Ruthless Mafia Daddy (Alpha Mafia Daddies)

A hand is over my mouth, waking me from sleep.

My eyes fly open to find a man towering above me.

I try to scream, but there is no sound.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” His voice is gruff as he removes his hand from my mouth. “If you do as I say.”

My ears are ringing, my heart pounding so hard in my chest it hurts to breathe. I know I should fight, to try and escape, but my body is frozen.

I’m going to die. I’m going to die.

He moves to the end of the bed and tosses me my pajamas.

“Get dressed.” He’s wearing a black shirt and pants, his dark hair tousled as if from sleep.

He’s making no attempt to hide his identity from me which makes me think he has no intention of keeping me alive.

I can’t move. I glance down at the thin sheet covering my naked body.

Where is Andre?

I look to the empty space beside me, and a strangled sob escapes my lips.

He left.

“Andre’s waiting for you,” the man says, as if he can read my thoughts. “He sent me to collect you.”

My life is complicated and dangerous.

This is exactly what he warned me about.

I knew from the start who he was, the sort of life he was caught up in, and I chose to ignore it. To look past it.

And look where it’s gotten me.

“What do you want?” My voice shakes.

“Andre sent me to collect you. You’re in danger, Lila, and I’m here to help.”

Glancing around my apartment, he tucks his hands into his pockets, and that’s when I notice the gun tucked into the belt of his pants.

Andre sent him?

“I don’t believe you,” I whisper.

“You don’t need to believe me, sweetheart, you just need to do as I say.”

I move to gather the sheet around my very naked body, my eyes locked on the gun.

Andre can’t have sent him. They’re just using him to get me to obey.

Is Andre hurt? Have they taken him too? Is that why he’s not here?

I know I’m running out of time. All it would take is for this guy to pull out his gun and shoot me right here in my bed for it all to be over.

I keep my eyes on him as I slowly move to pick up my pajamas.

He watches me closely, his eyes narrowed as I pull my T-shirt over my head, careful not to expose myself.

I slide on my shorts and get to my feet, my knees shaking so bad it’s a miracle I can even hold up my own weight.

I glance over to my kitchen counter where I notice my knife rack. I would have to be quick, but it wouldn’t be impossible.

I touch my hand to my belly and whisper a silent prayer before I lunge.

The guy moves. “Fuck.”

I throw myself at the counter, desperately scrabbling to pull the largest carving knife free.

His arms are around me in a second, pinning me against the counter as his hand goes to my mouth.

I sink my teeth into his skin and throw my elbow back into his stomach.

He grunts, but it’s not enough for him to loosen his grip.

“Lila,” he hisses. “I’m not going to hurt you⁠—”

I get the knife free, and just as I’m about to reach back and sink it into his neck, his hand over my mouth is replaced with a damp cloth, and my world turns black.

My head is pounding, and I’m exhausted.

My eyes flutter open, and I’m surprised to find daylight streaming in through large windows. A soft cinnamon scent hits my nose as I turn my head to look out the window, silk sheets brushing against my cheek.

Was it all a dream?

But then I go to move and find my hands tied to the bed frame.

I yank against the chains, panic setting in as I realize I’m trapped.

It all comes flooding back to me.

“No.” I pull over and over at the chains, wincing as they dig into my wrists.

I can barely take a full breath as I think of my baby.

Is this what Andre was trying to warn me about? How could I have been so stupid as to get sucked into his world, when I knew all along what he was? The sort of circles he ran in?

He has powerful enemies, and it seems they’re using me to send a message.

Heavy footsteps approach the door, and I think I’ll be sick.

I frantically try to pull my hands free from the restraints, thinking of nothing but Andre and the baby, praying that whatever they decide to do to me, I can endure long enough for him to find me.

The sound of the door unlocking makes my blood run cold. But when it swings open, my fear turns to rage.

Andre holds his hands up. “It’s not what you think.”

He’s changed into a crisp black shirt and black pants, and the sight of the freshly laundered clothes makes me see red.

“It feels exactly like I fucking think. You kidnapped me? And from the looks of it, you even had time for a nice long shower while I was tied to a fucking bed!”

“Lila, please.” He moves to stand at the foot of the bed, placing his hands in his pockets—the picture of ease. “I was being followed. I was worried⁠—”

“I don’t care. You had no right to send one of your drones into my bedroom to kidnap me in the middle of the damn night!”

“My brother.”

“Excuse me?”

“The drone who took you is my younger brother, Marco. He’s the only person I’d trust with you.”

“I don’t give a fuck if you sent your fucking housekeeper to get me. You still kidnapped me, Andre! And after everything you said last night when we made love…” My voice cracks, and I have to look away from him. “Why is it that I keep falling for your bullshit.”

“Everything I said last night was true, Lila. Believe me.” He moves around the side of the bed, crouching in front of me.

I turn my head, screwing my eyes shut as his gaze bores into me.

“I couldn’t risk you bolting if I told you of the threat.”

“I would’ve gone with you if you asked,” I whisper. “You should’ve trusted me enough to tell me the truth. Not treat me like some fucking cornered animal.”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

A strangled sob escapes my lips at his words, but I refuse to open my eyes and look at him while my hands are chained to the bed.

“Untie my hands, Andre.” I try to keep my voice steady.

Rustling tells me Andre gets to his feet and starts working on untying the chains.

My wrists are screaming from where I tried to break free from the restraints.

“You’re hurt.” He reaches for my wrists, but I slide out of his grip, scrambling back on the bed.

“Don’t fucking touch me.”

Andre tosses the chains on the bed and holds his hands up.

“It was for your own good, Lila.”

“I’m finding it hard to believe that your intentions here were good. This is not how you treat the mother of your child!”

“That is exactly why I had to do this!” Andre’s eyes narrow. “A car was waiting outside of your fucking apartment for me, Lila. Sure, I could have lost them, but then they would have come straight back to you, and trust me, it would’ve been a hell of a lot worse.”

“Are you seriously trying to have a dick-measuring contest about who’s the nicest kidnapper right now?” I scramble off the bed, putting it between us so I can’t do anything stupid like strangle him.

Andre lets out a long breath, his jaw clenching as he looks at me.

“I’m trying to shield you from the reality of my life, Lila. You want to have my child, then these are the consequences.”

“The consequences?” A hysterical laugh escapes me as I let his words sink in. “I never asked for any of this, Andre. Besides, I thought we were having this child, or have you decided to lie to me about that too?”

“Don’t fucking talk to me about lying.”

“I. Didn’t. Lie.”

“I’m not having this conversation with you while you’re like this. When you’ve calmed down⁠—”

“Calmed down?” Oh, hell no. “You’ve got some fucking nerve.”

I glance at the bedside table, reaching for the glass lamp and throwing it across the room at Andre.

He ducks, and the glass base smashes as it collides with the wall.

I don’t stop. I pick up the vase of flowers on the dressers and launch them at Andre, too. Water flies everywhere, and the purple tulips lay scattered on the cream carpet among the broken glass.

Anything I can find, I throw, not caring about the mess I make in my wake.

Andre takes it, staying by the window, ducking every time something comes close to hitting him.

Breathless, I collapse on the end of the bed.

I hadn’t noticed the tears fall, but my cheeks are damp, and my heart is pounding.

Andre moves toward the door. “You will stay in this room, Lila, until I can be sure you’re not going to run.”

I blink at him. “You’re locking me in here…”

“This is for your own good. I will protect what is mine at all costs.”

He walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“I didn’t think that including kidnapping me!” I yell after him.

His only response is the sound of the key turning in the lock, trapping me inside his gilded cage.