Page 31 of Valentino

“I’m….” I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Anna.” He smiles softly as he taps the couch beside him. “It’s just me.”

Just you is a lot.

“I want you to relax so you can sleep well tonight.” His voice is husky and deep.

“You don’t need to worry about me relaxing, I thought you were here to guard me.”

“I am.” He taps the couch again. “We’re friends, Anna, and friends look after each other.”

I nod and awkwardly sit back, to be honest I didn’t even realize that I was sitting so upright.

“It’s been a long two months,” he says softly. “Hasn’t it?”

I nod. “It has.” And not just for me, for him too. He hasn’t said much about Giovanna to me, were they deeply in love or were they just two ships parked in the same dock for a while? Giovanna was a beautiful woman, but I do know for certain that he still had a roving eye. I’d see the way he looked at other women when she wasn’t around and often thought to myself that he wasn’t hers for keeps.

“Talk to me.” He sighs. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“I’ve been….” I swallow the lump in my throat as I contemplate my words, opening up to Valentino is like opening up to the enemy. He wants Carlo dead.

But maybe I do too…and what does that say about me or this entire fucked-up situation?

“You’ve been what?” he says softly.

“Stressed.” I sigh. “And….”

He listens intently.

“Sad….”

He stays silent for a while as if processing my words, before finally replying. “He was never worthy of you. He certainly doesn’t deserve your tears.”

“He was your friend too, Val,” I murmur.

“I know.” We stay silent for a while as we pretend to watch television. “He’s not coming back for you, Anna.”

I turn back to face him. “Would you kill him if he did?”

“Yes,” he replies without hesitation. “I am going to kill him. It’s not an if, it’s a when.”

What?

“He was your friend.” I stand. “How can you say that?”

“Who betrayed me.” He stands too. “Who betrayed everyone who loved him. He worked alongside us, while plotting our deaths. Do you think I’m going to roll over and forgive him for that?” he snaps back, outraged.

“You think you’re better than him?” I fire back. “You’re all the same. Do you think I don’t know what you do, Valentino?”

His eyes hold mine.

“I know what Ferrara does,” I spit. “I know what you all do.”

“I never killed a woman,” he sneers. “And I look after what’s mine. I betray nobody.”

“Well….” My eyes well with tears. “If you kill him, you’re going to betray me.”

He steps forward and snaps his arm around my waist, jerking me closer to him. “I look after what’s mine.” He lifts his hand and slowly tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “And that includes you, Anna.” He puts his mouth to my ear. “You are mine to protect now.” His breath on my neck brings with it a ripple of goose bumps followed with a rush of fear. Something about the way he accentuated the word mine feels territorially neanderthal.