“I only speak when I have a need to do so.”
“I hope you don’t have anything against Valentina being here.” Nico’s penetrating eyes shift from Salvatore toward me, and I swallow.
I don’t have anything against her being his consigliere; what I’m against is her being beside me, like she’s taunting me.
“I don’t mind women being part of our business, but I have a question.” He raises his eyebrows, and I continue. “Wasn’t your sister engaged to be married before your father got arrested? Is that something her fiancé agrees on?”
Salvatore hides a smirk behind his drink, but if Nico is surprised by my question, he doesn’t show it.
Just as he’s about to answer, Valentina’s voice fills my ears, and my eyes meet hers. Green, fierce, and impossible to look away from. “Firstly, whether I’m engaged or not, it’s none of your business. It doesn’t make me less qualified to be my brother’s consigliere.” She leans toward me as if she's going to tell me a secret. “Second, that piece of shit is never going to be my husband, and I’m going to make sure of that.”
I don’t say anything. It’s Salvatore who intervenes. “We’re not judging anyone here by who they are. I’m sure Gabriel didn’t mean anything other than wondering how you are going to handle the old-fashioned rules in your family.”
“We are ready for change...” I don’t listen as Nico and Salvatore discuss because I’m stuck in a staring contest with fiery green eyes.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” I keep my voice low enough for Valentina to hear. “I wanted to…” I stop, not even sure if I should say what I’m thinking.
“You wanted what? To make sure you didn’t mess with a taken woman?” She shakes her head. “It shouldn’t even matter at this point.”
I look toward the other end of the booth where Salvatore and Nico are deep in conversation before giving my attention back to Valentina. “I don’t want what happened to cause any problems in the alliance between our families, that’s all. You need our support as much as we need yours.”
“I agree, and what happened will not cause any problems. At least, not for you.” She chuckles and leans back in her seat, looking at the ceiling. “Me? That is another story.”
“Care to share?”
She glances at me. “No. It isn’t something you need to be concerned with.”
I want to argue, but some barely dressed women, followed by two burly guys, Max and Mack, approach, interrupting us.
“I made arrangements to keep you entertained. Consider it a personal touch,” Nico says, and the six of them giggle as they stand in front of us. Nico waves his hand at them, and they scatter toward us. A blonde in a short red dress takes a seat on my right side, just as a petite brunette takes the seat between Valentina and me.
Valentina stops her, catching her upper arm. “What are you doing here, Lily? I told you not to come back.” The girl is on the brink of crying, and Valentina shakes her head before looking at Max, who is clenching his jaw so hard that my own jaw hurts from looking at him. “We had a deal.”
I ignore the blonde, who has her hand on my cock. I used to have a thing for blondes; my dick loved all that pale skin and fairness. I guess he doesn’t anymore.
“I need the money, I told you.” Lily’s voice shakes.
“The other girls need money too, but you want to know the difference between you and them?” Warm breath falls on my neck, followed by wet lips that I ignore. “You're seventeen, and they are not.”
“But I fully understand what I’m doing…”
“No, you don’t. I’m taking you home. Go downstairs, change, and wait for me.” Valentina watches as the brunette walks away before turning toward me. She looks from me to the blonde, who hadn’t done a thing to make my body come alive. Valentina chuckles and leans toward me, whispering in my ear, “Have fun.I know I will.” She takes my earlobe between her teeth and sucks on it before she stands, and with a sway of her hips, leaves me confused and hard.
The blonde leans toward me. “She says she wants to take care of the girl, but the rumors are that she wants her for herself. I bet that’s why she’s taking her away.”
Have fun. I know I will.I lean back and laugh, not caring about the attention the blonde is giving me.
five
Valentina
Since the alliance between the Camorra and the Cosa Nostra, there has been a noticeable shift in dynamics.
It has been almost a month since then, and this week, there was an attack on the don of the Cosa Nostra and his wife. They managed to get away, but the Cosa Nostra is out for blood, and somehow, the Camorra is involved.
It took me a trip to the past and Nico’s visit to our father for us to confirm the information we now have. Federico Sabatini is the man behind the attack on Don Salvatore, whose family was wiped out by my father after they were caught stealing. Federico was sent back to Italy, into the slums of Naples. What happened after and how he is back is Cosa Nostra’s problem, since, according to their consigliere, he was the ex-fiancé of their don’s wife. How? I guess we will eventually find that out. Now, we have a bigger problem, and that is Camorra’s men, who have been bought and are now working for him.
This information was new to us, but we also don’t have the resources that the Cosa Nostra has. We have four of the five bigfamilies by our side; the one remaining is my ex-fiancé. That one is a hard nut to crack.
