Tricks Of Passion

Chapter 20

"What!?" I sputtered.

The serious look on his face cracked, a huge grin appearing. "I'm just kidding. Honestly I'm appalled by your reaction."

"Don't joke like that, I thought I was suffering from memory loss or something."

His face got serious once again. "The truth is far worse than that."

I leaned forward, urgently. "What is it?"

He leaned forward as well. "You're my wife, Ow!" He glared at me as I pulled my hand back. I wasn't one for violence but he brought that on himself.

"You play too much."

"Doesn't mean you have to smack me, I'm just trying to lighten the mood." He got up from the table going back into the kitchen. I think I may have bruised his ego a bit. I doubt women slap him often, even though they should. I took a sip of my drink while I waited for him to return. He came back into the room but not fully, choosing to lean against the doorframe. "I'm dangerous Sophia."

I rolled my eyes. Dangerously handsome, but I didn't dear say that out loud. "Good to know."

He sighed. "I'm done beating around the Bush. I'm part of the mafia, actually I'm next in line to take over."

"Of course you are, that would explain all the money." I replied, sarcasm dripping off of every word.

He pushed off the wall walking towards me. "I'm glad you don't believe me, as long as I was honest."

"So you really expect me to believe you're part of the mafia? Are you insane?" I asked the moment he sat across from me again.

"I don't expect anything from you, I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Keep me safe from who? Why did those people shoot at us? Well me, I did nothing to them!"

He studied me."I know Deblanco is not your last name, I had my people check into it the moment I hired you."

I sucked in a breath, there's no way he knows. "W-what?"

He cocked his head to the side, studying me. "I don't like being made a fool, but I understand why you did it."

I shook my head.  "You can't know..."

"Why do you hide?" His question confused me. If he truly knows my last name then he knows why I did it.

"Why do you think? I don't want to go around being known as the girl who's father killed hundreds of people!"

"You don't know your family history, do you?" He reached out like he was about to touch me, then moved back. "Your dad killed those people because he was part of a mafia, it's what we do."

I laughed, a full blown belly laugh in his face. "It's one thing to think you're in the mafia but to claim my dad was as well is absurd. He was just a man that went crazy."

He sighed."Your dad owned his own mafia, the  De Luca's. Which is your real last name, correct?"

"That means nothing." I was a bit shaken up that he really did know my last name. He spoke of it so casually, like it wasn't connected to a string of murders.

"It means way more than you know. Those people weren't shooting at me today, they were aiming at you."

I shot up from my seat. "You're wrong! No one knows who I am. Except your stalker ass. " I yelled down at him. He stood up to his full height, now towering me.

"They know because of me. It's why I have to protect you."

I took a step back, putting space between us. "You told people?"

"No, my father did." He walked around the table, starting to pace. "I didn't know but the moment we left he started doing research of his own. He found out who you really were and started sending me threats."

"He threatened you? For what?"

"You may not believe your father was in the mafia but he was. One of the strongest in the US. He started it long ago, one of the youngest to run a mafia. He was worshipped so much that they referred to him as the king. Now that he's dead that all goes to you, his only heir."

"What goes to me?" I was afraid to hear his answer.

He stopped, finally make eye contact with me. "His empire and everything he owns is now yours. You're now a mafia princess."

I scoffed. "If that's true then why haven't I received anything?"

"All you have to do is make a phone call."

"A phone call to who?"

He grabbed his phone off the table, scrolling through his contacts. Once he found the number he was looking for he handed the phone to me.

I took it hesitantly, listening as it rang. "Hello?" My eyebrows knitted in confused at the voice.

"Mom?"