Page 101 of Tempting My Mafia Monster

Their hands flexed, tempted to draw their guns.

“I’m not here for him. I’m here because we have somethin’ in common. I want him dead. And so do you.”

Their eyes narrowed. “Why shouldn’t we put a bullet in your head and be done with it? You expect us to take your word at face value. Believe this isn’t a trap?”

“Aye. That’s exactly what I’d think too.” I folded my arms across my chest. “But I have inside knowledge that can help you find him. If he hears I’m alive, he’ll want me back or dead. You can use me to coax him out. I can be your weapon. So yeah, I guess you’ll have to take my word for it.”

“Let’s say you have our attention. What do you want in return?”

“Only one thing. I’ll be the one to kill him.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

The blue-eyed man studied me. His eyes said he knew too much. He was used to being two steps ahead, and he didn’t like that he couldn’t read the situation. If I had to guess, he was the Italian Mafia King, Alessio Barbieri. His father had sided with Sean to eliminate my family. My blood boiled as I met his gaze and forced down the hate. I had to play the long game. Impulsive violence wouldn’t get me revenge.

“Who are you?” he asked, lifting his chin.

“Sean called me Monster. But that was to hide the truth about who I really am.” They stared, impatient, as I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets. “A boy he kidnapped and kept captive after slaughterin’ his family.”

They glanced at each other, confused, before refocusing their attention on me. I decided it was safer for Riley if they didn’t know my siblings had survived, especially my connection to Connor.

“Maddox Moriarty.”

The colour drained from their cheeks, and their pupils dilated. The dark-haired one, who I guessed was Giovanni, ran his hand through his hair, then froze, staring at me in disbelief.

“Cillian’s boy?” he said, looking me up and down. “What the—” His sentence broke into Italian as he spoke to Alessio in disbelief, making animated hand gestures to match his rapid words.

Alessio replied with something else I didn’t understand, but I could tell he was trying to calm him, though he never took his eyes off me.

“Done?” I asked when they finally stopped their private conversation. “No one alive hates McKenna more than I do. He killed my family. I was twelve when he took me, hid me from the world, and tortured, abused, drugged, and manipulated me. By the time I was an adult, he’d turned me into a beast that could only function on violence. The reason I’m free is that he thinks I died in that fight.”

“How did you survive?”

I exhaled and glanced down the street. “A soldier with a soft spot for me pulled me out of there and dumped me at the doors of a French hospital. I woke up with no memory of the past two months.”

“You have no memory of the fight?” Giovanni asked, folding his arms. I could sense his distrust.

“No. Or the weeks leading up to it.”

They started talking in rapid-fire Italian again, and I bit my tongue, trying to keep my anger in check. As much as I hated asking for their help, they were my only ticket to getting close enough to Sean to kill him and everyone who worked for him.

I grabbed my bag off the floor. “If you don’t believe a word I’m sayin’, stop wastin’ my time. I’ll find McKenna on my own and kill him myself.”

They let me go. After I made my way into the dingy hotel room, I moved closer to the window and hid behind the curtain, peering down at the street. The cars were still parked.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find two soldiers standing stiffly, their guns in hand.

“Grab what you need. You’re coming with us.”

I turned around, unbothered by their threat, and snatched my packed bag off the table.

They led me down to the cars. I climbed into the plush leather back seats, and two soldiers flanked me on either side. Alessio and Giovanni sat opposite, knees spread wide, their piercing eyes locked on me.

“We’re choosing to believe you based on who you say you are. If we sniff out one hint of a lie, we will kill you,” Alessio said calmly. I squared my shoulders and stared back. “You’ll have twenty-four-seven surveillance from our men and will stay in the pool house at the Buccini residence so we can keep a close eye on you. Any phones, electronics or weapons… hand them over now.”

I threw my bag at their feet and raised my bare hands. “Don’t own a phone. The only weapons I have are these.” I waved my hands, then dropped them back into my lap.