My five-year-old daughter gave her last bottle of water to an old woman everyone else ignored on a Manhattan sidewalk. The next morning, a Moretti crest appeared on our apartment door, and I realized the stranger Mia had helped was the mother of a Mafia boss.

I couldn't just lay in the dirt and watch a man be executed right in front of my daughter.

I frantically scanned the grass around me and found the heavy brass garden hose nozzle lying near my knee.

I grabbed it tightly and threw it with all my might directly at the back of Marcus's head.

The heavy brass struck him right behind the ear, causing him to stumble wildly and drop his aim.

His assault rifle fired a burst of bullets harmlessly into the expensive dirt.

Adrian used the crucial distraction to sweep his good leg out, kicking Marcus fiercely in the kneecap.

The traitorous security chief collapsed with a howl of pain, and Adrian grabbed the dropped rifle.

He didn't hesitate for a second, firing a single, deafening shot that permanently silenced the traitor.

The remaining Falcone men scrambled for cover behind the stone fountains, returning a chaotic hail of bullets.

"Get up!" Adrian roared, grabbing my jacket with his uninjured arm and pulling me to my feet.

We sprinted blindly through the maze of manicured hedges while bullets ricocheted off the ancient stone statues.

Adrian led us to a fake rock formation at the edge of the property and kicked a hidden panel open.

We tumbled down a short metal chute into a dimly lit, heavily fortified underground safe room.

Adrian slammed the heavy steel blast door shut, spinning the locking wheel with a loud, metallic clank.

He collapsed against the concrete wall, sliding down to the floor, leaving a thick trail of dark blood.

"We are safe here for now, but my blood loss is severe," he gasped, his face completely pale and sweating.

I ripped my flannel shirt into strips and quickly tied a tight tourniquet around his muscular arm.

"Why are they going through all this trouble tonight?" I asked, pressing hard on his terrible wound.

Adrian let out a dark, cynical laugh that turned into a wet, painful cough.

"If I die, Isabella inherits the entire criminal empire automatically, and the Falcones will officially rule New York through her."

The Mafia Boss Asked a Disabled Widow If She Was Okay

“Who taught you those words?”

“SIR... MY MOMMY NEEDS A BOYFRIEND.”

He looked directly into my terrified eyes, his expression utterly serious.

"And if Isabella takes over, the very first thing she will do is bury you and Mia in the foundation of a new casino."

Chapter 6 - The Unlikely Alliance