Kiss de La Notte - Book III (Mafia Romance)

Chapter Two: The Devil's Breakfast

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Happy Tuesday! :)

I was already finished with this chapter so I figured I'd just post it!!! Please vote & leave me a zillion comments to read to show your love!! I can't wait to read them all! :D

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"Good morning, Papà," I said, kissing my father's cheek. I grabbed the glass vase at the center of the table and poured his orange juice like I always did, before sitting across from him at the breakfast table.

Dad was always up earlier than Mia and I and was already dressed for the day in his usual dress shirt and slacks. My father looked younger than his nearly forty-five age and took pride in his appearance, which often lead to my friends having weird crushes on him. I got my olive toned complexion and curly dark brunette hair from his Tuscany roots and my mother's bright honey brown eyes. Mia and I both had almost the same eyes as Mamma. Both my parents were immigrants from Italy.

"Good morning, cuore mio," Papà said, and I immediately caught on to his disheartened tone. "Did you sleep well?"

If "sleeping well" meant tossing and turning in utter anxiety all night long after raising a gun to one of my father's-mafia's-friends, then yes, I had slept extremely well.

"Like a baby," I said brightly. I even added a smile. "I was up studying pretty late, though."

Dad's usual breakfast of two eggs and two pieces of toast were untouched. Meanwhile, Mia, sitting directly beside him, slathering her hash browns in ketchup.

"Mia, that's way too much ketchup," I scorned her.

"Did I ask your opinion?" Mia sassed, making my mouth pop open.

"Bada coma parli, nell amia casa, Mia," Dad warned. You watch your mouth in my house, Mia. My father was normally extremely lenient with Mia, much more than he was with me, which only lead me to further paranoia that he was upset. And I had a feeling I knew what it was.

"Sorry, Korinna," Mia mumbled, very sadly buttering her toast.

"Is something the matter, Papà?" I asked.

Dad lowered his newspaper so that I could see his face. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept the whole night, either. "You tell me. Is there a reason I might be upset this morning?"

Mia quietly set down the butter knife, appearing uncomfortable.

I swallowed a dry lump in my throat, unable to look my father in the eyes.

"What you did last night is unacceptable," my father began.

"I can explain––"

Papà silenced me instantly with a calm raise of his hand. "No, no, I was not finished. I had organized a last-minute but important meeting last night. I reached out to another mafia to potentially build an alliance. The La Notte's."

A drop of dread landed in my stomach at the name.

The La Notte's were a powerful mafia in the drug industry. Lazzarro La Notte was so rich and well-connected that he was virtually untouchable.

"With the looming threat of our rivals, I took the risk to make a deal with Lazzarro La Notte," Papà continued, as I felt a wave of nausea roll through me. "Their empire has much more money and manpower than mine, but Lazzarro is envious of the Romano's territory. His son arrived last night on his behalf, since Lazzarro is traveling."