Mafia Protection (Sample)

Chapter 1

Ramble. That was all his father did—on and on until Angelo neared the brink of insanity. One of his hands squeezed the dark strands of his hair; his other pounded the table, leaving a cracking sound to echo throughout the ritzy restaurant.

"I said enough," Angelo snapped, his deep voice silencing the aging man sitting across from him. Several diners shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Angelo lowered his tone to a harsh whisper and leaned forward. "There's no way I will consider the daughter of that fool. Christ, we'd be on the radar of every fed in the state if I got involved with that man. We don't need that drama that he's brought to his ranks—to his own family."

"But the businesses, Son..." Antonio scowled at Angelo's disrespect. "You would gain his estate and his ranks in exchange for her protection. Gregorio would be out of the picture."

"Who cares what I gain," Angelo said. His deep brown eyes glared into Antonio's, causing the creases on the older man's forehead to widen. "I'm making a fortune with what I have."

"You know how it works," Antonio replied. "Money makes the rules...money that you don't have enough of right now."

Angelo inhaled as he closed his eyes. Lately, his father talked of nothing else but her. "And what of the girl? You want a strange woman that we've never met to fall in with our family. Do you really expect me to trust her as my wife considering the man that raised her?"

"Because you've chosen not to meet her. How do you know you won't like her if you never put forth the effort? You don't know. You might actually like her."

"Rafa..." Angelo glanced at the man with dark, wavy hair sitting next to him. "Talk some sense into my father." Angelo had hired Rafa specifically to take on problematic situations—like Antonio.

Though Rafa's input counted as much as Angelo's did, he huffed and straightened his tie, wishing he could ignore them both. "You already know how I feel about it. I have already pointed out the pros and cons of the marriage." Rafa paused and took a drink of his coffee. "Look, next time, could you wait until after we eat to start arguing? You might both be calmer after breakfast. Have you ever thought about that?"

Both men stared at Rafa in silence until Angelo tossed his napkin on the table and stood. "Thanks for the input, Rafa. This visit is over. We'll have to eat after we drive to Key Biscayne."

Antonio's brow narrowed in grievous fashion; his lips pursed together, making the wrinkles around his mouth to deepen. "Fine, Angelo. Ignore my wishes if that's the type of man I've raised you to be."

Angelo shook his head and let out a frustrated breath. "I'm not ignoring your wishes. I wouldn't mind meeting the woman if Gregorio weren't her father. I know you like him, but wherever he goes, trouble follows. You already know that. Find another woman for me to marry, or you leave me no choice but to choose my own wife. I'm not getting any younger."

Angelo walked away, jerking his chin for Rafa to follow. As the door shut to the restaurant, Angelo stopped for a moment to think. "How long has it been since my father and Gregorio started this shit with the daughter?" Talking about it made him mad all over again. He stormed down the ramp to the parking lot.

"Well, you could meet her if it will satisfy them."

"Right," Angelo groaned. "You know even if I did, they would still harass me about marrying her."

"How old are you turning this year, Angelo?"

"Twenty-nine," he said, blowing out an annoyed breath.

"Then marry her," Rafa said simply. "It isn't like you have another woman in mind."

"I had a woman in mind," Angelo said. "My mother hated Giana."

"What are you talking about? She wasn't wife material. Besides, you couldn't stand that woman." Rafa walked ahead of Angelo to open the door to the black Escalade. "She couldn't even make a cup of coffee much less raise a family like you want."

"Well—" Angelo rubbed the back of his neck. "Even if that's true, she was still loyal."

"Sure she was...for all the wrong reasons. Just marry Gregorio's daughter. The daughter of another boss will suit you. It's like you said, you're not getting any younger. Do you really want to turn forty by the time you have your first kid?"

Angelo's eyes narrowed as he slid into the backseat and slammed the door. "Well, this doesn't affect you. Why do you care who I marry and have kids with?"

Rafa sat in the backseat beside him. Angelo did not discuss the daughter anymore and slapped the driver's seat in front of him, catching the attention of the blond-haired man behind the wheel. "Brett, step on it—Key Biscayne. Get me out of here."

Brett looked back, silent as usual with a smirk on his lips. He started the car without question.