Ruthless Mafia Daddy (Alpha Mafia Daddies)

This can’t be happening.

There’s no way in hell Andre De Luca is my boss.

And yet… There he was, mouthwateringly handsome in his suit, with his dark hair perfectly styled and that smirk on his lips.

Those lips…

I press my fingers to my own as I close the door to my office behind me.

Those soft, dangerous lips made my body feel things I’ve never experienced.

My breath catches as I picture him sitting behind that desk, all power and control.

It seems he has the same effect on me regardless of whether I’m standing before him in an office or a bedroom, and that’s a problem.

He’s here.

There’s no way he happened to buy the company I work for. That’s too much of a coincidence.

He wanted to ensure my silence by keeping a closer eye on me.

I’m not sure whether I should be flattered he’s gone to so much trouble, or terrified about how quickly he’s uncovered my life with nothing to go on but my first name.

Though if he’s got contacts that can bury a body, what’s to say he can’t dig deeper into my world and use Cassi or my aunt to ensure my silence?

I have to keep them out of this as best I can and play along with whatever game Andre is playing. No matter what, I will ensure that those I love most in this world are protected from Andre De Luca.

I wish I could say the same for myself.

I’m a nervous wreck all day, choosing not to leave my office even for lunch, in fear of running into Andre. I read through the email the entire company received this morning about the new management, and find out that Max, my previous boss, has been made financial director.

I’m glad Andre didn’t outright fire the poor man, he has three young kids and a wife at home to worry about.

But I worry about my colleagues picking up on any hint of a vibe between Andre and me.

The way his eyes heated as I strolled into his office this morning gave him away, and I know my own chest flushed and my pulse quickened in response.

I’ve worked too hard for rumors to spread around the office that I’m sleeping my way to the top. It’s even more of a reason to stay the hell away from Andre De Luca. Which is hard, considering we now work together.

Surprisingly, Andre doesn’t stop by my office all day. I receive no emails from him either. It’s like he’s not here.

And I’m stupidly a little disappointed.

When five o’clock rolls around, I quickly pack up my things, slip on my trainers, and head out the door, keeping my head down until I get to the elevator. Once inside, I finally release the breath I feel like I’ve been holding all damn day.

When I check my phone, there’s a message from Cassi telling me she’s outside the building. I cringe, knowing there’s no way I’m going to be able to keep Andre’s new business venture a secret. It’ll come out eventually. I just need to make sure that’s the only one of his business ventures she’s aware of…

“Hey, Cass.” I wave to my friend as I hurry down the steps outside my building.

Cassi looks particularly bright-eyed in jeans and a fuchsia pink blouse, her blonde hair swept back in a high ponytail.

“You look better than I do, and I got a full eight hours.”

“Swap the sleeping for fucking, and you’re golden, my friend.” She laughs. “Keeps us looking young and fresh.”

“Is that so.” I laugh, linking my arm through hers.

“Hell, yeah. So, how was your day?”

“Urgh, can we leave the work talk until we get to the restaurant?”

“That bad huh?” Cassi laughs.

“Let’s just say, I need a martini in my hand when I tell you about it.”

“Ooh, now I’m intrigued.” Cassi taps her fingers together like an evil genius.

When we get to Alessandro’s, I head straight to the tiny bathroom at the back of the restaurant, feeling a little lightheaded after the walk.

I would put it down to not having eaten much all day due to avoiding Andre, but seeing as I’ve eaten hardly anything in the last week, I know I really need to stock up on the calories tonight before I even think about touching a martini.

“What’d I miss?’ I slip into the chair opposite Cassi.

“Ordered us some water and a round of dirty martinis.” She waggles her eyebrows.

I force a smile, a slight sheen of sweat starting to form on my brow.

Glancing around the tiny restaurant, I feel a sense of home.

It reminds me a lot of my Aunt Maria’s apartment—covered in old photographs and magazine clippings of recipes tacked to the walls. There are only about ten tables in the entire restaurant, each with a red and white checked table cloth and a single tealight candle. The lighting is dim, and the servers barely speak English, but it has that Italian charm that never fails to make me smile.

“Ciao, Lila. Ciao, Cassandra.” Antonio, the owner, places our drinks on the small table. “Where you been, huh? It has been weeks!”

“We are unmarried women, Antonio.” Cassi sighs, shaking her head. “We actually have to work.”

I grin. “Otherwise, of course, we would be here every day.”

“Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Cassi flashes a wink.

Antonio shakes his head at us, his hands on his hips.

“I bring you extra garlic bread. You girls, too skinny!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Cassi tosses her long ponytail over her shoulder, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

Once Antonio has scuttled away, distracted by the other regulars, Cassi picks out the olive from her martini and pops it into her mouth.

“If I tell you something.” I pause, taking a deep breath. “You have to promise not to freak out in the middle of this restaurant, ok?”

“Ok?” Cassi frowns, chewing her olive.

I run my hands over the frayed table cloth, keeping my eyes downcast.

“My mystery one-night stand guy from that night with Dirk? Turns out he’s…my new boss.”

There’s a choking sound, followed by a fit of coughing.

I look up to find Cassi red in the face and bug-eyed as she reaches for her water and downs the entire glass in one go. I wait patiently for her to calm down, trying to read her reaction.

“What…The fuck?” She slaps her chest, coughing some more as tears stream down her face.

“I wish I was joking.”

“I repeat, what the fuck?”

So, I dive into the story. Starting with the email I received this morning, thinking it was about my sick leave, only to find Andre sitting behind Max’s desk, informing me that he has bought the company.

I, of course, leave out the way I instantly melted at the sight of him.

“Thankfully, I managed to avoid him all day.” After finishing the story, I cave and take a sip of my martini—the alcohol burning my throat and making my stomach churn.

I grimace, placing the drink back on the table.

Cassi hasn’t spoken a single word, so I glance at my friend who’s shaking her head.

“Lila, this is not good…”

“I know, I slept with the fucking boss! But if he’s anything like Max, we’ll mainly communicate through email, and we’ll see each other once or twice a week in meetings, where there will be other people around. I think I made it out to be this huge thing⁠—”

“That’s because it is huge. He bought the company where you work, Lila.”

“Not ideal.” I shrug.

“I don’t think you understand. It’s clear he went out of his way to find out where you worked, and now has done the ultimate power move. I don’t like this guy, it’s making me feel uneasy. This behavior is borderline obsessive.”

“He won’t hurt me.” I find myself needing to defend Andre’s character, despite us literally having a conversation earlier about me keeping his very dark secrets.

“You shouldn’t trust him. Maybe you should talk to Max, switch departments or something.”

I shake my head.

“I’ve worked too hard to get to where I am, Cass. I’m not going to let Andre ruin that for me.”

“It might be too late for that, babe.”

I force the conversation away from Andre until our food arrives.

Antonio wasn’t kidding when he said he would bring us some extra garlic bread, placing a plate beside both Cassi and me, along with two huge bowls of carbonara.

Usually, the sight of the creamy pasta would have my mouth watering, but instead, I swallow down the bile that rises in my throat.

Cassi tucks in, slurping the spaghetti lady-and-the-tramp style. Even the sight of her eating has my stomach rolling.

I get to my feet, placing a hand over my mouth, bolting through the restaurant, praying that I can make it to the bathroom in time and thanking all that is holy for the vacant sign on the bathroom door.

I barely lock it behind me before I’m hurling my guts up once more over the toilet, my body covered in sweat, and my eyes streaming.

“Urgh.”

I flush the toilet, closing the lid.

A knock sounds at the door.

“It’s occupied!” I croak, my throat sore.

“It’s me. Cassi.”

I move to unlock the door before sitting down on the closed lid of the toilet, wiping my mouth with some tissue.

“You ok?” Cassi locks the door and leans against it. Her brows are furrowed as she takes me in.

“I know, I’m a hot mess.” I sigh, wiping my forehead on the back of my hand.

“How long have you been like this?”

“Four or five days? Honestly, I’ve lost count.” I sigh.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“That’s a little too long for a stomach bug.”

“I think it might just be the flu,” I mumble, leaning back against the cold tile on the wall and closing my eyes.

Cassi steps toward me before placing a hand on my clammy forehead.

“Hmm… No fever.”

She’s silent for a moment, and I open my eyes. She’s looking at me as if she’s seen a ghost.

“What?” I sit up.

“I don’t want to make a bad situation worse, but…could you be pregnant?”

I stare at Cassi, my brain just whine noise.

“Uh… Of course not, why would you suggest—” Wait a minute. “What’s the date today?”

“It’s the twenty-fifth.”

My heart thumps as I count on my fingers, working out when exactly I last got my period. I knew it had been a while, but maybe I was only one or two days late.

I count again. I’m nearly three week late. “Holy shit.”

I look up at my friend with wide eyes. “I think I might be.”

Cassi’s throat bobs, and I can tell she’s trying to keep her face neutral so as not to freak me out any more.

“Ok… Well, there’s no point in panicking until you’ve taken a test to confirm it. I could run out and get one right now?”

“No, I-I can’t take one…” My chest hurts. I can’t breathe. This bathroom is too small. I need to get out of here. I need some air. Now.

“Lils, you’re going to have to take one, honey. I know it’s scary⁠—”

Oh, god. I’m going to pass out. “It’s fucking terrifying!”

A knock sounds on the door, and I jump, my heart threatening to come out of my throat.

“It’s occupied, dumbass!” Cassi yells. “Give us a minute!”

I shake my head. This cannot be happening. This cannot be happening…

“I’ve only been with one guy since Sam,” I whisper. “There would be no denying who’s the father.”

“Oh shit.”

“I thought today was bad enough when I found out Andre is now my boss. But add in potentially carrying his child? Fuck, Cassi, that’s just too much to deal with. What am I going to do?” My voice cracks as I look up at her wide-eyed before burying my face in my hands.

Cassi places a comforting hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently.

“One step at a time, babe. First off, we need to stop by the drugstore and buy a test before we start throwing around the word daddy.”