The Mafia King's Unknown Doctor Wife novel Chapter 31

Chapter 31

“Witness protection?” Elena echoed. “When–how–why-”

Joshua squeezed her hand again. “I’ll pull some strings. You’re a civilian, Elena–I’m not going to sit back and watch a crime boss try to kill you.”

As her senses returned, Elena pulled back her hand. She shook her head.

“I can’t,” she insisted.

“Elena, you’re-”

“I can’t,” Elena repeated. “I finally have a life for myself here. I can’t just leave it behind.”

Elena had never faulted her mother for leaving her family. But occasionally, she did question how her mom could do it. The answer Elena always decided on was misery.

It was easy to leave a miserable situation. To run and never look back. To never miss it or think of risking the smallest bit of contact.

But Elena wasn’t miserable. She was finally working as a doctor. She had a wonderful friend and roommate, a boss who had grown to respect her, and a husband.

Elena didn’t want to leave all that behind.

There was also the matter that Elena wasn’t as innocent as joshua claimed.

Elena Vitale was still part of the Vitale crime family–if only in name. She was actively working for the Ferraro family.

Elena doubted the police would look at her as only a victim. If she wasn’t careful, they might even try to pin some crimes on her. It didn’t matter that Elena herself had never broken the law–if she was surrounded by

lawbreakers, she was as good as guilty.

“I’m not leaving,” Elena said firmly.

Their dinner arrived, and Elena considered that the end of the argument. She cut into her chicken quickly–she wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Joshua had other ideas. “I get it,” he said, “but this is life and death. Are you really safe here?”

Elena picked her words carefully. She couldn’t reveal too much of her life to a prosecutor.

“I’m the family physician for a very rich family–I had too much debt from college to not take the opportunity,” Elena explained. “But they have incredible security. Cutting edge stuff, not anything you’d get on a government salary.”

It wasn’t really a lie, Elena reasoned. She really would be safer working with Massimo than trying to disappear. Lots of mafia families had spies in the police–Don Morello likely had eyes and ears there, too.

Needless to say, going into witness protection was a bad idea.

Joshua paused to think over her words. Elena quickly finished her meal and stood before he could speak.

“Thank you for dinner,” Elena said. “It was nice catching u, but it’s late and I need to go home.”

Elena walked away as Joshua scrambled to leave cash on the table. He had to jog to catch up with her.

“I get that,” he said, as they approached the exit. He handed her a business card. “Please just think it over.”

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Elena wordlessly pocketed the plece of paper. She had already thought about it and made up her mind, but she didn’t need to drag this out.

Massimo stopped in front of the park’s main entrance. He led a cab for Aria.

Aria nuzzled up to his arm. She must’ve been cold.

It had really gotten much later than Massimo meant to stay out. But dinner had turned into a walk along, downtown shops, and then a stop for ice cream from a small stand Arla swore was the best on the block, and then a stroll through the park. Time had flown by.

Massimo imagines that if Aria hadn’t worn heels, they would’ve stayed out even later. As it was, she still soldiered on for a few hours before her ankles had turned red. Only then had she sheepishly stated she should probably go home.

“This has been really nice,” Aria muttered, her face half obscured by Massimo’s own jacket. “You’re a real gentleman, y’know that?”

Massimo laughed. “I think you’re the only person who would say that. My grandfather would never agree with you.

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“Mr. Fabio is very nice, but family can be the harshest critic,” Aria confided, squeezing his arm a little tighter.” Sure, you’re no James Bond, but you’ve got a sweet, charming tenderness to you.”

Massimo wants to laugh again, but doesn’t. His wife’s words strike him as too sincere to dismiss.

“You make it easy,” Massimo states plainly.

A cab pulls up, and Massimo kisses his wife goodbye–just on the cheek. It’d be too forward to do more than that on the first date.

Massimo helps place all the trinkets Aria gathered throughout the night in the cab’s trunk. Besides the small gift Massimo had brought her, he’d also picked up a few French sweets, a couple piece of jewelry, and a bottle of wine during their extended walk.

It must be in the Ferraro’s blood to spoil their partners, Massimo thought to himself.

Aria got into the front seat of the cab. “Let’s do this again soon.”

Massimo nodded. “Text me when you get back home.”

“I will,” she said. “Goodnight.”

The cab pulled away. Massimo’s eyes naturally followed the movement. But then he spotted something else moving.

Across the street, two people exited a twenty–four hour diner. Massimo instantly recognized the woman as Elena. Even from far away, Massimo could tell she looked pretty tiffed.

Walking very close to Elena was a man. Massimo recognize him as a prosecutor Luca had dug up information on about a year or two ago. Some upstart with dreams of grandeur of dismantling the mafia world entirely.

As it stood, the prosecutor had only gotten the small fish, with the occasional minor family locked up behind bars, Massimo hadn’t been overly concerned and had told his second–in–command to stay vigilant but not bother him unless the idiot tried making a move against more prominent families.

Massimo had forgotten about the man entirely until this moment. It’s why he hadn’t reacted when Elena had told him about her husband.

“My husband? Oh, you’ve never heard of him before–Josha Miller”

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The name was common enough, after all. What were the odds that Elena was married to the up–and–coming prosecutor Joshua Millers?

A feeling of dread filled Massimo’s stomach. What if it wasn’t just happenstance? What if Elena knew that her husband was trying to take down Massimo’s empire?

She had been so quick to dismiss his importance. She was so insistent that Massimo didn’t know him. What if Massimo’s initial suspicions about her being a spy were correct?

He just had the puppet master wrong. It wasn’t her family or Tyler she was reporting to, but a lawyer hell–bent on taking down the mafia.

Massimo didn’t want to believe it. He felt annoyed and frustrated. He felt betrayed.

Massimo paused, suddenly even angrier. Why was he getting worked up over someone as insignificant as his doctor? This wasn’t the first time his workers had been double agents, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Just another reason why he never got attached.

His course of action needed to be equally rational and simple. Investigate the potential mole and see what turns up. If it was a misunderstanding, things could return to business as usual.

But if Elena had betrayed him…

Massimo shook his head. He’d do what he needed to. He was only hesitating because it was so late.

Massimo’s second–in–command pulled up with his car. Masismo got inside wordlessly.

“I take it the date went well,” Luca said, ignoring Massimo s silence. “I’m surprised you stayed out so late-”

“I have a new assignment for you,” Massimo cut in.

That caused Luca to shut up and get serious. Good. Masismo wasn’t in the mood for idle chatter.

“What do you need?” Luca asked.

“Find me everything you can on the prosecutor Joshua Millers–Elena’s husband,” Massimo commanded.

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