His Kryptonite

Chapter 19

Michael's POV

I look up at Laila, and she remains motionless, her expression empty as if she's seen a ghost. "Laila, come here," I urge her, but her gaze remains fixed on the lifeless man on the floor. Her entire body trembles like a leaf in the wind. I reckon she's in shock, so I lift her and carry her to my car, before the chaotic situation unfolds.

I place her on the passenger side, and she doesn't make a single move. After securing her seatbelt and closing her door, I settle into the driver's seat and drive away.

Before long, my phone starts incessantly ringing and buzzing. I only answer Renato's call, holding the phone to my ear to shield Laila from any conversation.

"Renato," I greet.

"Mike, Mike, Mike," he sighs heavily.

"Give me the update."

"We're trying to diffuse the situation, but it's turning into a damn war. Where are you?" Renato asks, his voice filled with evident confusion.

"I have something to take care of. That son of a bitch had it coming, Renato," I say, glancing briefly at Laila, who hasn't made a single movement or sound throughout the ordeal.

"Some people witnessed what went down, and that's the only reason chaos hasn't erupted yet. But Mike, killing the guy?! He was one of Vinnie's capos! Yeah, he shouldn't have laid a hand on one of our women like that, but the girl, she was single, no wedding ring. You could have roughed him up, but killing him?! You know that's not how we operate. This is a serious problem, man."

Renato's right, but the truth is, if I hadn't seen the terror in Laila's eyes, I would have pumped even more bullets into that man's skull. I know we're not supposed to kill for these reasons. Married women are off-limits, but there are no rules when it comes to single women. It's better for them to be accompanied when venturing outside because, in our line of work, most men are driven by greed and lack self-control—they take what they want.

When I went to talk to Gabriella earlier and realized Laila was missing, despite her entire damn family still being inside the venue, I immediately started searching for her. When I heard her scream, something dark took over me, and when I saw that guy forcing himself on her, I didn't hesitate. I pulled out my gun and shot him right in the head. And I'd do it again without a second thought because I couldn't live with that bastard still breathing after violating what's mine in such a way.

"Just try to calm things down for a little while," I request of Renato.

"I'm doing my best, but Vinnie is livid and demanding answers. Gabriella told him she saw you with that girl earlier, and it seemed like you two were close. Vinnie wants to know what's going on."

"He'll get his answers, just not right now!" I snap, growing irritated. I know I'm in deep trouble, and the situation doesn't look good. I killed a high-ranking member of the Gambini clan, and all for a girl who isn't even married, with whom I seem to have a close connection. Meanwhile, I'm engaged to Gabriella Gambini. I always knew my obsession with Laila would land me in trouble, but this is on a whole other level. I might have just ignited a full-blown war between the Rizzuto and Gambini families, nothing short of catastrophic. If a war breaks out between these two clans, the entire region will be soaked in blood in no time.

Now, I have to find a safe house for Laila, considering she's caught up in the middle of this whole mess. I can't take any chances because the Gambinis might decide to seek revenge on her—the girl who caused their capo's demise. I have zero trust in Francisco and her brothers. After all, they were the ones who should have been looking after her, yet they were comfortably seated inside the venue while she was being fucking assaulted outside. There's no way in hell I'm entrusting them with Laila's protection.