Chapter 6
Mattia
I wish I could see Leo’s face right now. I bet it’s adorably scrunched up as she thinks about exactly how much to ask for. And her cheeks are probably bright pink from embarrassment.
Last night after I popped the lock on the hatch, we ate our pizza on the roof and talked for hours.
I didn’t want it to end, and without realizing it, I was asking more and more questions so it didn’t have to.
I could tell she didn’t want to let me go as her hostage, but I made the offer, and no matter how much I wanted to stay in our bubble, I couldn’t.
There are responsibilities that go along with what I do, and as ridiculous as Leo was about me being in the mafia, she wasn’t wrong.
I had early morning meetings with several of the bosses, and I couldn’t get back to her.
Sending one of my guys to her apartment with a phone seemed like a logical solution, but then I got to thinking about how easy it would have been for someone to spot me leaving her place this morning.
We might not have fucked, at least not yet, but any of my enemies could have seen me there for a few hours and assumed that’s what I was doing.
Being with Leo puts a spotlight on her. One that I’ve worked my whole life to keep off of me.
Having a relationship makes someone in my line of work vulnerable, and that’s not a headache I’ve ever wanted to deal with.
Even now, I know I should stop talking to Leo, but I can’t seem to.
I’m telling myself this is it; I could disappear from her life right this second and she’d never have to know the reasons why.
And yet I had my men stationed at her laundromat all day to keep an eye on her.
Not only are my guys going to know something is up, but anyone could find out.
Meanwhile I’m stuck in the back room of a strip club while the men around me argue about the dumbest shit.
I don’t want to be here, and this could have literally been an email.
Yesterday felt like an alternate universe where I wasn’t a boss, or even a bad guy.
I was just Mattia. Being with Leo made me feel like another world opened up and I got to escape to it. If only every day could be like that.
“There’s a delay in supplies at the docks,” someone says, but I’m busy typing out a text to Leo.
Me: I’ll give you $5 for a pinky toe.
Leo: $5!? I feel insulted.
Leo: Reddit says $500.
Me: For a pinky toe? Hmmm… That seems like a lot, but if you think that’s the going rate then I guess I should pay it.
Leo: It’s practically a bargain according to everyone on there.
I’d give her anything she asked for, but I like winding her up.
Me: What about we start with $100?
Leo: Deal.
The bubbles pop up like she’s typing, but then they go away. Is she taking the picture now?
“Mattia,” someone snaps, and I look up from my phone. “I said, can you talk to your cousin? Doesn’t he have connections at the loading docks?”
The guy asking the question is Dario. He’s an up-and-coming boss after his father died last year.
He’s taken over his family’s side of town, but he’s got new ways of running things that I don’t entirely agree with.
He’s the reason I had to pistol whip the guy in the laundromat yesterday.
Dario is in charge of collecting debts, and that little fucker Tommy owes me too much to still be walking on unbroken legs.
“I think maybe if you addressed what our suppliers were owed then there wouldn’t be a problem with getting deliveries on time,” I tell him, and there are a few murmurs of agreement around the table.
My phone vibrates in my hand. I look down to see a picture of Leo’s tiny pinky toe, and my cock gets hard.
Fuck, this is not the place, but goddamn is her toe cute.
She’s got bright blue toenail polish that’s chipped, yet it’s somehow still so goddamn adorable.
I stare at it for far too long and then quickly send her the money.
Then I decide to tack on a hundred-dollar tip and ask for a picture of the other nine toes.
“What are you trying to say?” Dario’s voice carries across the chatter, and I look up at him. “Or is your phone more important?”
To my surprise, a few of the older men at the table nod their agreement.
I realize I’ve been distracted today, but come on, this is all just bullshit posturing.
They all want to act like we’re in the movie Scarface when in reality, this is a business like any other.
We just happen to break kneecaps every now and again.
“My apologies. I had a run-in with Antonio Rossi’s niece yesterday, and I’ve been talking with my guys.
” Maybe bringing Leo into the conversation is a bad idea, but I think it’s time to remind everyone what’s really going down.
“Since he passed, she’s taken over, and yesterday one of Dario’s guys ran in there and caused some trouble. ”
“What kind of trouble?” one of the elders, Frank, asks. “You should have come to me. Antonio was a good friend of mine.”
“I know, and out of respect for you, I took care of it privately,” I say to Frank. He nods his thanks, and I keep going. “Tommy Sanger on Seventh Street ran in the laundromat when he saw me. He owes me a lot of money, and he hasn’t paid his debts.”
The whole room turns to Dario for an explanation. He’s in charge of collections on that side of the city.
“I was told he skipped town,” Dario says and then clears his throat. “I’ll check into it.”
“That would be appreciated,” I say to him and then turn my attention back to Frank. “His niece was a little shaken up, so I’ve put a couple of guys there as a precaution.”
“Good thinking,” Frank says. “I should go by and pay her a visit.”
“I’m happy to take care of it for you,” I tell him, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Dario lean closer like he’s interested in my conversation with Frank.
The last thing I need is for Dario to be curious about Leo.
“But if you’d prefer to do it yourself, I’ll step back.
As you know, he was like family to me when I was a kid.
I was just offering her help because her uncle was an old friend of the neighborhood. ”
“That’s good work, Mattia,” Frank agrees. “You’re the new boss there; you take care of it. Give her my best.”
“Yes, sir.” I sit back in my chair and relax a little even though I know Dario’s curiosity is stirring. Hopefully I did enough to throw him off.
“I’ll look into the loading docks,” Dario finally says, and the group starts discussing what it will take to get the delayed shipments in on time.
While they’re distracted, I glance at my phone again.
Leo: That will be $100 a toe, so $900 more if you’re not good at math like I am.
Me: Thank you for doing the calculations ahead of time. Now let me see which piggies went to market…