Page 3 of The Mobster’s Prize

“You never mentioned anything about me picking up a girl, boss.” My voice is tight, not giving a shit about the damn horse right now. There’s a young woman in there who looks like she’s about to draw blood with those long red nails of hers. I need to know what the fuck I’m getting myself into. “Mind telling me who she is?”

“It’s Luigi Santone’s kid.”

Fucking Santone. I should’ve guessed. That fucker still hasn’t made good on his loan. He’s been given two extensions already, which is not a good look. Not for him or for us. It shows leniency. And Dario Moretti is not a lenient man. Looks like the boss finally decided to take collateral.

“Figured he needed a bit of incentive to ensure he gets me my money. So, until he pays up, I’ll be keeping his kid.”

Kid? She doesn’t look like a kid to me. She looks to be in her mid-twenties. Definitely well past puberty. Definitely too fucking pretty to be twisted up in this mess.

“Does he know we have her?”

“Not yet. And I’m not going to inform him of the fact until she’s secured. I don’t want him sending his buffoons our way to stir up trouble.”

They’d be in for a bloodbath if they tried. Santone and his hood rats don’t stand a chance in that war. They’re slimy drug pushers with little to no brains left with all that crack they’ve smoked. I’m not even sure why Dario does business with the man, but then again, it’s all about keeping your enemies close in our line of work.

“Do you have an age or a name on the girl?” Any details whatsoever.

“Her name is Alexandra. And she’s twenty-four. Only child, and Santone’s pride and joy, which makes her his most valuable asset and good for collateral.”

That body makes for one hell of a fantasy, too. A five-second once-over, and it’s clear she got all the good genes in that family.

“So, what do you want me to do with her? Bring her to you, or drop her at the safe house?”

“I want you to take her to that cabin of yours. No one will think to look for her there.”

The fuck? Why the hell do I have to babysit her? Shove her in the damn safe house and make Elias or one of the others watch over her. I’m supposed to be off the clock.

“Don’t you think it’d be better if she’s where there’s more protection? It’s only gonna be me on that mountain, boss.”

Nothing but me and the peace and quiet. Not a single bar of cell service. Not unless I turn the Wi-Fi on, which I don’t intend to do. The only means of being reached is by my burner phone, and only a rare few have that number. Family excluded.

“Are you questioning me, Dagostino?”

Fuck.

“No. But if her dad sends out his army, I’m not going to be able to fight them off.” Knowing how stupid those thugs are, I probably could, but I don’t want to be on babysitting duty. I need to seclude myself before this darkness turns me into a monster.

“They aren’t going to know where she is. Besides, the first place they’ll come looking for her is here.”

True, but what the fuck am I supposed to do with the girl? Lock her in my bedroom and bring her three meals a day? My cabin isn’t equipped for holding prisoners. It’s just big enough for me.

But it looks like I don’t have a choice.

“Got any idea on how long I’ll have to keep her?”

Are we talking a day? Two? Or am I going to have to put up with her for a week? Longer than that isn’t an option. I’ll be driving back to the city and dropping her off for someone else to deal with. I grew up with three sisters. I know how annoying girls can get.

Which is another reason I’m not hitched yet. If my ma wants to blame anyone for why I’m not married, she should look to the three girls she raised. They’re all the birth control anyone needs.

“Not sure how long Santone will take to get me my money, but this will certainly light a fire under his ass. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, you keep her locked in that cabin and don’t return until I’ve given the order.”

Great. I have an indefinite timeline.

“Oh, and Dagastino? Make sure you don’t lay a finger on her. This isn’t her war. She’s just a means to getting what I need.”

Again, he doesn’t need to give me the warning. The girl may be pretty, but I’m not getting in bed with Santone’s kid. I don’t trust that drug-pushing scum for as far as I can throw him, which means I don’t trust her.

“Copy, boss. I’ll text you when we get to my place.”