Her Mafia Daddy - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

When I didn't hear her footsteps, I assumed she had gone toward the kitchen, so I followed. My feet were silent on the old floors as I approached. The refrigerator door opened and closed, and I waited out of sight as she rifled through the cabinets. Looking for food, no doubt. Packages rustled, then her steps took her toward the back door.
I didn't try to stop her. The best way to break her was to give her a tiny sliver of hope and then crush it. Prove to her there really was no escape. The latch on the back door clicked shut, ever so quietly. A second later, my phone buzzed in my pocket. As I moved into the kitchen to peer out the window, I swiped to answer. "Pronto."
"Don Rafael , the girl has left." It was Benito.
"What do you want us to do? Should we grab her?"
"No," I said immediately. "I need to teach her a lesson. Let her go."
"She is headed toward the front. Out toward the road." Even better. If she'd gone through the estate, she could have hidden in a dozen places and caused more aggravation. The road was a true waste of her time.
"Call our friends at the carabinieri," I said, letting the local police be of some use. "Have someone pick her up and hold her there on the road."
"Okay," Benito said and hung up. I strode back to my office. There was nothing to do now but wait. Part of me admired her for running. She was strong willed, which would be good for Dimitri . When I died, my son would need a formidable partner, a woman who could handle the risks of life in the mafia. In fact, many women were running 'ndrine nowadays, as their husbands sat in jail.
My father had been arrested once, but released within hours. The witnesses had recanted their testimony and moved away, up to some
Scandinavian country where the food was shit. Then my father made certain to infiltrate every level of government, including the police and the judicial system, as insurance against future arrests. That foresight meant I hadn't been charged with any crime to date because most everyone was on my payroll. There were rumblings about a crackdown on a bigger scale, but I had yet to see it.
So Valentina 's bravery was actually beneficial to the family. I merely needed to prove to her that my power superseded anything she might ever plan. Benito called twenty minutes later. "They have her. It's about a half mile along the road to the east."
"Excellent." No doubt she was spitting mad.
"Come, you'll drive me." He paused for a half-second. "Should we call Marco? He won't like it if you leave the estate without him."
I considered this. Leaving was a risk, but a slight one. The road was close to the castello, well within the area my men routinely patrolled. Also, I couldn't wait to see the look on Valentina 's face when I arrived. Decision made, I said, "We'll be fine. We aren't going far."
"I'll meet you out front." I disconnected and grabbed one of the pistols I kept in my office. I I didn't expect trouble but it didn't hurt to have extra firepower. As I went through the castello, I briefly considered waking Dimitri . She was his fiancée, after all. But I quickly discarded the idea. Right or wrong, I wanted to handle this. Whatever punishment she received would come from me.
Benito waited in the heavily fortified SUV I used when I left the estate. I got in the back and we drove off. Speaking of punishment, what would I to her? I knew what I wanted to do, but it was impossible. I wanted to spank her ass red until she cried and begged me to stop. But that would ignite the attraction simmering in my belly for her, the precise reaction I was trying to prevent.
No, it was better if I didn't touch her. When we approached, the lights of the carabiniere's Land Rover were flashing. I could see a lone figure in the rear of the dark vehicle, while the carabiniere stood outside, leaning against the driver's side door. I recognized him, so this would be easy.
"Buona sera, Paoletti," I greeted when I got out. "I hope we did not trouble you." Walking over, I handed him two hundred Euros.
"Never trouble for you, Signore Ravazzani. She put up quite a fight, though. Said she had been kidnapped." I grinned and slapped him on the shoulder.
"Women. You don't give them enough diamonds and they cry big crocodile tears." Paoletti laughed, as I knew he would, and then I thanked him. "I'll take her with me now."
"Of course, signore. A moment, per favore." He disappeared into the back seat to uncuff Valentina . I met her angry gaze as she was pulled from the Land Rover. Surprisingly, she didn't speak, just continued to burn holes in my skin with her eyes. I tried not to grin as Paoletti marched her toward me.
"Here you are, signore." Now that she was closer, I could see the tear tracks, evidence of where she'd been crying. I squashed any guilt I might have felt. Taking Valentina 's arm, I kept a tight grip on her even as she tried to pull away. I said, "Grazie, Paoletti. My best to your wife and daughters."