Page 97 of Knocked Up by My Dad's Mafia Boss

I gape at him. “You don’t know that, Elio.”

“I know Ricci has no more access to my inner circle.”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t recruit one of your allies.”

“I trust everyone I’m inviting.” He gives me a hard look. “I know you aren’t suggesting I’d do anything to compromise my daughter’s safety.”

I feel like I’m losing my mind. Does he not see how dangerous this is? “Of course not, but–”

“I don’t tolerate ‘buts,’ Dante,” he says, voice thunderous.”You used to know that.”

Elio can be a hothead at times, and I’m pushing his buttons. I can’t seem to stop. “She’s twenty-five fucking years old, why is she thinking about settling down in the first place?”

Elio throws up his hands, frustrated. “Why are you so worried about this, Dante? You’re not her father.”

My mouth closes with a snap. “I won’t support this. I won’t be here.”

“Yes the fuck you will.” Elio glares at me and then softens slightly, sighing. “I know you had a rough night.”

A rough night. You have no fucking idea.“That’s not what this is about.”

“Then what is it about, Dante? That young girl of yours? Because Samantha isn’t her.”

My heart stutters and any protests I had die in my throat. “It’s not,” is all I can manage.

“I know she’s got you twisted up,” Elio says quietly.

Guilt rockets through me and I look down at my nearly empty plate. He’s right, though. She does.

“But I need you here to watch over her. Just in case youareright and I’m being an idiot.”

I snort out a laugh. “Do I get to say I told you so?”

“As long as you keep my little girl safe, you can say whatever the hell you want.”

“I’ll always keep Samantha safe.”

It feels good not to lie to him, because that’s the God’s honest truth. I almost feel like I’m standing outside my body, looking in on the breakfast table.

Elio smiles. “Good. That’s why you’ll be at the party tonight.”

I choke again, coughing. Elio claps me on the back. “Tonight?” I rasp.

“Yeah, tonight, remember? It’s the sixth.”

My days are blurring together. That’s not like me. But I haven’t been acting like myself in a long time. Maybe since I fell in love with Samantha.

“Jesus,” I mutter, but Elio doesn’t react.

“So you’ll be here?”

“I’ll be here.”

My voice goes flat, but Elio doesn’t seem to notice. He stands, smiling. “Maybe I’ll talk to Olivia. See if she’ll set you up with someone.”

“Yeah.” I’m barely listening. Elio whistles as he stands and walks out.

Tonight should be a fucking blast. I head upstairs mechanically, try to lose myself in a new Western novel I’d picked up at the drugstore.