Page 41 of A New Days Don

“You’re a sight to behold as King of the Vegas Mafia.” I drawl with a lavish bow, and the muscle in his jaw flicks in irritation, “Now, cousin dearest, let's quit beating around the bush. I’m only here because you won’t quit blowing up my phone. What the hell do you want?”

Fabio pulls his legs from my father’s desk, leaning forward as he shoots me a look that would barely intimidate a little puppy, “Why are you back in Vegas?”

A chuckle slips past my lips, dry and humourless, “I think you know the answer to that. You have made yourself comfortable in his home and at his desk.”

Fabio scoffs as if what I said is offensive. Good. “We are looking into it.”

“Don’t worry about it. I have my leads. His death is mine to avenge.” I growl, and Fabio’s hands twitch. I laugh again, this time deep from within, “You don’t seriously think you’ll be able to pull your gun out before I lay a bullet between your brows?”

“Get out of Vegas, Massimo. That was a part of our agreement. You wouldn’t come back here.” Fabio snarls, remaining put in his seat.

I step into his office, slow and purposefully walking to him before slamming my hands on the desk, “No, Fabio. I signed my birthright over to you. My leaving Vegas had nothing to do with the agreement. You’d be a fool to think I will leave this wretched city before I have my answers.”

Fabio visibly trembles, although he does his best to cover it. Fucking coward.

Stepping away from the desk, I leer at my cousin, a man who is now nothing more than a stranger sitting in an all too familiar office.

“And what about the girl?” Fabio’s voice is slightly higher, telling me everything I need to know. He’s afraid of me. He’s afraid that I am back in this city and looking into what happened to my father.

I quirk my brow, “Girl?” I huff, “You think I am stupid enough to keep women close to me.”

That used to be true. It was true up until Officer Lewis found herself wandering into a house she shouldn’t have been in and passing out in my arms.

I keep my features neutral, not letting him see past my guard. I have always had an unbreakable poker face, but even my father warned me that no man is better than his greatest weakness. His weakness was my mother who died during labour with me. Then his greatest weakness became me, and he made sure that I was also his greatest strength. Only, I couldn’t protect him from the men who came for him—not when I was none the wiser in Chicago.

Fabio scoffs once more, “Don’t insult me, Massimo. I have eyes all over this city. I knew the moment you returned and who you had been cozying up to. If she isn’t your newest plaything, then why are you interested in the police?”

It takes everything in me not to let the blind rage bubbling in my veins illicit any visible responses. I’ve been too careless. I figured while Fabio was the one taking over my father’s seat, the heat would be off me, but it’s clear that while everyone has been looking to him and watching his every move, he has been watching mine.

“Why are you watching me?” I growl.

“Why wouldn’t I be? You aren’t welcome here anymore. Get out of my city, or you’ll put that little plaything at risk.” He waves me off as if this is done.

Spoiler, it’s not.

I huff while shaking my head, “Really? Threatening a measly woman? Is that the kind of boss you will choose to be? Pathetic.”

With that, I leave the office. Not letting him get another word in as the rage bristles down my shoulders and back.

Watch the fuck out, Fabio. You have officially acquired a target on your back.

On my monitor, I watch as Fabio’s red dot travels from my father’s old estate into Sin City, but I barely pay attention to where that idiot is off to when I see Mila’s green dot leave her small townhouse. The dot moves slow, suggesting she is walking, and I tap into the speaker on her phone.

Wind rustles against it, but I listen anyway. It has been four days since we last saw each other. Since she let me kiss those addictive lips, and she whimpered like an angel for me. Her dot stops at the café a few blocks from her place, a spot that I have come to learn is where she and her best friend, Karmin, meet for breakfast or brunch on occasion.

With a few quick clicks, I tap into the security cameras and get my first glimpse of Mila for the day. Her black hair is pulled back like it always is. A sleek high ponytail that shows me every one of her features. She sits in the booth where she and Karmin meet, opens her phone, and plays around with it for a while before her brunette friend runs into the café with a huge smile on her face.

“You’re here early,” her friend says.

The two girls walk up to the counter, chatting away about nothing too interesting, but it doesn’t matter. Not when Mila looks as content and happy as she does, chatting with her friend. The two of them walk back with a big piece of cake to their table, and Karmin begins to spill details about some creep that has been stalking her.

I make a mental note to look into whoever has been bothering her and trying to get in for one-on-one nude painting classes. Karmin is Mila’s friend, her closest and, by the looks of things, her only friend. She will be no less protected than Mila, and I won’t let some asshole bring harm to Karmin, and in turn, Mila.

“I had to cancel yet another event, and when I posted about it online, explaining the situation the best I could without explicitly telling everyone I had some kind of creep trying to get me alone naked, a major company reached out to me. They’re a private entity and typically work with niche works and collectables, but one of their clients wants a personal meeting with me to work on a piece for their mantle. They were quoting me six figures, Miles.” Karmin.

She has to be insane to accept that offer. She has a fucking stalker.

“You sure you can trust this? What if it's him?” My smart, beautiful woman.