The Mafia Boss Refused to Pick a Woman—Until His Dog Lay Down at a Poor Waitress's Feet

The figure moved with terrifying, fluid silence.

Willa’s heart slammed against her ribs. She pulled Penny tighter against her chest, shielding the little girl with her own body, her eyes scanning the hallway for a weapon—anything to fight with.

"Relax, little waitress," a smooth, venomous voice cut through the dark. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have made it past the elevator."

A man stepped into the dim amber light of the corridor. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored navy suit, but his face was twisted into a cruel, sneering smile. It was Barrett—the high-ranking syndicate lieutenant who had humiliated her in the ballroom hours earlier.

"Barrett," Willa breathed, her voice hardening with quiet fury. "What are you doing in the family wing? This is restricted access."

Barrett took another slow step forward, his polished Italian leather shoes clicking softly against the hardwood. His eyes flicked down to Penny, who buried her face in Willa’s shoulder, trembling slightly.

"Restricted access?" Barrett chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "Sweetheart, I helped build this empire while Kendrick was still fighting turf wars in Brooklyn. There is no part of this building I can't enter."

He stopped five feet away, his gaze shifting back to Willa with a predatory gleam.

"I've been thinking about you, waitress," Barrett purred, stepping closer. "A nobody from the streets suddenly lands the golden ticket into the Ashford inner circle because a mutt licked her boots? I don't buy it. Nobody gets this close to Kendrick without an agenda. Are you working for the Morettis? Or did the FBI finally plant a rat in our kitchen?"

"You're insane," Willa said, her voice shaking slightly, not from fear, but from the rising tide of anger. "I don't know anything about the FBI or rival syndicates. I was serving canapés to pay my electric bill!"

"Save the act," Barrett snapped, his polite veneer cracking instantly. He reached out with a heavy, manicured hand, grabbing Willa by the upper arm and hauling her to her feet, wrenching her away from Penny.

"Don't touch her!" Willa gasped, wincing as his fingers dug into her flesh.

"You listen to me," Barrett hissed, leaning in close so his face was inches from hers. "You are a temporary distraction. A toy for the boss's traumatized kid. If you know what's good for you, you will pack your bags tomorrow morning, tell Kendrick you can't handle the job, and disappear back into the gutter. Because if you stay... I promise you won't survive the week."