His Mafia Prince
Chapter 236: Paying Our Respects

Chapter 236: Paying Our Respects

(TYLER)

"I can stretch the pancake batter if you need," Fabio peeps. He’s a sweet kid, but he would really never going to make a gangster.

I follow Marco back through to the door, where Giulio is blocking it, hands up on the frame, leaning out a little towards the stoop, holding a conversation.

"Boss is fine," he’s saying. "And I am not going to interrupt his beauty sleep."

"Don’t try to fucking think, Giulio," comes the wheezy reply. "Your Boss don’t pay you to think. We’re here to pay our respects to the Capo, so get the fuck out the way and let us inside."

"No can do," Giulio says back calmly, just as I arrive and peek under his arm. Just as I thought, based on the croak, it’s Leandro Castillo, and Pietro Alvarado is with him. They’re two very powerful men in their own rights, Bosses of their own Italian Mafia Families, and I’m pretty damn impressed with Giulio standing his ground like he is.

I wonder how these two sniffed out Sasha’s location—but gossip among city mobsters is always rife, and Alvarado and Castillo are the closest thing we have to friends among the Families.

"Pietro," I say with a nod, "and Leandro. To what do we owe the pleasure?" "We heard Don Sasha got let out of the hospital," Pietro Alvarado says. "We’re here to pay our respects."

They’re here to see with their own eyes just how close to death Sasha really is. And behind them, massing like a mini-army, are their multiple bodyguards.

One of them smirks at Giulio, who sneers back.

I’m torn. On the one hand, I don’t want to give these hyenas what they’re looking for. They think the lion’s been brought down and they’ve come to feast on his corpse. On the other hand, they are important allies to the Adonis Family. Even Marco knows that, which is why he came to get me to deal with them.

"It’s very early," I point out severely, and they exchange glances. "Sasha’s still upstairs. We had a...busy start to the morning, if you know what I mean."

That gets them. The merest suggestion of what Sasha and I might be getting up to tends to turn the old mobsters into pearl-clutchers.

"But," I go on, "I guess you could come in, and I’ll let Sasha know you’re here. If he’s not too busy to see you, and if you can wait on him."

I’m gambling on the idea that they won’t like the thought of hanging around, waiting for Sasha to take his sweet time getting ready to see them.

"No, no," Alvarado says, waving his hand around, and my heart lifts as I see my strategy working. "You’re right. We’re intruding far too early. Our apologies."

"Hold up, now, Pietro. The kid’s inviting us in," Leandro Castillo coaxes. "And we came all this way. Why not go in and wait a little?" He gives an appreciative sniff. "Smells like breakfast’s on the table, too, eh?"

I clear my throat. "Sure is," I say with a bright smile. "Pancakes. Scrambled eggs for those who want it. Maybe some bacon, if Fabio has any in the fridge."

Alvarado and Castillo exchange a look. "Alright," Alvarado says slowly. "If we’re welcome."

"Of course," I say, opening my eyes wide. "Family’s family, right? Of course, your men will have to wait outside. Policy," I add with an apologetic smile. "But I do promise, Don Alvarado, Don Castillo: you’re quite safe in here."

Alessi doesn’t like it. Alvarado just shrugs. "I trust your men like my own," he says, and steps over the threshold. After a backward glance and a muttered Italian command to the bodyguards, Castillo follows.

Only once they’re inside do they see Marco, skulking behind me in the shadows like something out of a nightmare.

"You remember Marco, right?" I say to them.

Marco steps forward with a wild grin. "Sure, they remember me," he says, and I think Marco enjoys the expression of shock on their faces as much as I do. There’s a long pause, and then Pietro Alvarado, with a growing grin, extends his left hand to shake Marco’s.

"Of course, of course," he says. "Good to see you again."

Castillo gives a mumbled greeting and pretends not to see the hand Marco extends.

"Giulio, maybe you could take their coats and pat them down," I say, "and then show them into the sitting room. Once Fabio’s finished—"

"Pat us down?" Leandro Castillo rasps. "Now, that ain’t no way to treat your guests, Tyler."

"Policy," I say firmly. There’s no fucking way I’m letting these two get any further into the house with weapons.

"Oh, just let them in, baby. I’m sure my two greatest allies aren’t here to do me harm, hm?"

We all turn as one to stare up at the landing of the staircase, where Sasha has paused at the head of the stairs. He’s tying his robe shut, the scarlet silk robe I love seeing him in because it’s so damn dramatic, with his initials embroidered in gold thread on the breast pocket. At least the vibrant red is putting a little colour in his cheeks.

I dart to the bottom of the stairs but he pins me with his eyes and I freeze.

"I’m sorry if we woke you," I say, and then I give him a fierce glare. Go back to bed.

"Not at all," he says, turning his gaze on Alvarado and Castillo. "Pietro. Leandro. How kind of you to come over. But there’s really nothing at all to worry about." He begins to descend the staircase, and I hold my breath the entire way. He’s slow, but in a way that reads ambling rather than in agonizing pain, and the silence when he reaches the foot of the stairs tells me I’m not the only one standing there in complete shock.

"Don Sasha," Alvarado says at last, his voice slightly rough with relief. "We heard such terrible things—"

"You should never listen to gossip," Sasha says with a contemptuous smile. "Surely at your age you know better, Pietro?"

"I should," he says sincerely, and turns to Castillo. "We should both know better. Come on, Leandro. Don Sasha’s husband was right; it’s too early for visiting. We’re intruding."

"Not at all," Sasha says, in a way that means exactly the opposite.

Castillo seems too taken aback to do much more than mutter a goodbye, and then Giulio escorts them to the front door. Castillo finds his voice at the doorway and turns to call, "We’ll be back to see you soon, Don Sasha. To discuss business, eh?"

Sasha waves a hand in part acknowledgment and part impatience. "Of course. Next time give me time to dress, first."

Alvarado just about drags his compatriot out the door, and we all watch through the reinforced glass panel in the door as they disappear down the stoop.

I turn to Sasha, about to demand an explanation, but I only just have time to notice the sweat breaking out on his brow before he stumbles forward and collapses into my arms.

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