming before me until they finally dissolved into nonsense. Frustration prickled along my spine, and I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers into my temples. "Mr Lockwood?" I jerked my head up, to find my assistant, standing in the doorway with a look of concern."What?" I growled, sharper than I meant to, but I didn't care. There was just something wrong, off-the-charts disturbingly wrong-and I wasn't in the mood for questions.She stepped back, her hand releasing the door as she took a second to recompose herself. "You asked for the quarterly reports by this afternoon. I wanted to check to
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 92: FAMILY'S PEACE
Camilla's POVSoft light from the chandelier bathed the sitting room in a warmth that casts a gold sheen over plush furniture and polished hardwood floors. Jasper sat center of it all, his tiny fingers digging into the edge of the coffee table for balance as his eyes locked onto Dante and me with that determined glint I was starting to recognize as pure Draven spirit. My heart swelled as I looked at him-my beautiful boy.“Come on, Jasper," I cooed, holding my hands out to him. "You can do it, baby. Just one step."Dante knelt beside me and set his gaze in the middle of our son. "Just one, little man," he said softly, filled with excitement and warmth. "One step, and your mom and I will give you the biggest cheer of your life.”Jasper wobbled, holding onto the edge of the table with chubby hands and a fierce grasp that spoke volumes to someone who was determined not to fall. His great big grey eyes, mirrors of his father's, stared at us with such concentration and excitement. He wanted
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 91: CRACKS IN ALLIANCE
ELLA'S POVI slammed my glass down, the echo slicing through the silence of my apartment. Red wine splashed onto my fingers, but I didn't bother wiping it off. All that lined my vision was Tom's face, his smug expression, as if he held the upper hand—as if I was the one failing. As if I was the problem.How dare he.My phone buzzed on the coffee table, lighting up Tom's name. A single word text: "Meet me. Now!"I rolled my eyes and took another gulp of wine, reaching for my coat, the cabernet tasted bitter like the failure. If Tom wanted to talk, he better come prepared. Because I wasn't letting him brush off his failures on me.I found him waiting in the shaded corner booth of his favorite club, fingers drumming impatiently on the table. The sound of my footsteps made his head snap up. Dark eyes locked onto mine with that far-too-familiar spark of control he seemed to think he had over everybody. But tonight, I wasn't here to play nice."Ella," he greeted without preamble, the tensio
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 90. BREAKING POINT
CAMILLA'S POVI stood at the window of the study room, watching as city lights blurred against the dark skyline, my mind calm, and precise. Tonight, Tom thought he finally outmaneuvered Dante, thought they'd caught him in a move that would bring Draven LTD to its knees. But I knew Tom better than he thought, knew exactly how he operates, thanks to my past life. His plan wasn't original, as he'd like to believe.It was en route and right on schedule, but this time it had a few subtle changes, and adjustments to make it look completely legitimate. The standard cargo with ironclad paperwork would be all the authorities could find, leaving Tom's tip hanging in the wind.A knock on the door pulled me from my reverie. "Come in," I called, and Dante stepped inside, his normal preppy, clean-cut but a little haggard, with tension tugging at the edges of his features."Camilla," he said, and there was a hint of relief tangling his voice. "It's almost midnight. What are you still doing here?""O
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 89: Double Dealing
ELLA'S POVIt wasn't really Tom's usual meeting place, but then tonight was different; the urgency was electric in the air and tingling my palms. I looked down at my phone glowing bright amongst the shadows and smirked. In three weeks' time Dante would regret the day he ever smiled in my direction, looked at me as though I did not exist, but focused on her instead, Camilla.First, I heard the echo of his footsteps draw near, and there he was: Tom, smooth as ever, stepped into the room with that glint in his eye-like a predator."Calling it close, aren't we?" he said to me, one eyebrow cocked, as he approached me."You gonna wanna hear this," I said, my voice low, words dripping with the kind of malice I knew he'd like. "It's bigger than the last info. Dante's got a whole lineup of imports coming in, and… they're not exactly legal, he's sneaking them in."A satisfied grin stretched across Tom's face. "Go on."I leaned forward, my excitement barely contained within my tone, and extended
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 88. FIRE UNDERNEATH
88. FIRE UNDERNEATH CAMILLA'S POVIt had just gone past six in the evening, and office lights at Draven LTD headquarters were still bright. I had gone off hours ago at C-Care and came to meet Dante. But Dante and I dropped deep into an unplanned brainstorming session. The new expansion plans for Draven were both thrilling and intense, and tonight, in this quiet after-hours calm, there was a rhythm 990. My cell phone buzzed, no doubt a reminder that the world was still spinning outside this room. I ignored it, choosing instead to focus on Dante."How about a launch event in March?" I suggested, tracing the plans across the table with my finger as a feeling of excitement rushed over me.Dante gave me a reflective glance, his eyes shining with that familiar intensity. "It's risky but bold. March it is."I couldn't help but smile at the triumph of it all-being here, working with him as partners feels surreal yet natural."I think this partnership suits us," I said, a thread of warmth lac
SAVING MY MAFIA BOSS 87. REAL MONSTERS
TOM'S POV.The rain was reduced to a light drizzle by the time Ella slipped into the passenger seat of my car, as poised and polished as ever. She said nothing immediately, just buckled her seatbelt and waited, like she was used to men taking the lead.I coughed into my hand and threw a sideways glance at her. "Are you always this silent?"Trace of a smirk playing on her lips, wordless dare. "You were the one who called me, Tom. So tell me-what's on your mind?”The most flickering light of amusement was standing in her eyes, but I was buying none. Ella was clever, dangerously so, and I knew she would never walk into a room or even a car without having something of a scheme already in motion; that's just the reason I knew I should know what she was really aiming for.I leaned back, my tone casual, but pointed. "I'm just curious. You say you're loyal to Dante, yet here you are scheming behind his back. Why?"She laughed softly, but devoid of even a hint of mirth in it. "Loyalty? Tom, yo
