AUCTIONED TO HER DAD’S MAFIA ENEMIES: A MAFIA AGE-GAP REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE (AUCTIONED SERIES Book 4)

TYING LOOSE ENDS

The deserted lot is silent except for the distant hum of the city, the kind of place where deals are struck, and bodies are buried. The headlights cast long shadows across the cracked asphalt, illuminating the other convoy as they pull in—a sleek, black car followed by two more, their windows tinted, their engines humming low.

From the second the doors open, the men on both sides move with precision. My soldiers step forward first, meeting Alphonso’s halfway, weapons visible but not raised, a show of strength without the promise of immediate bloodshed. It’s protocol, a delicate dance of power and caution. I step out of the car and the gravel crunches beneath my polished leather shoes as I walk to meet Alfonso Mesina in the center of the lot.

Mesina rolls his shoulders, his expression impassive but his dark eyes sharp as they fix on me. He’s older, near sixty, with silver at his temples and lines carved deep into his face, each one earned through blood and betrayal. He’s ruled his empire with an iron fist for decades, and he didn’t get here by letting slights go unanswered. My father had a lot of respect for the man but warned me about his temper and his black-and-white thinking.

“Luca.” His voice is calm and measured. “I assume you have an explanation for why my man has disappeared into the hands of your family.”

I hold his gaze, my own mask of indifference firmly in place. “Enzo broke the rules.”

His brow lifts slightly. “And what rules are those?”

“He ordered a hit on my family without consulting you. Without sanction.”

Mesina exhales slowly, shaking his head like a disappointed father. “Enzo was a made man, and the hit was on a member of his family.”

“Enzo doesn’t care about family. He killed his own brother.”

“Carlo?”

“This trouble, it’s Lambretti, not Mesina.”

The older man studies me for a long moment, his face unreadable. “Who killed him?”

I tilt my head slightly, my lips pressing into a thin line. Silence is my answer.

Mesina nods once as if he expected no less. “And what of his crew?”

“Some are dead. The rest are making their peace with God.”

He exhales through his nose, considering his options. He knows I’ve done what had to be done, but there’s still a matter of respect—an insult that needs to be balanced. Blood demands blood, but money? Money can smooth superficial wounds.

I reach into my coat pocket, pulling out a small, folded document. “The Venturi Construction project on the East Side. Five percent of the development profits, untaxed.”

Mesina takes the paper, unfolds it, and scans it with the careful eye of a man who knows every number has meaning. Five percent is generous enough to make him think. It’s enough to keep him away from Aemelia. His silence stretches, heavy in the cold night air.

Then, he folds the document and tucks it into his jacket. “Enzo,” he says after a beat, “will be remembered as a man who broke omertà.”

I nod slightly, understanding. A neat lie. A public reason for his execution that will keep Mesina’s name clean and prevent unnecessary bloodshed between our families. It’s a move that benefits us both.

Mesina clasps his hands behind his back, his eyes flicking to mine once more. “And the girl?”

The temperature drops between us. My body tenses before I can stop it, but he catches the shift, his lips curving in the barest hint of amusement.

“She’s not up for discussion,” I say, my voice cool and final.noveldrama

Mesina watches me for a beat longer, then chuckles softly, shaking his head. “Careful, Luca. A man like you… caring about something too much can make you weak.”

I step closer, my voice dropping to a sinister whisper. “Or it can make me more dangerous.”

The amusement fades from his face, replaced by calculation. Then, with a slight nod, he steps back. “Your father was a passionate man.”

“We all have our passions,” I say. “Some keep their passions to one woman. Some like to keep a goomar.” I meet his gaze. “It’s better for all if we keep women out of this business.”

He focuses on the middle distance, showing no reaction to my words, then nods. Aemelia’s little secret has come in very useful, a way to put him on the backfoot. “Pleasure, as always, Venturi.”

We turn at the same time, walking back to our cars as our men fall into formation behind us. No more words are exchanged, no pleasantries. The deal is done. The balance is restored.

As I slide into the back seat, the door is closed behind me, and Alexis starts the engine. I stare out the window as the city lights blur past, my fingers tightening into a fist.

Mesina thinks Aemelia is a weakness. He has no idea she’s the reason I’ve never felt stronger.