Signed To The Mafia King - Chapter 40: Chapter 40
You are reading Signed To The Mafia King, Chapter 40: Chapter 40. Read more chapters of Signed To The Mafia King.
ALINA
I’d felt it since last night, since the moment Luca told me my name had been used for the stolen guns.
At first, I’d been too shocked, too angry that he could even look at me with suspicion. But now that the initial emotion had faded, I could see the truth.
If I hadn’t ordered those guns, and I knew I hadn’t, then someone close to me had.
And there weren’t many people that fit the description.
I sat on the edge of my bed, holding my phone, thinking if I was right or not.
There was only one way to find out.
I scrolled through my contacts until I found Uncle Alberto and hit call.
The phone rang twice before he answered. "Alina?"
I didn’t waste time. "Did you steal Luca’s shipment?"
I could hear voices in the background and someone coughed. The door opened and I guessed he had left whatever woman he'd had with him for the night. He hissed. "Are you out of your goddamn mind?"
I closed my eyes, willing myself to stay calm. "Answer the question, Zio. Did you take it?"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He was furious, I could hear it even without seeing his face "First, you disgrace the family by marrying that bastard, and now you're accusing me of theft? Have you lost your sense of shame completely?"
I’d expected anger, maybe even an insult or two. But something about the way he exploded so quickly made my stomach twist. It was too defensive. Too much.
I pushed forward. "If you stole those guns, you better start running, because Luca will come for you. And you know what he’ll do when he finds you."
Silence.
It lasted just long enough to confirm my suspicion.
Uncle Alberto laughed. "You think you can threaten me? Me?"
I didn’t reply. I’d said what I needed to say.
I hung up.
My heart was pounding, but I forced myself to take slow, even breaths. I didn’t call Roberto.
Because I couldn’t.
I couldn’t bring myself to even consider that he might be involved.
Luca had humiliated him, made it clear he had no power over me anymore. If Roberto had any sense at all, he wouldn’t go anywhere near Luca’s business.
Would he?
I shook the thought away and got up. My legs felt unsteady as I crossed the room. I needed food. Coffee. Something to make me feel like I wasn’t drowning in all this.
I stepped into the hallway, but as I made my way toward the kitchen, something unexpected caught my attention.
Piano music.
It was soft and gentle and it was coming from somewhere in the house.
I slowed down, listening.
It wasn’t just random playing. It sounded good. Maybe someone was playing it from a speaker somewhere.
I had no idea who in this house even played the piano.
But I kept walking.
When I entered the kitchen, Sofia was already there, sitting at the table with a plate of toast and fruit in front of her. She looked up as I walked in, and eyed me.
"You look like you didn’t sleep," she said.
I huffed out a dry laugh. "Because I didn’t."
I went to the coffee machine and poured myself a cup. The heat of the mug against my fingers felt good.
Sofia took another bite of toast, chewing slowly. "Luca’s in a bad mood," she said after a moment.
"When is he not?"
That got me a small smile. "True."
I shook my head and took another sip of coffee. "He’s tense," I said, mostly to myself. "Worried about the shipment."
Sofia gave me a knowing look. "And you?"
I exhaled slowly. "I think I know who took it."
That got her attention. She set down her fork, her face looking thoughtful. "Who?"
Did I really want to say it?
Saying it out loud made it feel more real.
And I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.
"Alina," she pressed. "If you know something, you need to tell Luca."
"I already did," I said. "At least, I think I did."
Her forehead creased. "What does that mean?"
"It means I called one of my uncles and asked him outright."
Sofia blinked. "And?"
"And he yelled at me, called me an embarrassment, then refused to answer the question." I let out a humorless laugh. "Which, in my world, means yes."
Sofia’s lips parted, but she didn’t speak right away. I could tell she was choosing her words carefully.
"Are you sure?" she asked finally.
I looked down at my coffee, watching the surface ripple slightly as I moved the cup. "I don’t know. I don’t want to be sure."
She was quiet for a long moment. "You’re not going to call the other one?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Why not?"
Because if I did, and if Roberto answered the same way Alberto had, I wouldn't be certain who it was though I suspected I already knew.
I really hoped it wasn't Uncle Alberto. I liked him more than Uncle Roberto.
Roberto didn't have the sense and stealth to plan something like this. Or maybe he had with Alberto’s help. That was why I was worried.
Luca stepped into the room. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing the tense muscles in his forearms.
He moved fast, pushing a gun into the holster at his waist, his face unreadable.
I had seen him angry before, and had seen him cold. But this was different.
He wasn’t just angry.
He was preparing for war.
Luca barely looked at me as he spoke. "Get dressed. You’re coming with me."
I frowned. "Where?"
"I’ll tell you in the car." His voice was clipped, leaving no room for argument.
Every instinct in my body told me to press for more information, to demand an answer. But I knew better. If Luca was like this, it meant something serious had happened.
And I had a terrible feeling I already knew what.
I turned and went to my room, my hands slightly unsteady as I pulled on a pair of jeans and a thick sweater. I wore a pair of boots, brushed my hair and grabbed a coat.
When I came downstairs, Luca was waiting by the front door, pacing impatiently.
The moment I got close, I saw it. The ice in his eyes, the frigid, lethal calm that had settled over him like armor.
Whatever this was, it was bad.
I didn’t say anything as we walked out the door, the chilly morning air hitting my face as we made our way to the car.
Luca opened the passenger’s door for me, then went around and opened his door.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"I had your uncle Roberto picked up off the streets this morning."
My stomach filled with bitter acid. I felt it flood my mouth too.
My head snapped toward him so fast my neck ached. "What?"
“He’s in one of my warehouses right now."
Mh jaw hung open. I stared at him, my mind struggling to catch up. "Why?"
Luca didn’t look at me. His eyes were on the road. "You really need me to answer that?"
I’d felt it since last night, since the moment Luca told me my name had been used for the stolen guns.
At first, I’d been too shocked, too angry that he could even look at me with suspicion. But now that the initial emotion had faded, I could see the truth.
If I hadn’t ordered those guns, and I knew I hadn’t, then someone close to me had.
And there weren’t many people that fit the description.
I sat on the edge of my bed, holding my phone, thinking if I was right or not.
There was only one way to find out.
I scrolled through my contacts until I found Uncle Alberto and hit call.
The phone rang twice before he answered. "Alina?"
I didn’t waste time. "Did you steal Luca’s shipment?"
I could hear voices in the background and someone coughed. The door opened and I guessed he had left whatever woman he'd had with him for the night. He hissed. "Are you out of your goddamn mind?"
I closed my eyes, willing myself to stay calm. "Answer the question, Zio. Did you take it?"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He was furious, I could hear it even without seeing his face "First, you disgrace the family by marrying that bastard, and now you're accusing me of theft? Have you lost your sense of shame completely?"
I’d expected anger, maybe even an insult or two. But something about the way he exploded so quickly made my stomach twist. It was too defensive. Too much.
I pushed forward. "If you stole those guns, you better start running, because Luca will come for you. And you know what he’ll do when he finds you."
Silence.
It lasted just long enough to confirm my suspicion.
Uncle Alberto laughed. "You think you can threaten me? Me?"
I didn’t reply. I’d said what I needed to say.
I hung up.
My heart was pounding, but I forced myself to take slow, even breaths. I didn’t call Roberto.
Because I couldn’t.
I couldn’t bring myself to even consider that he might be involved.
Luca had humiliated him, made it clear he had no power over me anymore. If Roberto had any sense at all, he wouldn’t go anywhere near Luca’s business.
Would he?
I shook the thought away and got up. My legs felt unsteady as I crossed the room. I needed food. Coffee. Something to make me feel like I wasn’t drowning in all this.
I stepped into the hallway, but as I made my way toward the kitchen, something unexpected caught my attention.
Piano music.
It was soft and gentle and it was coming from somewhere in the house.
I slowed down, listening.
It wasn’t just random playing. It sounded good. Maybe someone was playing it from a speaker somewhere.
I had no idea who in this house even played the piano.
But I kept walking.
When I entered the kitchen, Sofia was already there, sitting at the table with a plate of toast and fruit in front of her. She looked up as I walked in, and eyed me.
"You look like you didn’t sleep," she said.
I huffed out a dry laugh. "Because I didn’t."
I went to the coffee machine and poured myself a cup. The heat of the mug against my fingers felt good.
Sofia took another bite of toast, chewing slowly. "Luca’s in a bad mood," she said after a moment.
"When is he not?"
That got me a small smile. "True."
I shook my head and took another sip of coffee. "He’s tense," I said, mostly to myself. "Worried about the shipment."
Sofia gave me a knowing look. "And you?"
I exhaled slowly. "I think I know who took it."
That got her attention. She set down her fork, her face looking thoughtful. "Who?"
Did I really want to say it?
Saying it out loud made it feel more real.
And I wasn’t sure I was ready for that.
"Alina," she pressed. "If you know something, you need to tell Luca."
"I already did," I said. "At least, I think I did."
Her forehead creased. "What does that mean?"
"It means I called one of my uncles and asked him outright."
Sofia blinked. "And?"
"And he yelled at me, called me an embarrassment, then refused to answer the question." I let out a humorless laugh. "Which, in my world, means yes."
Sofia’s lips parted, but she didn’t speak right away. I could tell she was choosing her words carefully.
"Are you sure?" she asked finally.
I looked down at my coffee, watching the surface ripple slightly as I moved the cup. "I don’t know. I don’t want to be sure."
She was quiet for a long moment. "You’re not going to call the other one?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Why not?"
Because if I did, and if Roberto answered the same way Alberto had, I wouldn't be certain who it was though I suspected I already knew.
I really hoped it wasn't Uncle Alberto. I liked him more than Uncle Roberto.
Roberto didn't have the sense and stealth to plan something like this. Or maybe he had with Alberto’s help. That was why I was worried.
Luca stepped into the room. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing the tense muscles in his forearms.
He moved fast, pushing a gun into the holster at his waist, his face unreadable.
I had seen him angry before, and had seen him cold. But this was different.
He wasn’t just angry.
He was preparing for war.
Luca barely looked at me as he spoke. "Get dressed. You’re coming with me."
I frowned. "Where?"
"I’ll tell you in the car." His voice was clipped, leaving no room for argument.
Every instinct in my body told me to press for more information, to demand an answer. But I knew better. If Luca was like this, it meant something serious had happened.
And I had a terrible feeling I already knew what.
I turned and went to my room, my hands slightly unsteady as I pulled on a pair of jeans and a thick sweater. I wore a pair of boots, brushed my hair and grabbed a coat.
When I came downstairs, Luca was waiting by the front door, pacing impatiently.
The moment I got close, I saw it. The ice in his eyes, the frigid, lethal calm that had settled over him like armor.
Whatever this was, it was bad.
I didn’t say anything as we walked out the door, the chilly morning air hitting my face as we made our way to the car.
Luca opened the passenger’s door for me, then went around and opened his door.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"I had your uncle Roberto picked up off the streets this morning."
My stomach filled with bitter acid. I felt it flood my mouth too.
My head snapped toward him so fast my neck ached. "What?"
“He’s in one of my warehouses right now."
Mh jaw hung open. I stared at him, my mind struggling to catch up. "Why?"
Luca didn’t look at me. His eyes were on the road. "You really need me to answer that?"
End of Signed To The Mafia King Chapter 40. Continue reading Chapter 41 or return to Signed To The Mafia King book page.