Mina’s so-called father—strained against the ropes that bound him to the chair. His face was flushed with panic, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he tried to free himself, but the knots were tight and unyielding. His eyes darted around the room, searching for any way out, but there was none.
“Let me go!” he shouted, his voice trembling with fear. “You don’t know who I am! You have no idea who you’re messing with!”
Leo’s presence in the doorway was like a cold gust of wind. He stepped forward slowly, his eyes locked on the man, his expression unreadable. 
The silence that followed was thick with tension, the only sound the man’s frantic breathing and the soft click of Leo’s shoes on the concrete floor.
The man’s eyes widened in recognition, and for the first time, a flicker of fear passed across his face. “Wait… you—you’re Leo Salvatore!” He gasped, panic flooding his veins. “I—I know you! I know your name! You’re the mafia boss of New York! You can’t do this to me—do you have any idea who I am?”
Leo’s lips curled into a smirk, but it was a cold, unforgiving expression. “You think your connections will save you?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous. “You think anyone cares about who you know? No one’s coming for you.”
The man’s eyes darted nervously, and he twisted in his seat, clearly desperate. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with. Let me go, and I swear, you’ll regret it. I can make things right! I know people, important people. I can—”
“Enough!” Leo’s voice cut through the man’s rambling like a whip. He stepped closer, his figure looming over the tied-up man. “You’re going to tell me everything. Starting with how you were involved in Mina’s kidnapping.”
The man stopped mid-sentence, his eyes flicking from Leo’s unblinking stare to the surrounding room, the darkened corners where other members of Leo’s crew stood silently, waiting for orders. He swallowed hard, and for a moment, there was nothing but the sound of his pulse pounding in his ears.
“I—I didn’t want to hurt her,” he stammered, his words shaky. “I was just following orders. Someone… someone powerful told me to take her. He said it was for the money, for the leverage… It wasn’t supposed to go this far.”
Leo leaned in, his voice becoming colder, more dangerous. “Who gave you those orders?”
The man’s eyes darted around, clearly torn between saving himself and exposing those behind it all. But fear ultimately won out. “I don’t know his real name, but they call him ‘The Broker.’ He’s behind everything. 
He made the deal with me, arranged the whole thing. He promised me money… power…” The man’s voice cracked, and his face twisted in fear. “I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice. He’s too dangerous. He controls everything—he knows everything.”
Leo’s gaze hardened, the blood in his veins growing colder with every word. “The Broker,” he muttered under his breath, his mind already racing through the implications. “Where can I find him?”
The man shook his head frantically, panic evident in his eyes. “I don’t know! He’s always one step ahead. I only met him once—never saw his face, just his voice over the phone. He’s untouchable, Leo. You can’t get to him, not like this.”
Leo stepped back, his expression grim. He turned to Marco, who had been standing silently in the shadows, watching the scene unfold. Marco gave him a brief nod, signaling that they would need to dig deeper, trace the calls, the connections. But Leo didn’t need that. He was already thinking ahead, considering the people who might be behind this—people who were willing to go to any lengths to get what they wanted.
“I’ll get to him,” Leo said, his voice calm but filled with icy determination. “And when I do, he won’t be able to hide.”
The man’s voice quivered in the silence. “You don’t know what you’re up against, Leo… You don’t understand what you’re really getting into…” His words trailed off as Leo’s men moved forward, preparing to handle the rest.
Leo paused, his back still to the man. “I’ve been in worse situations,” he said quietly, without turning around. “And I’ve always come out on top.”
The room was thick with tension as Leo stood over the man, his voice low and dangerously calm. "From now on, you’ll leave Mina alone," he ordered, his eyes like ice.
The man, still tied to the chair, spat out a curse, his expression defiant despite his predicament. "I can’t do that," he muttered through gritted teeth. "I’ve been taking money from The Broker every month... I was promised that I’d keep Mina under my watch. I have no choice."
Leo’s patience snapped. "You’ve been getting money to raise her, but instead, you’ve been using her. You’ve been exploiting her for your own gain." Leo’s kick landed squarely on the man’s chest, sending him crashing backwards, still bound to the chair. 
He struggled to breathe, coughing, but Leo’s cold eyes never wavered.
His men quickly hauled the man back to an upright position, their movements swift and efficient. 
Leo, however, remained calm, lighting a cigarette to steady his nerves. The weight of the situation was heavy, but Leo wasn’t about to let this piece of scum ruin Mina’s life. 
He knew the man would never stop. 
Money wouldn’t keep him away, not when he realized that Mina had landed a high-paying job. This was about power and control—and Leo wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from her.
"Marco," Leo ordered without turning to look at his right-hand man. "Teach him a lesson. A proper one."
Marco nodded, his face expressionless as he approached the man. 
They moved quickly, binding him in an upside-down position, hanging him by his legs. The man squirmed and cried out, but Leo remained silent, watching as Marco delivered a brutal, measured series of blows to the man’s stomach.
The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed through the room, but Leo didn’t flinch. 
He didn’t need to. 
The man’s whimpering filled the space, each strike knocking the air out of him. This wasn’t about revenge—it was about ensuring that Mina would never be in danger again.
...
thia complete story available in amazon kindle and googleplaybook