The Darkest King: A Dark Mafia Romance (The Dark Kings of NYC Book 1)
Chapter 14

Fucking Mia!

Engaged? None of my soldiers have reported seeing her with Connor fucking Barrett. On Saturday night, yes. But not any other time.

I don’t believe it for a second.

Has someone leaked my plans to her? If there is a traitor in my team, they will replace themselves in a pool of blood.

Barrett is a powerful man and very influential, but I need him out of the way. Easier said than done. Getting to him through his tight security and without cameras will be difficult, so I need to think this one through.

Otherwise, he’s going to wreck everything.

I am the next in line to take over the Mancini family. We are the most powerful mafia in New York. In the United States. My father isn’t getting any younger, but I’m getting older.

I’m twenty-six years old and sick of playing second fiddle to the old man. It’s time to take my place on the throne. Wear that ring on my finger.

For the past nine months, I’ve been building relationships and a loyal team to back me when I do.

Yeah, a fucking coup.

I light a cigarette and click my Zippo lighter shut, then pocket it, blowing out a large cloud of smoke. Shoving my other hand in the pocket of my black jacket, I watch as two of my loyal guys kick the shit out of a junkie.

The guy is two months behind in payments, and he came to us wanting more smack.

Is he joking? I know the game now. There is no way this cunt is going to be coming up with the money.

Teeth go flying.

“Enough,” I yell.

I walk over, reach down, and grab a handful of his hair so his bloody eyes are looking at me.

“Five days and I want the money. You got it?” I say, then spit in his face. “No more smack until you have it. Oh, and I see that pretty little wife of yours has a new job on 57^th Street.”

His eyes fly open, and he starts to moan and kick. “No, please don’t touch her—”

“Get me the money, and nothing happens to her. Capise?” I drop his head to the ground, and it bounces.

Piece of shit druggies.

No idea why they fucking touch the stuff. I don’t.

I jut my chin at Sonny, and he rounds up the men, leaving the guy behind. Someone opens my door, and we climb into the black SUV and pull away.

A few minutes later, my phone rings.

“Cade, how’s my wedding planning going?” Salvo Vitale asks.

I shake my head and give Nathan a glance. He’s sitting up front with the driver. Nathan’s new to my team and built like a fucking marine. Which he was.

He turns and smirks at me.

Vitale is an asshole.

But he’s a key player in my plan.

Finding someone disloyal to my father wasn’t as easy as I thought it might be. Vitale, though? He’s a greedy cunt and keen to expand his distribution of snow, diamonds, and girls through New York’s boundaries. For that he needs Mancini permission.

My father denied him.

When I found out, I went to talk with him.

Months of negotiations have landed us here. Vitale gets his shit through our gates. I get a healthy cut. He provides the manpower while I take down my father.

And for that last bit, he gets Mia.

For life.

“Small glitch, but I’ll sort it,” I reply.

“What kind of glitch? I want the girl, Mancini,” Vitale growls through the phone.

I must tell him. Joe said the announcement was going to be made this week, so it’s better Vitale hears it from me first.

“She’s engaged to Connor Barrett, the entrepreneur.”

I pull the phone away from my ear as he curses.

“Let’s head home,” I say to my driver, then put the phone back to my ear, hoping the noise is done. “You done?”

“How the fuck are you going to sort that out? Barrett isn’t some guy. He’s…him,” Vitale says.

I know.

I fucking know.

Of all the men for her to choose. Of all the goddamn timing.

“I’m not going after him,” I reply. “You just do your part. I will bring Mia to you, and you will have your fucking wedding.”

Then I hang up.

Salvo Vitale needs to remember I’ll be the Don very soon and keep his tone in check.

“Nathan, call those girls we had over the other night. I need a blowy.”

He pulls out his phone and starts texting. “You got it.”