The Mafia Dons Pet (Masha and Luciano) novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19: War is in the air. *Luciano*

The heavy oak desk in my study now felt like a battlefield as Antonio and I pored over the latest reports.

I’d never taken any threat seriously, but this felt different, like something devastating was about to happen.

Antonio leaned forward, his brow furrowed, and pointed to the map spread between us. “They’ve been seen twice on our street this week. Brazen bastard.”

“Twice?” My fingers tapped on the desk impatiently. I was right, the Sicilians were planning something. But what? “They’re testing us, Antonio.‘

War is looming, I could smell it in the air. Whatever it is they’re planning, I’m going to make sure I’m ten steps ahead, I thought to myself.

I exhaled sharply, pushing back in my chair. “Masha stays home. No arguments.” I knew it was a difficult task, but I didn’t care what it would take to get her to sit at home.

If they touch her–any of annihilation.

it’s not war anymore. It’s

“Assign guards round the clock for her too. We cannot let her out of our sight,” I added, knowing Masha might find a way to escape.

“What about Emma?” Antonio asked.

“Same for her,” I said, firmly. “I’ll handle security for my father and Tiffney myself. If anyone breathes too close, I’ll bury them.‘

Antonio nodded. “What if they make the first move?”

“It’s not if, Antonio, It’s when.” My voice was sharper than I intended, but for the first time since I’d been dealing with my enemies, I felt real fear.

It was because I had too much to lose. It was because of a tiny girl who didn’t like to play by my rules.

“Understood, boss.” He nodded, and turned to leave.

The moment the door closed behind him, I picked up my phone and dialed my father’s number, needing to keep him updated on what was going on.

The phone rang twice before his familiar voice came through. “Luciano,” he said, sounding extremely cheerful and blissfully oblivious to the chaos that was about to ensue.

“You called at the perfect time. The beaches here are

Chapter 19: War is in the air.

magnificent. Tiffney won’t stop smiling.”

I leaned back in my chair, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the fire simmering within me. “Glad to hear that, father. But I didn’t call to chat about paradise. The Sicilians are making

moves.

He paused briefly, and then his tone shifted almost instantly. “Go on.”

“They’ve been seen on our street twice this week. I’m tightening security here, but you need to stay sharp. They’re trying to provoke a war, and they won’t hesitate to use soft targets to draw me out.

He growled, mumbling, under his breath, “Those bastards! They have no idea who they’re messing with.” I could hear Tiffney’s‘ voice in the background, asking what was going on. But my

“I’ll keep my eyes open. Tiffney and I will return in two weeks. Anything happens before then, you call me.‘

“I will,” I said, though I doubted I’d need to. My father didn’t wait for trouble. Trouble found him first.

After I hung up, I set the phone down and rubbed my temples. The stress was getting to me, but I didn’t have the luxury of taking a break.

Antonio’s knock interrupted the brief quiet, and he handed me a slip of paper without a word.

I unfolded it and froze. “Tooth for tooth, life for life.” A photo was clipped to the note. Frank, my driver, was bound to a chair, his face à swollen mess of blood and bruises.

“Fuck!” The desk shook as my fist slammed down, rattling the glass of whiskey I hadn’t touched. Rage surged through me, hot ånd uncontrollable.

I wanted to murder somebody. .

Antonio flinched but recovered quickly, his expression grim.

‘Orders, boss?”

“Tell the men to stay on high alert,” I growled, my voice low and venomous. I stared at the photo again, memorizing every detail. I knew I wouldn’t see Frank again, that his body would be delivered to me by the end of the day. That was another name added to the list of people I’d failed to protect.

I was going to make them pay.

Antonio stood there, his expression grim, waiting for my orders.

“Bring me the first Sicilian you can catch.” Yes, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth after all. “Alive, Antonio. I’ll deal with him personally.”

He nodded without a word, making his way out of my study.

WII

The silence that followed felt oppressive. I shouldn’t have let things get this far. I should have handled the Sicilians when I had the chance.

I didn’t want to admit it, but I knew they wouldn’t just stop after Frank, It was only a matter of time before those bastards set their sights on the people closest to me.

I grabbed my phone again and dialed Emma. She picked up on the first ring.

“Luciano?” she said, a hint of concern already lacing her tone. “Emma,” I greeted simply. I didn’t have the time for mindless chatter. “Stay with Kol. Don’t go anywhere without the guards. Do you understand me?”

I could sense her hesitance. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?

I sighed. I was exhausted, tired of carrying the weight of everyone’s safety on my shoulders. But it was the only thing I could control now. “Just do as I say.

”

There was a pause, then Emma asked, “You sound exhausted. Have you even slept?

The answer was no, but I didn’t want Emma to worry about me. I didn’t want anyone to worry. “I’m okay. Just promise me, Emma.”

“I promise.”

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed with another call. Matt’s name flashed across the screen. My jaw tightened as I answered.

“Boss,” Matt stammered, his voice uneven. “It’s Masha. She… she disappeared in the subway.”

It was like my world stopped. Disappeared? The word rang in my ears like á gunshot. My grip on the phone tightened. “What the hell do you mean disappeared?”

“There were too many people,” Matt tried to explain. “She slipped through…

“Shut up,” I barked. “I don’t give a fuck how many people were there. Why am I paying you if you can’t keep one girl safe?

Fuck! “Listen to me, both of you. If you and Tyler don’t find her, I swear you’ll wish you disappeared in that subway too.” I hung up before they could stammer out excuses.

My hand trembled slightly as I set my phone down. I could feel myself begin to panic. This was the one thing I didn’t want to happen. But yet, it happened right under my nose.

Masha had better not be playing games, avoiding Matt and Tyler on purpose. If she was, the punishment would be something she’d never forget.

Still, I’d rather hear that she escaped and have her safe in my

Chapter 19: War is in the air.

arms, than find out it was a Sicilian that took her.

The image of Frank’s swollen face flashed before my eyes. But I didn’t see his eyes, I saw Masha’s gray eyes, her beautiful lips split, her face purple with bruises.

Į shook my head, pushing the thought away. I wasn’t going to let that happen.

Don’t be the Sicilians. Do not let it be a Sicilian that has Masha.

The thought repeated in my head like a prayer, but my heart was already hammering against my ribs, and a cold fear I’d never known spread through me like poison.

I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling as I dialed her number. The ringing felt endless, each second felt like an eternity.

When her voice finally came through, it was frantic and breathless. “Shit. Luciano. It…‘

The call cut off.

“Masha!” I shouted into the empty line, but she was gone. I dialed again, desperation tightening my chest. This time, it went straight to voicemail.

My breathing quickened, and my muscles coiled like a spring, every fiber of my body ready to erupt. The trembling in my hands turned to fists slamming against the desk. “Fuck!!!!”

I paced the room, feeling like, the walls were closing in on me.

If this was the Sicilians, I would tear Vancouver apart brick by brick until I found her. Masha was mine. And whoever dared to take her would pay in ways they couldn’t imagine.