Page 58 of Mafia Manipulator


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STEPHANIE

The knock at the door had me glancing up from where I’d been sitting on the couch reading. Miceli had given Kyle and me another day to rest and recuperate before I went back to work. Kyle spent more time in the gym with Benny and the guys, learning new techniques, in case he had to protect us again. I hated this. Hated all the fear. The worry. Hated knowing that at the very moment I sat there, on a couch, doing nothing, someone was inside Miceli’s home and we could all pay the price.

The second knock jolted me out of my stupor. I’d been so caught up in myself, I’d probably stared at the same section of words for the last hour. The book was good too. Putting the reader down, I went to the door. Robbie was there, his expression grim. His features tight. I couldn’t say for sure why his presence panicked me, but I dreaded opening the door the second he knocked again.

“Hey, Princess,” he murmured, as though knowing I wasn’t in any shape to hear what he had to say to me. “I know this is shit timing, but Miceli needs you and Kyle.” He gave me a small reassuring smile. “It’s pretty important.”

“O-Okay,” I muttered. “Did he say what’s happened?” My palms were sweaty. Dread poured through my veins. “Kyle’s with Antonio and Benny.”

“I think if everything works out, you’re going to like who’s here.” The way he said it had me holding my breath. I wanted to be optimistic, but too many times, any promising things Kyle and I might have found turned to ash.

“I don’t want to be given hope,” I said, slipping my sandals on. “Not right now. Not after everything.”

“I know.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we started for the main house. “You could always run away with me.” He gave me a cheesy grin, which made me laugh. “We’d have fun together.”

“I’d love that.”

“But?” He cocked a brow.

“But,” I said, exhaling, “I think I’m in love with Miceli.”

“Kind of figured as much,” Robbie said, stopping to open the door. “It was worth a shot.”

I went to the door to the office while Robbie went to the basement to retrieve Kyle. I knocked first, then opened the door, taken aback by how many people were already inside. The man I knew as Soren was the PI. The second man, he was like a distant memory. Younger, maybe? I couldn’t place him even if my mind said I should know him. Did he work for Miceli? Another one of his bodyguards? “Miceli?”

“Stephanie,” he whispered, crossing to join me. “Where’s Kyle?” He guided me over to the desk where the other two men sat.

“He’s with Benny and Antonio,” I replied.

Miceli frowned. “He should be resting.”

I snorted. “You try telling him that. He’s a pain in my ass.”

Both men, who sat opposite of us, chuckled before Miceli cleared his throat. “You know Soren, but this is FBI Agent Di Angelo.”

Of everything he could have said about the other man, covered in tattoos with brilliant topaz eyes and a dimple in his right cheek, FBI wasn’t one of them. I saw the tattoo on the back of his hand. “Bullshit. You’re not FBI. I know you. I can’t place you because I can’t remember how I know you, but I do. He’s lying, Miceli.”

The man bowed his head. “She is perceptive.” My heart pounded. Miceli promised he wouldn’t harm me but being in the room with two assassins, I was going to die. I already knew it. I’d ran out of usefulness.

“I’m here,” Kyle said, stepping into the office. “What the fuck is this?” He stormed to my side, blocking out Soren’s and Agent Di Angelo’s gazes. “What have you done, Miceli?”

“Well, they’re both fucking smarter than I’d given them credit for,” Agent Di Angelo said. “Shit.”

“We should start from the—”

“No.” I shook my head. “No. You promised, Miceli. You said I was safe here. He’s not safe at all.” The agent looked at me. “I know him. I know what he is. I know what you do. Why? Why did you do this to me? Is what we shared a joke to you? Did you really even care to begin with?”

Miceli grabbed my upper arms and gave me a good shake, throwing me out of the panic state I’d been in. “Settle. Let me get a word in edge wise.”

I didn’t want to. I needed to run, and I should have done it the day of the attempted kidnapping, but I allowed him to use pretty words and my vulnerability against me. Miceli didn’t care about me. I was a means to an end for him. He was probably going to sacrifice me to save his daughter. Hell, if I was in his position, I’d do the same to save my brother.

“I’m not the bad guy, Ms. Hollis,” Agent Di Angelo said. “I promise. I am not here on family business.”

“Sure, you’re not,” I snapped. “You’d say that even if you were.” Everything was spiraling out of control. My life was forfeited now. I was going to die.

“At least she knows not to trust you,” Miceli muttered, then looked at me. “He’s here because of your father.”

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