My hand settles around the back of his neck, my thumb resting under his jaw. “I’m not sure any of us asked. Things between us happened as they were meant to.”
He leans closer, and I can see frustration simmering in his eyes. “And now I’m putting you front and center in today’s bullshit.”
“What happened? You left my room telling me I was your secret weapon, and now you’re doubting me? Or us?”
“Fuck, no. That’s not it.” Valentine cracks his neck but also breaks away from me.
Dante steps forward, and he speaks, but I keep watching Valentine. “Val’s worried about how you’re going to feel about him after you’ve seen him working.”
I drop my eyes for an instant as I answer both of them. “Pretty sure I’ll be weak at the knees and desperate for the attention of my Alpha.”
When I look back at him, Valentine has his gaze affixed to mine, and he purposely lets his control fall away to show me a more vicious side to him. One that he’s kept well veiled to now.“And you’re fine watching your pack get a little fucking deranged in their revenge?”
I gasp in fake shock and throw my hand up. “Wait, you’ve been holding out on me?”
And then I laugh harder when he snatches my hand and pulls me to him. His arms wrap around me like steel cords, his frustration nipping against my skin, but I feel so safe in his arms.
48
Valentine
Isit with Layne in the back seat of the Escalade, needing her anchoring influence and her scent inside my lungs.
Seeing her walk out in the dress I knew would look incredible tipped every part of me upside down. I seriously thought I had a handle on how she made me feel, but clearly not. One look from her, and I flare white hot. One touch, and what I thought was important dissolves.
She is my clarity.
The last thing we need is for me to blow our hand at the eleventh hour.
“Vitale, of course we could always postpone our wedding reception until we know what happened last night with Vincent and where Diego is.” I manage not to laugh by watching Layne’s lips twitch as I continue taunting him over the phone.
But the stubborn old fucker is insistent about maintaining appearances and facing the latest threats to the Gambrillo Family head-on.
I’m happy with that. It gives me the chance to continue feeding his paranoia, bit by fucking bit. “I’m still in shock about the fire. Are you sure Vincent was there voluntarily? It doesn’t make sense why he was in her bedroom, though, does it? I know he lives close, so perhaps he was rushing in to help her on your behalf.”
I mute Vitale’s response an instant before Dante barks out a laugh. And I leave my call muted as I text Legos and Leon, letting them know we’re pulling up out of the front of the estate.
Everything so far is happening to plan.
Picking the call up again, I wait for Vitale to stop wheezing. “We’ve arrived. Do you want me to come up and see you? Or should I welcome your guests on your behalf?”
He cuts me off and tells me he wants an update on Diego’s disappearance, then hangs up. How the tables have turned. With Vincent out of the picture, he’s scrambling to keep control. He also has no option but to rely on my pack, particularly after recent events, which is exactly how we wanted the day to play out.
As expected, within a few hours of the fire, my pack was included in a conference call with Vitale and his closest allies. Matteo, Dante, and I listened and offered our support and backup, like good foot soldiers. Lucky for us, it wasn’t a video call, or Vitale may have figured out the very reason my cousin and his wife were, and remain, MIA.
Guards approach our vehicle, but Dante and Matteo dismiss them, laughing at their suggestion our Escalade needs to be checked for explosives. Today, the threat on Vitale isn’t hidden under cars; it’s coming for him head-on while wearing expensive tuxedos with the most fucking incredible woman by their side.
Layne’s hand slides inside my tux jacket, resting over my heart. Her finger taps in time with my heartbeat, and she guides the last-minute frenzy happening inside my veins to a calm.
“It’s finally time, Valentine.” Layne’s eyes hold me captive as she speaks, reminding me again of who holds the power in our pack. “The only thing that scares me about you is how deeply I feel for you. Your passion and loyalty is a turn-on. You love with everything you are, which is wildly attractive. So, let go and show every asshole inside the very reason why they should have feared you from the start. Don’t hold back on my account. Ever.”
She disappears before I can even blink. Serenity washes over me as I watch her leave, taking with her any lingering misconceived thoughts and idle doubts I have. When I get out, Matteo and Dante are standing, waiting, both mirroring how I feel.
I hug Matteo first. “This isn’t a goodbye, so don’t think that.”
“Good,” he says, his voice muffled. “Our plan is solid, and our motivation to survive is currently glaring at us.”
I hum an agreement, tightening my arms, sinking into his companionship and love. My brother pulls us apart before he hugs me.
