The Maid’s Three-Year-Old Bathed the Mafia Boss’s Feared Dog—Three Days Later, He Growled at One of His Guards

By eight o'clock that evening, the estate had been placed under absolute military lockdown.

High-powered spotlights illuminated the surrounding pine forests, and dozens of heavily armed guards patrolled the iron perimeter fences.

Inside the warm, firelit library of the main house, Sophia sat on a plush velvet sofa wrapped in a thick cashmere blanket, drinking hot tea. Beside her on the Persian rug lay Bruno, his massive head resting comfortably across Emma’s small lap as the three-year-old girl gently combed his black fur with a pink plastic brush.

I stood by the grand mahogany desk, reviewing the decrypted contents of Viktor’s satellite drive on my laptop.

Marco walked into the room, setting a thick paper file on my desk.

“The interrogation of Viktor is complete, Boss,” Marco reported in a low voice so as not to disturb Sophia and the child. “He sang like a bird.”

“What did Don Dominic Valenti promise him?” I asked, my dark eyes locked onto the laptop screen.

“Three million dollars and safe passage to South America,” Marco revealed. “Valenti didn't just want the money in our vault, Gabriel. He wanted to wipe out the Moretti leadership entirely. Viktor was instructed to poison your private water supply tomorrow morning during the monthly syndicate meeting.”

Sophia gasped softly from the sofa, her cup shaking in her hand.

I looked over at her, my expression softening. “You saw him downloading the files, didn't you, Sophia?”

Sophia nodded slowly, swallowing hard. “I went into the security room to leave the clean linens. I saw Viktor inserting the flash drive into the main server. When he saw me... he grabbed me by the throat and dragged me down to the basement. He said if I made a sound, he would kill Emma first.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked down at her daughter, who was blissfully playing with Bruno’s ears.

“If Bruno hadn't stopped him in the courtyard...” Sophia whispered, her voice trembling, “if Bruno hadn't growled... Viktor would have killed my little girl.”

I walked across the room, stopping beside the sofa, kneeling down so I was eye-level with Sophia and Emma.

“Nobody is going to hurt you or Emma ever again, Sophia,” I said firmly, taking her cold hand in mine. “You are not just staff in this house anymore. You are under the personal protection of the Moretti name.”

Emma looked up from her brushing, holding out her cream teddy bear to me.

“Bruno likes story time, Mr. Gabriel,” Emma declared with complete innocence. “Can he sleep in my room tonight?”

I looked at the 158-pound beast who had broken down a steel door and dismantled a traitor.