Page 12 of Knocked Up by My Dad's Mafia Boss

I scramble up into a sitting position on the bed, panicked, not wanting to lose this. “No, you didn’t! It was me, I?—”

He cuts me off by holding up one hand. “I should go.”

“No, Dante, don’t—” I plead, but he’s already standing up and striding out of my door.

He leaves me sitting there in the middle of my bed, missing his heat and scent.

4

DANTE

I’m a fucking asshole. Worse, a dirty old man. I just kissed my best friend’sinjureddaughter and now all I can think about is how sweet her mouth tasted.

Like mint and apples and everything in me that’s good.

If there’s any of that left.

I pace around my bedroom, cursing myself. Elio will be home soon, and he’ll be on the warpath.

I’ll have to spend some time in the South Side. I can avoid her for a few weeks while I gather intel on Ricci. By then, maybe,maybeshe’ll have forgotten about all this.

I know she’s attempted to seduce me, but that’s just who she is. She’s flirty and out there, shining like a star.

Not like me, hidden in the shadows, more comfortable in the dark.

I walk downstairs to give myself something to do and Elio bursts in the front door. “Where is she?” he asks breathlessly.

“Her room. She’s okay, Elio. Just a graze on her arm.”

His jaw tightens. “Stitches?”

I shake my head. “I bandaged it. She’s shaken up but she’s going to be okay.”

“This has to be Ricci.”

“I agree.”

“Did you see anyone? Hear anything?”

I shake my head. “The place wasn’t exactly packed but busy. Someone just walked by, spraying gunfire into the room. Montgomery Colombo showed up.”

“Sofia’s father?”

I nod. “Yeah, had his men sweep the area. They didn’t find anything. I think it was just supposed to be a warning.”

“Hell of a warning. They could have killed her,” he growls. “We have to do something.”

I hesitate. “I’m not questioning you, boss, but maybe we should gather a little information first. Find out where Ricci’s hiding out. What his plans are. If you can stay here with Samantha?—”

“Of course I will. I won’t let her out of my sight.”

I nod, relief flowing through me as my shoulders finally relax. I’ll be able to stay away from Samantha for a while. God knows I need it.

I spend the next two weeks in shitty motels on the South Side, staking out Ricci’s territory.

He never shows himself, but I recognize a few of his men: Jimmy Shoeshine, one of the weasliest wiseguys I’ve ever met.

He talks his way in and out of most situations, but he’s deadly with a knife.