Page 43 of Mafia And Maid
But I keep my mouth zipped. I’m not about to tell him that I hid all the chocolate chips last night, knowing that he would probably ask for banana chocolate chip cupcakes today. Like I said, he’spredictable.
He opens his mouth and starts to snarl a response when his cell rings, and taking the call, he has to leave for the casino on an urgent matter.
I give Rosa a wink. And when she smiles shyly at me as she starts to pull out ingredients, I can’t help it and smile back at her. And it’s not just about the cupcakes…
***
The next morning, I’ve just come in from a run around our estate; sweat sits slick against my skin as I yank out my earbuds. I ran an extra three miles today in an attempt to compensate for the three peanut butter cupcakes I had after dinner last night. They were fucking delicious, and I would run an extra fifty miles daily if Rosa made them every single day for me.
Conversation comes from the kitchen, and the smell of something delicious moves me in that direction. Lingering in the doorway, I observe my older brothers. The very people I’d do anything for. Cross any line as long as it ensures their protection.
It’s a loyalty engrained in me that only they deserve.
The reason I became the monster I am…
“This is delicious,” Alessio says to Rosa.
“Best meal yet,” Marco adds.
The words are complimentary enough, and I’m glad my siblings are starting to behave as they should. But it’s not them who I watch now. It’s her.
My eyes linger on her as she chops up fresh pineapple for breakfast. Her hair is tucked behind her ears, with a few loose strands escaping to frame her face. Her full body fills out the dress she’s wearing, the curves of her breasts and hips flaring out like a tantalizing tease.
I drop into the chair and pour myself a cup of coffee.
“Nice of you to join us,” Alessio drawls.
“If you want to spend more time with me, you should try getting up earlier.”
He glares at me, although he knows I’m right—I’ve been up two hours already, getting in my gym workout and run. “Did you handle it?” He changes the subject, referring to the situation with the runner trying to double dip into our profits.
The cup pauses halfway to my lips. I sigh, thumping my cup back down. “This conversation can’t wait until I’ve at least had some fucking coffee?”
And until we’re not in front of Rosa.Because even though she knows exactly what I do, I find myself not wanting to talk about it in her presence—and not wanting her to see me as just a monster.
“Look, it’s handled,” I tell Alessio. “He won’t be a problem for us anymore.”
“Better be.”
The fresh bruises and split skin of my knuckles are enough to signify what’s happened to the runner. He’s dealt with. But then, my brothers already know that. It’s why I was sent.
“We have a few more people who you need to make a house call to,” Marco says, not bothering to look up from the email he’s reading on his phone.
“Why me?” It’s a stupid question. It’s my role in the entire operation. My brothers are scary fuckers, but I’m the boogie man the soldiers and runners whisper about.
“Have other plans?”
My eyes flicker to Rosa, but I shake my head. “No.”
Rosa sets a plate down in front of me, a large omelet filled with cheese and mushrooms, with a stack of bacon at the side—crispy on the edges which is exactly how I like it.
“Thank you,” I say with a small smile at her.
She stares down at me, that beautiful flush on her cheeks spreading before she drops her gaze and nods. She turns and heads out of the kitchen. With her back to me, I follow the bounce of her ass with each step she takes until she’s out of view.
“Did she eat already?” The words are out even before I can stop them. In the time she’s been here, I’ve yet to see her eat anything that she’s cooked. Maybe she eats in her room when we’re all gone. But that thought doesn’t sit well with me.
I’m met with a shrug from my siblings. I make a sound in the back of my throat before taking a large bite of the omelet. It’s delicious, just like I knew it would be.