Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

M assimo

H er confession caught me off guard for a moment, but when I took a calming breath, I realized that it wasn't completely out of left field. I'd ripped her from her life and thrust her knee-deep into mine, without much preparation other than just confessing I was kingpin to one of the most powerful families in Italy and then that was that.

It would throw anyone for a loop.

But despite everything, she hadn't run. She hadn't even tried to pull away from me. Instead, she was right here wanting to know more. With a slow-growing grin, I realized that she was stronger than I had given her credit for.

Maybe she was more than just my best friend's daughter.

Maybe she could be something great …

Time would tell, but right now, it was too soon. Right now, I couldn't allow myself the distraction.

"What do you want to know?" I asked, cocking my head.

She hesitated, searching my eyes for a moment. "Everything. How it all works, who your enemies are, and who my father really was to you. I want to know what it's like being a kingpin. Are you like ‘The Godfather'? Or is it like something else?"

I nodded, appreciating her directness. She wasn't shaking or backing down from this. Instead, she was showing me every bit of her strength, which was far more arousing than I was prepared for.

"Alright, if you want to know more, I'll tell you. I'll start from the beginning. My family has been involved in various businesses for generations. Legitimate enterprises on the surface, but there's always been another layer. Control, influence, protection—those are the real currencies in my world. Some of these are on the books. Most of them are not. I've controlled much of the country for years and my power continues to grow with every passing day."

She nodded, processing this information, and taking it all in without showing a hint of fear. She didn't even falter for a second and my cock hardened because of it.

Damn, she was so fucking sexy right now.

"Who are your enemies? Anyone that might target my father because of you?" she pressed.

"Rival families, corrupt officials, anyone who thinks they can take what I've built. I'm not sure who yet, but I've got men on it," I replied.

"You mentioned my father laundered money for you, but who really was he to you?" she asked.

"Your father was more to me than just any associate. He was like a brother to me. We grew up together, and he was one of the few people I could trust completely. He helped me build and protect this empire. When I took over, he was by my side. He kept me grounded and was a voice of reason when things got intense," I explained.

Every word was the truth. Marco was my best friend and he'd been there for me throughout the years through thick and thin. I trusted him with my life. She listened intently, her eyes never leaving mine. My cock only got harder.

"So, he was deeply involved," she murmured.

"Yes," I confirmed. "But he always did it with the intention of protecting his family, including you. He made sure you were kept away from all of this, that you had a normal life, and that you were happy."

Sofia nodded slowly, processing everything at her own pace. "And now I'm smack dab in the middle of it." She paused for a moment before clearing her throat. "I met Leo and Stefano."

"Good. You can trust the two of them. They will guard your life as if it were their own," I replied.

"Will they help free my father?" she questioned.

"Yes. Absolutely," I answered her.

"I want to help too," she pushed. "But I think first things first; we should pay him a visit."

As much as I didn't want to admit it, she was right. More than anything else though, I wanted to see what she would do, what questions she would ask—everything, really.

With a nod, I offered her my arm and led her out of my office. If she wanted to visit her father, I would take her and I would make sure she saw him, no matter how many hands I had to slip money into to do it.