LOGINVALENTINA I tried to wait up for Adrian. I really did. The fire had burned low, throwing lazy shadows across the living room, and I’d curled up awkwardly in the armchair facing the fireplace. I told myself I’d close my eyes just for a minute, but exhaustion won out, and the warmth of the fire pulled me under. I woke to the ghost of a touch. Cold fingers brushed my arm, and I startled upright, disoriented and heavy with sleep. The room was dark except for the faint, flickering glow of dying embers. Adrian stood over me, a shadow among shadows, smelling of smoke, gunpowder, and whisky. “I told you not to wait for me,” he said quietly. His voice carried that tight, clipped edge he used when he didn’t want me asking questions. “What time is it?” I mumbled, my voice rough with sleep. “It’s late.” I blinked against the dim light, trying to make out his face, to read the tension I could hear but not see. Reaching for him, my fingers brushed his arm only to find the fabric stiff and
VALENTINA After Adrian left, I sank onto the sofa with my phone still in hand, feeling the echo of our earlier conversation in my chest. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since he’d told me about my uncles. In our world, a fall from grace almost always meant a bullet to the head, and that was exactly what had happened. Sofia sat on the rug, fascinated by a noisy picture book that barked and mooed every time she touched it. Stefan was beside her, half focused on his game, half distracted by the sound effects. Every now and then, he’d steal a glance at his sister’s toy, and for a brief moment, there was peace between them— no tears, no tantrums. Just two children in their own small world. Milo hopped up beside me on the couch and curled into a soft ball of fur. I started to stroke her absently, letting the rhythmic motion ease the tension in my body, though not the heaviness in my chest. I should’ve felt grief for my uncles, but I didn’t. They’d been cruel men, even by mafia standards.
ADRIANDespite the cold weather, we took a stroll along the beach the next day. Sofia was strapped to Valentina’s front in the sling while Stefan and Milo jogged along the edge of the water. The dog barked at the waves, trying to snap at the frothing water.What a stupid thing, but it made Stefan and Valentina smile, so it could stay for now. Seagulls soared over our heads. Valentina held out her hand, and I linked our fingers after a moment of hesitation, worried about Stefan’s reaction, but he didn’t seem to care. His attention was on the dog and the ocean.My phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out to find a message from Damien.[Call me ASAP]Frowning, I pushed the phone back into my pocket. The wind was roaring too loudly for a phone conversation.“What is it?” Valentina asked.“We need to head back to the house. I need to call Damien.”Her face fell, and for half a second I considered ignoring Damien’s message, but I’d told him not to bother me unless it was important. “Oh,
ADRIANIt had been three months since the last time I went to my beach house.The last time I went, I’d longed for peace and quiet after Serena’s funeral. I’d come alone without Sofia and Stefan because every look at them reminded me of the woman I wanted to forget.Valentina’s eyes widened in awe when we pulled up in front of the splendid white bungalow on the beach. Gemma owned the house beside it, but we rarely visited this place at the same time, even if she’d been insisting on a family vacation for a while. Sofia had fallen asleep in her seat, but Stefan’s face flashed with recognition. He’d loved this place in the past. I worried even that might have changed.The wind nipped at our clothes. November wasn’t the best time to spend time outside around here, but I wanted to show Valentina this house. I wasn’t even sure why. It would have been more impressive in spring or summer.Another gust of wind tore Valentina’s black cowboy hat from her head. My hand lashed out, snatching the t
VALENTINAMy eyes widened. Adrian bit down on my throat then lavished the spot with his tongue. “Aren’t you worried Sybil might see us?”“She’s gone home.” His growl vibrated against my skin. Holding me up with one muscled arm, and the pressure of his strong body, he slipped his hand between our bodies. The hiss of his zipper sent a shiver down my spine a moment before he shoved my panties aside and entered me in one hard stroke. I arched, half in pain, half in pleasure. It was the first time he took me without much preparation.His mouth pressed against my ear. “I thought I was clear on how I felt about your clothes. Didn’t I tell you to stop wearing those over-the-knee socks and ridiculous dresses?”I met his gaze, grinding myself against him, chasing the pleasure even as my body fought to accommodate Adrian’s length. “Is this my punishment?” My lips teased up into a challenging smile.Adrian’s grip on me tightened as he thrust up again, driving me against the wall. I dug my heels
VALENTINAAdrian kept his promise. The next day he came home at dinnertime. To be honest, I was surprised. I hadn’t thought he’d keep a promise that he’d given with my naked body on top of him. Maybe I had my own trust issues to work through too.He looked surprised when he walked into the kitchen where we had dinner the last few days. Sybil stood from where she was seated, obviously unsure how to act. Elia stood as well and inclined his head before he grabbed his plate and headed through the backdoor, probably toward the guard house. He and I had cleared things up in the morning after Adrian informed him that I knew what was going on. Elia had been awkward after that, obviously embarrassed, but I’d told him that he’d done his job and that I wasn’t angry. It wasn’t like he could’ve said ‘no’ to Adrian after all.“Why don’t you eat in the dining room?” he asked. Sofia grinned when she spotted her dad. Her fingers and cheeks were smeared with smashed peas, but Adrian didn’t seem to mi







