Blood and Bonds

CHAPTER 9: Eyes in the Shadows

The woman in red moved through the crowded club like a shark through water deliberately, dangerous, turning heads but touching no one. 

Santino watched her approach, cataloging details. Diamond earrings, no other jewelry. Manicured hands, no rings. Eyes that missed nothing.

"You're staring," she said, stopping before him.

Santino didn't blink. "So were you."

"I was assessing." Her accent was pure Paris, her smile anything but. "You're Santino Leandro."

Not a question. Santino kept his expression neutral. "And you are?"

"Disappointed." She signaled the bartender, who brought her champagne without being told what she wanted. "Salvatore promised me someone impressive. Instead, I get a street dealer from Naples."

"If you know where I'm from, you know I'm more than that."

"Are you?" She sipped her drink. "Men always think they're more than they are."

Santino studied her. Beautiful, yes, but beauty was common in places like this. Power was the perfume she wore. The easy command, the watchful eyes beneath lowered lashes.

"You work for Salvatore," he guessed. She laughed mockingly. "Salvatore works for me."

"And you work for El Amore."nThe laughter stopped as Something cold flickered in her eyes. "We should go somewhere quieter."

She turned without waiting for his answer, expecting him to follow. Santino hesitated, then fell into step behind her. They moved through the club, past the dance floor, beyond the VIP section, through a door marked "Private." Security men stepped aside, their eyes forward, seeing nothing.

The room beyond was small but  elegant. Leather chairs, a single desk, walls lined with books no one had read. She closed the door, muting the club's pulse to a distance. 

"Salvatore tells me you're reliable," she said, pouring two drinks from a crystal bottle. "Efficient and Discreet."

"And you are?" Santino repeated, not touching the offered glass.

"Still assessing." She sat, crossing long legs. "They call me Mia."

"They?"

"People who need to call me something." She sipped her drink. "Names are just labels, aren't they? Santino Leandro. Son of Ben Leandro. The Naples Shadow. The Quiet Fixer."

Santino remained standing. "You've done your research."

"We do thorough work here." Mia gestured to the chair opposite hers. "Please, sit. I don't bite. Not immediately though. "

Santino sat, still ignoring the drink. "What does El Amore want with me?"

"Everyone wants someone who can solve problems."

"I solve my own problems."

"And yet, here you are, in another man's club, following a woman you don't know into a private room." Mia leaned forward. "You're looking for something, Santino. Something Naples can't give you."

"And what's that?"

"Power. Real power. Not the kind that controls street corners, but the kind that shapes cities. The kind your father never had." Santino's jaw tightened. "Don't talk about my father."

"Why not? He's the reason you're here." Mia's eyes never left his. "The murdered hitman. The legend. The shadow you can't escape."

"You know nothing about me."

"I know you killed a man at fourteen. I know you built your operation from nothing. I know you've been waiting for something bigger than Naples all your life." She took another sip. "I know you're ready."

"For what?"

"To meet my father." Santino kept his face neutral, but something cold slid down his spine. "Your father."

"El Amore." Mia smiled, the name rolling off her tongue like a caress. "He's been watching you for years. Ever since Salvatore mentioned the boy who never broke, never begged, never ran."

"Why now?"

"Because we need someone like you. Someone who understands that loyalty matters more than blood." She set down her glass. "Someone who can be...family."

The word hung between them, heavy with meaning. Santino had been alone since his father's murder. No family, no real friends. Just allies, employees, enemies.

"And if I'm not interested in joining your family?"

"Then finish your drink and go home." Mia shrugged. "Die in Naples like all the other small men with small dreams. It makes no difference to us."

Santino stood. "I don't respond well to manipulation."

"And yet, you're still here." Mia rose too, close enough that he could smell her perfume jasmine and something darker. "My father wants to meet you tomorrow. Nine PM. Salvatore will bring you."

"And if I don't come?"

She reached up, her fingers brushing his cheek in a touch that wasn't quite a caress. "Then I misjudged you. And I never misjudge."

The door opened. Salvatore stood there, his smile stretching too wide.

"I see you've met Mia," he said, eyes darting between them. "I hope she was welcoming."

"Very." Santino stepped back from her touch. "She says her father wants to meet me."

Salvatore's smile faltered for just a moment. "Yes. A great honor. Few meet El Amore and live to boast of it."

"Is that a threat?"

"A fact." Mia moved past him toward the door. "Nine PM tomorrow, Santino Leandro. Don't be late."mShe left without another glance, taking the room's energy with her.

Salvatore exhaled slowly. "She likes you."

"How can you tell?"

"You're still breathing." He clapped Santino's shoulder. "Come, let's drink. Tomorrow will come soon enough."

But Santino barely heard him, his mind still caught on her words. El Amore. The faceless name that controlled empires. And his daughter, a woman who knew too much about him, who touched him like she already owned him.