Ruthless Mafia Daddy (Alpha Mafia Daddies)

I can’t tell which one is stronger, the fear that Andre will show up at my door one of these days or the fear that he never will.

He hasn’t left my mind for one second since I left the Ritz-Carlton penthouse, and I have no idea if he ever will.

He gave me the most amazing sex of my life, but he is one of the most dangerous men in the country.

I will never tell anyone what I heard last night. I’d never do that to him.

Something about him makes me want to protect him. As if he needs it from me.

I’m lucky to have come out alive, but for a few moments throughout the last few hours, I’ve wondered if I wouldn’t willingly sacrifice myself for another amazing night with him.

I’m so weak and pathetic. This is Andre De Luca we are talking about. Mafia boss and⁠—

“Hello?” Cassi laughs, waving a hand in front of my face.

I blink.

“I was doing it again, wasn’t I?” I run my hands over my face.

Cassi nods, smirking.

“Anything you want to share with the group?” Her index finger swings between us.

I roll my eyes and avoid the subject by tucking into my very overpriced avocado toast.

“No point in trying to deny it, Lila. You went back with the dude, so you obviously fucked, right?”

“Shh!” I glance at the tables on either side of us.

It’s a Saturday, so Smash! is packed with tweens dressed head to toe in LuluLemon and women in their fifties getting drunk on bottomless mimosas.

It’s a tradition Cassi and I’ve had since we were old enough to have our own money—every Saturday, we go for brunch and put the worlds to right.

Except this week, I want to do the exact opposite.

“Oh, come on, Lila,” Cassi moans, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms over her chest.

“You know, Cass, you fit in well with all these tweens.” I point to her half-finished matcha and athleisure wear.

“Fuck off.” Cassi laughs, shaking her head, her ponytail swaying with the movement.

Cassi and I are exact opposites in looks. Where I’m short with dark hair, she’s all blonde and legs.

Though we have joked since middle school that we should have each other’s eyes. Cassi’s are the richest brown, like melted chocolate, whereas mine are like an ocean.

“It’s why we have to be friends,” Cassi said to me on the first day of middle school.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

I was petrified, having just moved to New York to live with my aunt after my dad bailed.

Cassi was wearing the coolest clothes and was even allowed lip gloss.

I should’ve been nothing but jealous of her and yet, it was like finding my other half.

She’s been my rock ever since.

“You can’t stop thinking about him.” Cassi nudges some berries around her plate. “You’ve got that sex glow about you.”

“First off, ew.” I laugh. “And I’m allowed to think about him, but only for today.”

“Why?”

“Because it was a one-time thing, so I have to let it go. I can have twenty-four hours, but then he’s dead to me.”

“Ouch.” Cassi fake-winces. “If it was that good, why not just go out again?”

Because he might be a murderer who’s mixed up with the mafia?

“Because I’m focusing on my career.”

Cassi rolls her eyes.

“You’ve been doing that for a year, Lila.”

“So? It’s worked out well, focusing on work. Look at how far I’ve progressed since this time last year!” I take another bite of egg and gulp down the last of my coffee.

“A promotion doesn’t keep you warm at night, babe.”

“Am I not allowed to be single?” My temper starts to rise, but I do my best to keep the lid on it. “I’m just a little sick of everyone pushing me to date.”

“I’m not pushing!”

I glare at her and clear my throat.

“Fine! Dirk was my bad. I had no idea he would be that bad.” Cassi retorts, holding her manicured hands up. “Promise I will never do it again.”

“Yeah, right. And chicken suddenly sprouted teeth, and pigs learned to fly.”

“Look, all I’m saying is just keep getting some with mystery guy, that’s all. You don’t need to marry the dude.”

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“We actually never swapped numbers, so even if I wanted to see him again, which I don’t, I have no way of contacting him.”

Cassi’s mouth falls open as her eyes widen.

“It really was like a hit and run, just with sex.” She laughs. “I’m surprised you even know his name. Wait, you do know his name, right?”

“Of course, I know his name!” Not that it rang any bells when he told it to me.

“Great. Here, let’s go on googl⁠—”

“Cass.” I don’t want to be mad at her, but if she doesn’t stop this right now, I’m out of here.

She blinks, then sighs.

“Fine. But can you at least give me some details? Tell me again how he threw Dirk to the curb.”

I can’t help but smile at the memory of Andre dragging Dirk out of the bar by his shirt collar. It made my blood heat, the way he took one look at me and decided there and then that he wanted me.

It was something Sam never had, guts. He was, as Cassi liked to call him, a wet blanket, content to just sit back and let life pass him by, which is the opposite of what I am and what I look for in a man.

“He was staying in the penthouse at the Ritz-Carlton.”

“WHAT?”

The tweens at the table next to us glower in our direction, and I mouth an apology to them as Cassi starts clapping her hands.

“Oh, my god, Lila. You slept with a sugar daddy?”

“Cassi!” I want to disappear under the table. Better, crawl under a rock and just die already. Why did I blurt that out? “Don’t be crude.”

“He’s got some money.” Cassi has a twinkle in her eye as she waggles her eyebrows at me. “Well done, Lila.”

I shake my head, pouring myself some more water and taking a long drink to give Cassi time and chance to calm down.

“He bought us some nice champagne, and we talked a little.”

“And then you knocked boots, didn’t you?”

“Knocked boots?”

“Did the dirty, the horizontal tango, the dance of ages, the funny business, went for an afternoon delight, got dow⁠—”

I burst out laughing. “Okay, okay, I got the idea.”

“Well? Did you?”

“Well, yes.”

“How many times.”

“Uh…” Flashes of Andre on his knees, looking up at me as his tongue explored my pussy has my cheeks heating.

There is still a dull ache between my thighs from where he took me from every angle, fucking me so hard I screamed myself hoarse.

I’m surprised Cassi hasn’t mentioned the croakiness to my voice, but if she does, I’m going to put it down to the bar being loud.

She is almost vibrating on her seat. “Oh, my god, really? You have to think about it? Was it that many that you have to do math?”

My cheeks burns. “Maybe four or five times?”

Part of me wants to relive the memories of Andre buried inside me forever, picking apart every detail of our time together. The way he murmured my name as he slowly thrust himself inside me. How he licked my neck, my nipples, the soft skin of my inner thighs.

It was magical, and I never expected to feel so cherished by a man I had literally just met.

Andre probably makes every girl feel like that—it’s just part of his charm. How he gets you to come home with him by buying the fancy champagne and letting you relax in the enormous bed in a penthouse suite.

And yet?

Part of me thinks that last night was an exception for him.

“Five times? How are you even walking right now?” Cassi chuckles, finishing the last bite of her breakfast.

“Honestly, I have no idea.”

“Well, I’m happy you got some, Lils. And if you change your mind about trying to find this mystery man, it would only take one phone call to the concierge at the Ritz-Carlton to find out who this guy is.”

“No, Cass. I want you to promise me you won’t go digging into this unless I say so.”

“Sure, whatever.” Cassi shrugs.

“Promise me.”

I know she can see the panic in my eyes, but I need her to not go looking for Andre. I want to protect Cassi at all costs and keep her the hell away from Andre De Luca. Ultimately, I know he’s dangerous and involved with some bad people, but I don’t want to learn what he would do if he found out I overheard his conversation last night.

“I promise,” she says.

I only hope it’s enough.

Cassi is the only family I have except for my aunt, and I’m not willing to risk anything happening to her, no matter how badly I might want to see Andre again.

This time, my head has to win over my heart.