Page 60 of Mafia Daddy

The future is uncertain. War may be coming. But in this quiet morning moment, with Maxim looking at me like I’m something precious, I feel a fragile kind of hope.

And despite what Maxim says, I’m determined to play more than a background role…

The same grand department store we visited for toys feels completely different this morning…

The marble floors still gleam under the crystal chandeliers, and the gold-plated elevators still shine, but the atmosphere is heavier. Purposeful. Maxim’s hand rests possessively on the small of my back as we step out of the private elevator on the top floor. He leans in close, voice low against my ear.

“I have a controlling stake in this business,” he says, a knowing smile on his face. “One of many legitimate fronts. No one will disturb us here.”

I nod, trying to keep my expression neutral even as my pulse quickens. The idea that Maxim owns a place like this—this beautiful, historic landmark—shouldn’t surprise me anymore, but it does.

My Daddy moves through the world like it already belongs to him. And I love how that makes me feel.

We walk down a quiet corridor lined with original oil paintings and enter a large, wood-paneled office at the end. Several men are already waiting around a long mahogany table.

I recognize Kobek and Michael immediately, but the others—six senior generals by the look of them—are new to me. They’re all hard-looking men in expensive suits, eyes sharp and assessing.

The room falls silent the moment we enter.

Maxim gestures for me to take a seat in a comfortable armchair near the window, slightly apart from the main table. “Stay here,” he murmurs. “Listen. But do not speak unless I ask you to.”

I settle in, heart beating fast. Maxim takes his place at the head of the table, commanding the room without even trying. His presence fills the space. The generals straighten in their chairs, giving him their full attention. Even Kobek and Michael look alert, ready.

“Gentlemen,” Maxim begins, voice calm but carrying absolute authority. “We are facing a potential fracture with the Lentini family. Paolo has been approached by the cartel with a better offer. Or that’s how he sees it. He believes he can play both sides and come out on top. He is wrong.”

I listen as Maxim lays out the situation with cold precision: the meeting yesterday, Paolo’s threats, the intelligence they’ve gathered. I watch, mesmerized, as my Daddy commands the room.

His posture is relaxed but powerful, every word measured.

He doesn’t raise his voice, yet every man at the table hangs on his every syllable.

Arousal and pride mix hotly in my belly. This is my Daddy: the man who spanks me, bathes me, holds me through the night, and he is reducing hardened Bratva generals to attentive silence with nothing but his presence and his mind.

When Maxim mentions that Paolo is likely to head for protection over the border with the cartels at the first sign of real trouble, something inside me snaps.

I can’t stay silent.

I stand up.

The generals shift, several of them frowning. One older man with a scarred cheek actually grumbles audibly. Maxim’s gaze snaps to me, but he raises a hand, silencing the room instantly.

“Speak,” he says, voice steady.

I take a breath, trying to keep my voice clear. “My uncle has a secret house upstate. A coastal property. It’s been the Lentini family’s hidden base for over fifty years. He thinks no one outside the inner circle knows about it. It’s heavily guarded, but if he’s planning to run, that’s where he’ll go first.”

The room is dead silent for a second. Then more grumbling breaks out… low, skeptical murmurs from a couple of the generals.

Kobek leans forward. “Have you ever been there?”

“Once. As a kid. I was maybe nine or ten. My father took me there for a weekend. I don’t remember the exact route, but I think I could recognize the area if I saw a map. The house is right on the cliffs, with a private dock.”

Maxim’s eyes meet mine, intense and approving. “Kobek, find the location. ASAP. Use every resource we have. Milo will help.”

Kobek nods sharply and starts typing on his laptop.

I sit back down, heart pounding. I feel proud, really proud, that I could contribute something useful to Maxim’s side. To our side.

But I also notice the way two of the older generals are looking at me. Disgruntled. Almost resentful. It’s like a boy, especially a Lentini, shouldn’t be speaking in this room at all.