Surprise Baby for the Don (Dark Daddies #2)

Chapter 24

24

Mateo

T he door closes behind me with a heavy thud, sealing me in the cramped office with Carlo Savini and one of his goons, a hulking guy with a face that looks like it’s been hit a few too many times. I take in the room, a single, worn desk, a chair, and a filing cabinet that’s seen better days. It’s a pathetic setup for someone like Carlo, someone who thinks he’s running the show. It doesn’t remotely compare to my lush office at my compound.

Carlo leans back in the chair, his expression smug, a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips. He’s always been cocky, but tonight, he’s positively radiating arrogance. He thinks he’s got the upper hand.

He has no idea.

“You know, Mateo,” he starts, drawing out my name like it’s a punchline to some private joke. “I’ve suffered the Rossi family long enough. Your father was a self-righteous bastard, but at least he knew how to keep the peace.”

I clench my fists, forcing myself to stay calm, to keep my face impassive. Carlo’s playing a game, trying to bait me, to get under my skin. He’s already got the two people I care about most under his thumb, but even that’s not enough for him. He’s trying to rub salt in the wound, to disparage the name of my dead father. But I can’t afford to lose control, not here, not now. Not when Ginny’s life is on the line.

“I’ve kept the peace too,” I remind him evenly, keeping my voice steady, controlled.

Carlo laughs, the sound sharp and grating. He leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his eyes gleaming with a twisted, malicious glint.

“Is that what you think?” he sneers, his tone mocking. “That’s rich, really. You’re just as self-righteous as your old man, thinking this city is yours. Your father? Well, at least he knew how to keep things quiet. You? You’ve just been coasting on his reputation.”

I bite back a retort, forcing myself to breathe, to stay calm. Carlo wants a reaction, wants to see me lose control, to show weakness. This is all just another ploy, another move in the game he’s playing. The more I refuse to play, the angrier he’ll get. Then he’ll be bound to make a mistake, to give me my opening.

“He paid us to keep the peace,” Carlo continues, his tone dripping with disdain. “He paid everyone. That’s how he brokered his legendary treaty. But I guess he didn’t tell you that, did he? When the checks stopped coming, my brother and I decided the deal was off.”

My mind races, processing his words, though I keep my face stoic. I know about the money my father sent to the Savinis, of course. He must think he’s dropping some bomb on me, but he isn’t.

“Don’t play games with me, Carlo,” I say, my voice low, steady. “I know where every dollar goes, and I kept the payments going, just like my father did.”

Carlo snorts, shaking his head, his smirk widening. “Then why haven’t I seen any of it?” he spits, letting his anger out now. “It doesn’t matter. The deal’s changed.”

I grit my teeth, managing to stop myself from rolling my eyes at him. This isn’t about money. It’s never been about money. Carlo’s using it as an excuse, a way to justify his actions, to justify his twisted vendetta. He’s crossed a line, taken someone innocent, someone who has nothing to do with this world.

This is about control. He wants to use me as a puppet, to exploit all my weaknesses and use them as strings to force me to do whatever he wants. If I let him succeed, even this once, he’ll keep finding ways to hurt me, to exploit me. This will not stand.

I take a step closer, my gaze locked on his, my voice cold and steady.

“Leave Ginny out of this,” I say calmly, commanding. “This beef you have is between us. We made a choice to live like this, we know what this life entails. She’s just an innocent girl who works for me, in a legitimate business. She has nothing to do with your little games, and this is not how we do business.”

Carlo’s smirk widens, his eyes gleaming with amusement, like he’s savoring every word, every ounce of desperation he thinks he hears in my voice.

“She was a surprise addition, you might say. Originally, she wasn’t part of the plan. But, well, things change. People don’t pay their debts, and collateral gets added.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut, a sick realization settling over me as I process what he’s saying. This isn’t just about me, about some petty feud between our families. This is about Ginny’s father. Rex. He dragged her into this. He put her in the crosshairs, all because he couldn’t stay clean, couldn’t keep himself out of trouble.

My fists clench at my sides, the anger boiling over, hot and consuming. I want to tear Carlo apart, to make him pay for every second he’s kept Ginny and Rocco here, for every threat, every insult. But I can’t lose control. Not yet. Not until I know she’s safe.

A door creaks open, and I turn, my heart pounding as I see a glimpse of another room, dimly lit and cluttered with boxes. A figure is slumped on the floor, bloodied, battered, but alive. Rex. The man himself. He’s barely conscious, his face swollen and bruised, but he’s breathing.

“Surprise!” Carlo’s voice is laced with smug satisfaction, and I can feel his gaze on me, watching, waiting for my reaction. “He owes us, Mateo. And when people don’t pay up, they don’t get to dictate the terms.”

I turn back to Carlo, my expression hard, my voice low and filled with barely restrained fury. “You’ve made your point, Carlo. Now let them go. This doesn’t have to go any further.”

Carlo laughs, a sharp, grating sound that grates on my nerves.

“Oh, but it does, Mateo,” he says, his tone mocking, his eyes gleaming with malice. “This is just the beginning. The old deal is off. It’s time for a new arrangement—one where the Savinis get what they’re owed.”

“And what exactly is it you think you’re owed?” I ask, my voice steady, controlled, though every word feels like a struggle, like I’m holding back a tidal wave of rage.

Carlo leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Power, respect, territory. Everything your family has taken from us, everything we’ve been denied.”

“You’ve crossed a line, Carlo,” I say, my voice low, dangerous. “You wanted your fucking money, you should’ve sent me an invoice for it. Kidnapping my staff and threatening me is unacceptable. It’s about time you learn your fucking place.”

Carlo laughs, the sound sharp and mocking, and he leans forward, his gaze cold, unyielding. “You’re the one who needs to learn his, Mateo. You’ve lost your edge. You’ve gotten soft, gone legit and forgotten what this business is meant to be. Your father would be ashamed.”

“Enough,” I seethe, tired of his games and empty insults. “You want to kill Rex St. Croix? Be my fucking guest, he’s been nothing but a thorn in my side since the moment he darkened my doorstep. You’d be doing me a favor, honestly. But you will let his daughter go. You will let Rocco go. Or you’ll be leaving this warehouse tonight in a body bag.”

“We’ll see about that,” he says quietly.