All Chapters of Bound To The Mafia Don: Chapter 31 - Chapter 39

FLORADante poured two glasses of whiskey and pushed one toward me. "They don't have enough to hold me. Not yet,” he said."Are you insane? They just raided every business you own!" I screamed."And they'll find nothing directly linking me to any criminal activity,” he replied just before taking a sip of his whiskey. "My lawyers will have me out by dinner.""Dante, please," I begged. "Don't take that chance.""Running makes me look guilty." He gestured for me to sit. "Trust me, Flora. Like I said earlier, this isn't my first run-in with the FBI."Against my better judgment, I sat across from him, but I chose to leave the whiskey untouched. "What about me?” I asked. “I've been working with them.""Under duress," he pointed out. "And you never signed any formal agreement as an informant. They have nothing solid on you either."The confidence in his voice almost convinced me. Almost.Suddenly the door of the penthouse crashed open with a splintering sound. Heavy footsteps echoed through

FLORAIn the days that followed, I visited my mother daily, and I was relieved to see that she was receiving proper medical care once again. I tried repeatedly to contact Sofia, but all my messages went unanswered. I tried to contact Dante too, but there was no sign of him at all.Anthony was a constant presence in my life during this period. He was always kind, and always careful not to push too hard. He brought me clothes, took me to dinner, kept me company, and he never asked for anything in return. But I wasn't naive enough to believe his kindness came without strings attached.***A week had passed after my release. As Anthony and I shared dinner in the penthouse, the strings finally appeared."I need to ask you something, Flora," Anthony said while he refilled my wine glass. "About Dante's operations."I set down my fork. "So here it is. This is the real reason you've been so kind and generous to me.""I never said my help was entirely selfless,” he immediately replied, then sat

FLORA The whole place immediately erupted into chaos around me. Gunshots echoed through the halls, along with shouts from the men and the sound of glass breaking. Dante's men had launched a full assault on the Riccis, and I was caught in the middle of it. I quickly pulled my arm free from Vincent's grasp when the first explosion rocked the east wing of the house. The blast threw him off balance just long enough for me to wrench my arm away completely and run in the opposite direction. My side was burning—I didn’t know from what exactly—but adrenaline kept me moving. The problem was that I didn’t have even the faintest idea of where I was going. Every corridor in this massive penthouse looked the same. It was full of dark wood furniture, expensive paintings, and too many doors. Smoke was beginning to fill the hallways, and it was making it even harder for me to see anything. As I turned a corner, I slammed directly into someone. A cry escaped my lips as a pair of hands grabbed my s

FLORAThe lights of Romano's restaurant cast a warm glow on the sidewalk as our car hurriedly pulled up a block away. Police sirens were already wailing around in the distance as the aftermath of the assault on the Riccis penthouse spread across the city."Stay here with Sofia," I told Rex and Luis. "If I'm not out in fifteen minutes, then you should call for backup."Sofia grabbed my hand firmly. "Be careful, Flora,” she warned. “You know Vincent has nothing left to lose now.” There were tears in her eyes as she gazed at me. I nodded and slipped out of the car. Then I began to move quietly toward the restaurant. Through the windows, I could see two figures inside. It was Dante and Vincent, and they were both facing each other across the dining room. Vincent was holding something in his hand. I knew it had to be the trigger device.I was about to enter inside when a sudden movement from across the street caught my eye. There were dark vehicles with tinted windows parked. And men in t

FLORAThe silence that followed was tense. There was no explosion. There was no sound from the timer either. Now we were completely surrounded by darkness and the sound of our rough breathing.Dante's arms found me in the dark, and he immediately pulled me against his chest tightly. I could feel his heart hammering against mine, as our pulses raced in unison. We stood there, frozen, as we waited for the world to end.But it didn't."Is it over?" I whispered after what felt like an eternity.Before Dante could answer, a shaky laughter came from the darkness surrounding the basement. "This... isn't... over," Vincent spat. "The Romano empire must die with me."Dante didn't release me, but I felt him turn toward the sound. "You've lost, Vincent. Give up. It's over.""You could have... killed me upstairs," Vincent said. His voice was already growing weaker at this point. "Your mercy... makes you weak... just like your uncle.""I'm not my father," Dante said firmly. "And I'm not going to be