The Business Arrangement | Mafia Romance 18+

Chapter Seventeen: The Interlude (🔥spicy)

POV: Henry

Fuck this.

The meeting was a borderline disaster.

Malik saved my ass, but there's no telling if Sofia will actually go through with the wedding.

She's a flight risk at the best of times, despite what her father and brother might think.

Besides, Malik isn't exactly a willing groom. But he knows marrying Sofia will significantly strengthen his power over Memphis.

Hell, having a direct tie to the Chicago outfit means more than just good trade and soldiers on the ground. It means an extensive network of lawyers, politicians, and cops, all in your pocket. And for someone like Malik, who built his empire from the ground up, those things are priceless.

Well, almost.

In this case, marrying Sofia is the price.

Of course, Angelo stands to gain a significant foothold in the south by marrying off his daughter to Malik. He'll have a way to avoid Atlanta when importing drugs from the south. Which means avoiding Russian opposition. Both parties have a vested interest in making sure the wedding is brought to fruition.

But two gang lords against Sofia Vitale?

We'll see what happens...

"You okay?" Maya asks, drawing my attention back to the party. She looks fucking perfect, as usual. And the way she's looking at me makes my dick twitch in anticipation of getting her alone.

"I will be."

Once I'm six inches deep inside of her, that is.

It would be one thing if Malik and Enzo were all there was to worry about.

But thanks to my slip up with Bianchi, I owe Noah a seat at the table.

Literally.

The Ironside Club only accepts new members on a limited basis, when they're nominated by a pre-existing member. Joining the club signifies that you're a major player. With Aleksander, Enzo, and I vouching for the Zhang family, no one would dare oppose their membership.

As for Aleksander, he's an ever-present thorn in my side.

Historically, his men have sided with the Mob when push comes to shove. But siding with the Mob and siding against the Mafia are two different things. He took my side this time, but there's no telling what it'll cost me. And typical of Alek, he didn't want to discuss it.

"Through here," I say, wrapping an arm around Maya's waist. I guide her into an empty hallway, making sure that no one follows us.

"But I thought we were leaving?" she asks. "Isn't the exit back over there?"

"Trust me, princess, we won't be disturbed."

That seems to satisfy her.

She lets me lead her down hall after hall, until we find our way to a series of doors.

"This one."

I turn the handle, and, just like it was labeled, we step into an empty office. The door clicks closed behind us, and I make sure to lock it.

Maya looks around the room, then smiles shyly.

"Do I want to know how you knew this was here?"

"A friend told me about it," I shrug.

I'll have to thank Noah for sending me the building schematics sometime later. Turns out they're not just good for security purposes.

As if thinking the same thing, Maya grabs hold of my shirt and pulls me down towards her. I kiss her roughly, not bothering to restrain myself. We've both been cooped up for hours. No point in acting otherwise.