Undressed By The Mafia God novel Chapter 514

Chapter 514: You Took The First Strike

"You took the first strike," Bastione continued, "attacking me in my own home. Thank goodness I had a heads-up, or I would already be in the ground."

"We gave you a few of our territories as a truce," Marco countered.

"True." Bastione lifted his glass. "And then you kidnapped my son for no reason."

Marco’s jaw tightened. There were many things he could stomach but pretending Renato had been dragged from a church choir was not one of them. "He kidnapped Nonnina."

"An ordinary nanny for my son?" Don Bastione drawled. "That’s not a fair trade."

Marco went cold.

Ordinary?

Nonnina had never worn a crown but she had been a tremendous mother. She had raised boys who grew into monsters and somehow still made them feel loved.

Ordinary?

Marco stepped closer to the desk. One of the guards by the wall shifted. Bastione did not move, but his eyes sharpened with interest. "Nonnina was much more than a nanny to the entire famiglia...She was a mother. She was the pillar behind Luca."

Some deaths did not stay buried. They became debts.

"Your son’s actions ultimately led to her death."

"Marco, look," Don Bastione said. "You are on my turf. You should be nicer."

There were many things Marco could be at that moment. Armed, accompanied by fifty Genovese men, rested, fed, less haunted.

Nice, however, had not survived the week.

"Like I said," Marco replied, "I am here on an urgent matter. I do not have time to be nice."

"What I want, Marco," Bastione said, "neither you nor Luca are willing to give me."

"What do you want?"

Bastione chuckled softly, as if Marco had asked a stupid question. "You already know."

Commissioned.

Of course.

Every greedy bastard in New York eventually circled back to Luca’s club.

"Renato wants Commissioned," Don Bastione said. "It is only fair he gets it. If he has that place, he rules New York."

Marco sucked in a slow breath. Commissioned was power, influence, legitimate laundering, contacts. Whoever controlled Commissioned controlled too many doors in New York.

Don Bastione knew it.

"I do not have the authority to give you Commissioned," Marco said.

"Then get whoever has the authority to give it on the line."

No.

Her sister.

Her blood.

Everyone kept telling Valentina to wait, to let the men handle it. Everyone was treating her like a child, even her own husband.

If Valentina lost Veronica, she did not think she would survive it. It was simply the truth. Veronica had always been there.

Before Luca Genovese stormed into their lives like a walking red flag. Before the blood, the bullets, the secrets.

It had always been Vee and Val. Thick as thieves. Veronica had protected her with everything she had. Her whole reckless heart. Vee had stood between Valentina and the worst parts of the world so many times that Val had begun to believe her sister was indestructible.

Now Veronica was missing and everyone expected Valentina to sit still and stay out of the way. How dare they?

How dare they look at her like she was too fragile to understand?

She sat in front of the police precinct, both hands gripping the steering wheel, her eyes shifting to Matteo in the backseat.

He slept in his car seat, his tiny face peaceful, completely unaware. Valentina’s chest tightened as she looked at him. Her baby. The one bright, soft thing in all this darkness.

Since Veronica went missing, Valentina had asked herself a question she hated. If she had to choose between her husband and her sister, who would she choose without batting an eyelid?

Right now, she chose Veronica. She chose saving her sister. As long as Luca’s life revolved around Vee, Vee would never be safe. Men like David would keep coming, women like Bianca. Enemies would keep circling.

David had used her.

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