The Mafia's Silent Keeper

u

he penthouse office looked out over the city ,sleek towers, blinking lights, streets that n

thing about this life was

. Rival families waited for one misstep, one sign that the Martellis were slipping

Not fear. Just... fatigue. The kind that seeps into your bones when you

I know the difference between an accident and a message. He was gutted like

trol like she was born for it. If our last name had been in a different line of business, maybe she'd have been the Don. Hell, maybe she still could be if it weren't for the ol

The only one who knows how much I

there's

and fought even though she had no chance. She reminded me of someone I used to be. Before the rul

as someth

ail material. Access to billions stored off-the-books, buried under layers of dead men's codes. C

told her that when she woke up, half-daze

e," I said calmly. "Think of

"And who the hell

Mart

but I could see she didn't q

quietly. "No roommates. No sibli

r eyes. "How do

watched her. She hat

t home. You're not in danger. You're not a hostage. But we're roomma

l this roommating? Kidnapping

inch. "It's

know how

o her mother. To her friends, I wrote: "I need space right now. Things are overwhelmin

ply said: "I'll call

ns from spiraling. She lived alone, kept to herself

d no clue what she was caught in the middle of. Miuccia didn't like risks.

ice things. She'd start asking the wrong qu

et that f

o make her

I realized trust alone wouldn't be enough.

own, stood, and pa

ria

h. But it kept surfacing in every conversatio

eft her a digital breadcrumb

ed meant

erable m

to someone powerful enough t

e, staring at the lights like they held answe

always three steps ahead

use I

r, dry-eyed, chin raised. "

ow. "I didn't

et

ed between us,

e Reed, they can drag you through courts, kidnap you, use your

y now. "So this

. "It's abou

enched. "C

There's a

oser. "And what do

Then told h

father left behind. And I get to ke

honesty, but from the fact

an ass

re. You just d

wedding? That part of the pitch c

Just protection. Legal and absolute. You'll keep going to class. Kee

s searching for something hu

f I sa

to your mother first. Becau

rted, breat

l you want, Cassie. Just do

, leaving her with the s

uld sa

world, love wasn

ction