***ZANE’S POV***
Whatever I was going to say was silenced when I heard a knock on the door.
“Excuse me,” I say not sparing a glance at London before walking towards the door.
I push the door open and find Reaper on the other side of the door. I raise my brows quizzically, waiting for a reply.
“Don Russell says an early shipment is expected this morning, he needs you at the port,” he explains.
I look back at London and she has her hands around her waist, her tiny belly protruding. I love her, and I wouldn’t lie.
I force myself to look at Reaper, if he has an idea of what is going on, he doesn’t spare me a word of it.
“I will be downstairs in ten minutes,” I mutter out swiftly before closing the door.
“That’s it? You are leaving me in the middle of an argument?” London pushes forth.
I roll my eyes and I catch London’s deadly stare at me.
“I hate you,” she mouths throwing a pillow at me.
I dodge it and walk towards her, grabbing her beneath the arms and start tickling until she falls in a fit of laughter.
“Get off me, Zane,” she cries out giggling.
“No, not until you tell me you love me,” I insist.
London hesitates and I tickle her fiercely until she can’t breathe anymore.
“Stop! Please stop!” she says between breaks.
I hold on, my eyes feasting on her pretty face.
“I love and hate you, does that count?” she demands.
I try to think for a moment before nodding.
“I don’t mind that you hate me, as long as the love comes first,” I mouth out plastering a kiss against her lips.
I move to the bathroom sink, run the tap, and dabble some on my face. I clean my teeth and after wiping my face with a clean towel, I notice London staring at me from the door.
We don’t talk, I guess she must be reflecting on all the things I told her earlier, I hope she doesn’t leave me again.
“Can I come with you, Daddy?” she asks warmly.
I don’t spare her a glance, I just shake my head in negation.
“Nope, it’s a business meeting I am having. I will be home before nightfall,” I say sliding my shirt on.
“What about what we discussed earlier?” she questions.
“We discussed about a lot of things, be specific little girl,” I reply working on my trousers, and tucking in my white shirt on.
London is silent, when I look over my shoulder, I see he on the bed, her hands on her head. Something stabs my chest painfully as I walk towards her.
Grabbing her chin with my thumb and forefinger, I pinch it, forcing her to look at me.
“Eyes on me, pretty girl, I want your pretty eyes on Daddy,” I say frowning.
London obeys and her glassy eyes is a proof that if she blinks too hard, tears will roll down her eyes.
“You have to tell Daddy what the problem is, okay? I don’t read minds,” I say going gentle on her.
For the few months I have spent with London, I can proudly say I know when to be gentle with her, also when to punish her, right now, this is one of her fragile moments, and I don’t want her to break, thus, I need to be gentle with her.
“Talk to me, please,” I prompt her.
She hums a reply before talking.
“You’ve not spoken about helping Micah out, shouldn’t I be worried?” she asks her eyes searching mine.
Understanding dawns on me, London thinks I am not going to keep to my end of the game, well, that is a big mistake because I will do it.
“Hey, consider that it is done, okay? Now, let me clean that face of yours,” I say wiping her tears away from her face.
“You will do it?” she questions her brows on mine.
“Don’t doubt me like that, London, it aches my chest,” I taunt her brushing my hand against my chest.
She giggles, that girly sound I love so much.
“Thank you,” she screeches jumping on me.
London reign kisses all over my face, I love how she always gets me in my mood.
“I have to put a stop to this before I find myself balls deep in that addictive pussy of yours,” I blurt out.
London chuckles smoothly.
“I love you, Daddy,” she mouths.
“Fuck, babe, I love you too much,” I say kissing the tip of her nose.
I leave the room a very happy married man. I am glad I could iron things out with London, at least, I can focus on what Russell has to show me today.
**
Six p. m.
I have spent the whole day working out on the shipment that is about to land.
The preview cargo had passed and our men were with us, protecting and counting the loads.
I have settled Micah’s debt, but I will have a word with him, especially when his sister is involved. The earlier he knows he can’t continue dragging London in his shit, the better it will be for us all.
“Zane?” Rio calls out biting on an apple.
“Yes, Monteleo?” I reply catching the second apple he throws at me.
“Nice catch,” Sinner compliments.
I smirk before throwing the apple at him. He catches it biting deep into it.
“Thanks, boss,” he says walking towards the dork.
I turn, giving my attention to Rio.
“The last sale was huge, this one can get us more bags, but we have a catch with the Antonovs,” he says.
Russell and Alex walk towards us.
“What’s going on?” Russell asks.
“I was just telling Zane the problems we are facing with the Antonovs,” Rio explains.
“This fuckers think they can manage coke in Sicily better than we do,” Russell adds gritting his teeth.
I know that is getting him pissed off, but he needs to keep a cool head.
“Was this location discovered already?” I ask frowning.
“No, why?” Alex asks.
I turn to the blazing siren calls that are coming towards us.
“The cops?” Rio asks his voice filled with anger.
I look just in time to see them start shooting violently.
“Those are not cops, take cover,” I yell out diving under the shed pulling the chair for cover.
We had finished the first shipment and were waiting for the arrival of the second one. There was a traitor amongst us who had leaked our location.
“The Antonovs. Enzo is a son of a bitch. His brother Riley is worse,” Russell blurts out.
The men we had brought took turns in shooting.
The sirens stop just a close feet from the dork, my eyes scan the area as we wait for whoever is inside to come out.
Slowly, the door opens, and a slender tall looking man steps out of the car.
Another man comes out, they look like they are from a dumb New York magazine, and they look around their eyes blazing with laughter.
“The Vincenzos are scared pussies, aren’t they? A few gunshots and they are all taking covers?” a dark voice speaks.
Russell leaves from behind the tree he is hiding, anger flashing in his eyes.
“You fuckers have no business in Sicily. The Vincenzos run this town,” Russell says.
“Who are they?” I ask Alex and he points at them talking.
“The one talking is Enzo. He is Russia’s most wanted criminal. He makes his money here in Italy, he is lord of the slumps. That is his brother Riley. They are both dicks,” he stares.
I can’t keep my eyes away from them, and thus, I stand.
Enzo notices me and his face grows dark.
“I don’t think we have been introduced formerly. Enzo Antonov,” Enzo says a lot of pride spreading through him.
I open my mouth to speak but his brother, Riley beats me to it.
“Zane Vincenzo. We know who you are. I am Riley by the way. We are the brothers you wouldn’t want to cross paths with,” Riley says.
“You both go make problems elsewhere and if I were you, I would stop digging on me,” I warn aggressively.
The looks on their eyes make my skin crawl. I know this dickheads might know a lot more than I am willing to acknowledge.
“Digging things on me wouldn’t help you in any form. I will still kick your ass,” I throw out.
They have this glimmer in their eyes and I take a step towards them, Russell blocks me, his hand on my chest and I frown.
“They aren’t worth you fighting them, Zane,” he says.
I nod my head, getting the words deep into me.
“We are expecting our shipment Misters. If the party is over, you may leave now,” Russell says.
I look at the Antonovs and their ears are red, a sign they are visibly pissed off.
“I want Sicily, it belongs to us, stop trafficking drugs here,” Enzo blurts out fiercely.
Russell stares at them with hatred pouring out of his eyes.
“You both have thirty seconds to drive away from my land. And after those seconds have elapsed, I will give an alert for my men to put holes in every hole in your body,” Russell says.
“You can’t threaten us,” Riley grits out angrily.
“Twenty-five seconds,” Russell says looking at his watch sounding bored.
Riley makes a step but Enzo stops him.
“Get in the car let’s go. Get your party going on, Russell, but remember the Vincenzos are being watched,” Enzo says sliding into his car.
This time, he doesn’t play the siren, which makes me wonder from which cop they had to steal it from. Or they just borrowed it.
As their last junk of iron disappears, a very pissed-off Rio speaks.
“You would have said the word, Russell, and I would have put one bullet through those fuckers heads,” he says.
“Calm down, regroup the men, we need to keep it moving. We have less than an hour before the last shipment arrives,” he says.
“Sinner, Reaper, we regroup,” I say looking around.
“Boss? We might have a small problem,” Reaper says and I look at him raising my in doubt.
I hear a man grown and I get my senses spiked up.
“Shit!” I cuss running across the lane towards the small bush where a pained-looking Sinner is there.
He looks pale, extremely pale, and visibly in pain.
“Hey, Sinner!” I call out slapping him gently across the face as I try to look at them.
Reaper is putting pressure on his lower ribcage and I tear his shirt off, looking at it.
A stray bullet hit him on his rib while we were trying to take cover. Damn it.
“We need to take him to the hospital,” I order and I look at him.
“I am scared, Zane,” he tells me tears slipping out of his eyes.
I know that we sign up being mafias, but these men are under my protection, and Sinner is family.
“Hey, hey! Look at me, Sinner. I am not going to let you die, not on my watch,” I say as I try to pull him out.
“We can’t take a shot man to the hospital, Zane, the police will ask questions,” Alex says.
“And we will provide them with answers. We were attacked. We have enough men at their station to blind the rest,” I say nodding towards Reaper to help me.
“Hold on, Big Wolf, I will get you some help, just stay with me, okay?” I mouth out and he nods despite the fact that he is sweating.
“What if I die? I haven’t had my life planned out already,” he cries out his eyes starting to lose focus.
“Stay with me, Sinner. Come on,” I say encouraging him.
“I am trying,” he says.
Reaper helps me get into the car and I start driving down the lane leading to the hospital.