Collateral For The Mafia Boss

Sofia

Luca was twenty minutes past the time he usually came through the bakery door after school. I wiped the counter again to calm my nerves. If I didn't see him in the next ten minutes, I would have to call his school. Or maybe mama first.

The door chimed and Luca stepped inside. Relief hit me first as he walked in, but then I noticed his reluctant steps and the fact that he wouldn't meet my eyes. He was avoiding me.

"Luca." I called but he refused to even look at me as he walked.

Usually he'd toss his bag down, steal something from the pastry tray, and complain about homework. Today he walked straight past the counter toward the hallway that led to the stairs.

"Luca." I called again but he just kept walking. "Luca." I said the third time.

He stopped this time but didn't turn immediately. When he finally did, his expression was tight.

"What?"

I gasped at the glaring red mark on his cheek, stepping around the counter to get a good look at his face.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"You don't get fingerprints from nothing."

His jaw shifted. He glanced toward the door like he expected someone else to walk in.

"I tripped."

"Into someone's hand?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm fine."

"Who touched you?"

Silence.

My stomach dropped. He had touched my brother. He touched my family. Luca dragged a hand through his hair.

"There were two guys," he muttered.

"Where?"

"Outside school. They stopped me when I was leaving."

"What did they want?"

"They said to tell you to answer your phone."

The room tightened around us.

"And they hurt you?" I asked in disbelief.

I reached toward his face, and he winced as soon as my fingers came in contact with his skin. I would never forgive Dante for touching my brother. We had agreed on three days. He was never meant to go after my family this way.

"What did they do?" I asked quietly.

"They just stood there," he said. "One grabbed my collar. That's it."

"And you?"

"I told them to get lost and then they said the clock was ticking. Next time I wouldn't get so lucky."

The words settled in the room between us.

"And they knew my name," he added after a moment. Luca shifted his weight, suddenly uncomfortable under my stare.

"You're not going to tell Mom, right?" he said. "She'll lose it."

"I won't."

"Good."

He picked up a croissant from the tray without asking and took a bite.

The normality of the gesture made something tighten in my chest.

"They didn't really do anything," he said around the mouthful. "Just trying to scare me."

It worked.

"Go upstairs," I told him.

"I have homework."

"Do it upstairs."

He studied my face for a second.

"You're doing that thing again."

"What thing?"

"The quiet one. Where you look like you're planning something."

"I'm not."

He didn't believe me, but he grabbed his backpack anyway and went upstairs. The door shut behind him, and for a few seconds I stood perfectly still. Two men outside a school. Not sloppy. Not violent. Just close enough to leave a mark. Dante was passing a message since he was obviously growing impatient.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was the same unknown number from earlier. I stared at the screen until the ringing stopped.

I went to the back office and shut the door. The leather folder sat inside the drawer where I'd left it. I pulled it out and opened it again.

Upstairs, I could hear Luca moving around. I liked to have him come by the bakery like this from time to time so we could go home together. Especially now with this whole Dante ultimatum hanging over my head.

I dialed the number on the paper before I could talk myself out of it.

The line rang once.

Twice.

Then a click.

No greeting.

Just quiet on the other end.

"You sent men to my brother's school," I said.

"I wondered how long it would take you to call." Dante spoke, and I saw red, my grip to tightened on the phone.

"You said three days."

"I did and the clock is ticking. I'm not a very patient person."

"Your men should have never approached my brother or anyone in my family. This is between you and I."

He laughed. "No, this was between your father and me. But he couldn't keep his end of the deal and now you've been dragged in. For as long as you stall, you put your family's safety at risk."

"Are you being serious right now?"

"I ordered my men to not harm him. Just rile him up a little. It worked. You called. Sofia, you don't have a choice. Give yourself to me for one year. A year ends faster than you think."

I walked to the small window of the bakery and looked out at the street. A car drove past slowly.

"You're harassing a fourteen-year-old."

"I'm reminding you that time moves whether you act or not."

"He's not a part of this."

"He became part of it the moment your father signed that agreement."

Anger burned hot in my chest.

"You don't get to involve my family."

"That's not for you to decide."

I forced my voice steady.

"If you have a problem, you deal with me."

"Oh, I am."

His calm made everything worse.

"You think this is going to make me cooperate?"

"I think reality eventually does that."

Silence stretched between us.

"You have made my life a living hell since you showed up in my bakery."

"Rightfully so."

"And now you approached my brother."

"Just a little incentive so you understand that you are mine. Mine."

"You think this scares me? Well, think again. I will do everything it takes to protect my family. I am not yours." I said.

"Careful Sofia. You're speaking like you have leverage. I can wipe your entire family out this very second if I wanted to." He said and I gasped but I recovered myself quickly.

My hand tightened around the edge of the desk.

"Then why haven't you? Because we both know if you do that, I'll never go anywhere with you."

The silence between us stretched for a bit. He was slowly losing his patience but I wasn't the kind of girl to be easily deterred.

"Did I render the great Dante speechless?" I asked

His answer came without delay.

"Do not push me Sofia."

"Listen carefully," I said. "You come near my siblings again and-"

"And what?" The question was soft. "You're angry," he continued calmly. "That's understandable."

"You threatened my family."

"No," he said. "I reminded you they exist."

The difference felt razor thin.

"You have until the deadline," he said.

"And if I don't sign?"

"You know the answer to that."

My chest felt tight.

"Stay away from my brother," I said again.

Another pause.

Then he spoke, quieter this time.

"Your family is safe."

I waited.

"For now."