Page 21 of The Don's Secret Heir

“Seems like Alan didn’t do his research when he applied to be my security guy.”

I don’t do the interviews myself, of course, but usually people are aware that the penthouse is owned by the Conte family, that it’s off limits. I guess Alan didn’t get the memo and Jimmy Sidekick used that to his advantage.

“Who is he?” Alan asks obnoxiously. “Just some rich guy?”

“He’s a mob boss, Alan, you idiot!” Jimmy yells, and Alan’s face goes even paler.

“I uh. I didn’t—” he starts.

“You hit her,” I say in a low tone, pointing my gun at Alan. “Were you the one that hit her?”

“She scratched the hell out of my arm—” he starts, but I don’t care to hear any of his excuses. I shoot him in the head, my silencer muffling the gunshot.

Jimmy screams but the music is so loud I don’t think anyone hears.

Alan’s friend, the one I’d tackled to the ground, draws his gun, but I shoot him in the throat before he can fire it. He drops it, clapping his hand over the wound. Blood sprays between his fingers.

Giovanni curses and shoots Jimmy in the chest. Jimmy gasps and wheezes for air as it goes silent in the room, the music turned off suddenly.

“Now the fucking cops are going to show up,” Giovanni says irritably, but I don’t care. I put my gun back in my pants.

“Let’s get out of here before they do.” Giovanni and I slip out the back. Giovanni screams at the valet for his car and they rush to get it as sirens break the silence outside.

It’s nearly daylight by the time Giovanni drives me back to the penthouse and my car, and he’s furious with me.

“You can’t just kill people in public like that, Dario. You know better. You let me handle shit like that.”

“It had to be done,” I say flatly.

“This is all because it washer,isn’t it?”

“What are you talking about?” My shoulders go stiff.

“It was because they hurt her. God, Dario, are you ever going to get over her?”

“I am over her,” I insist. “But they have no right robbing and hitting women. It’s against the code. Or have you forgotten?”

Giovanni lets out a long breath. “Of course I haven’t forgotten. But there’s a right way to do things, and the wrong way.”

“I’m thedon,not you.”

Giovanni sets his mouth in a hard line. “Sorry, boss.”

His words come out in a mumble but I know he’s right. I lost my head. I should have planned how to kill Alan and Jimmy and the other guy, shouldn’t have snapped like that.

“I’ll keep you in the loop next time,” I promise. It’s as close to an apology as I can give.

Giovanni relaxes slightly. “Alright. Get some rest, boss.”

I nod although I doubt I’ll sleep, not after everything that happened tonight.

Daylight is breaking through the windows when I make it upstairs, and as I step into the hallway the sound of soft sobs comes through the air.

I look down to see Liana’s little boy standing there, shrinking back as he sees me.

“It’s alright,” I say in a soft, low voice, approaching him slowly. I crouch down to his level, looking into his eyes—gray, just like hers.

“Something happened,” he says, his voice cracking. “My mama got hurt and I?—”