LOGINPOV: Valentina
"Marco! Stay with me! Marco!"
My voice tore out of my throat, raw and desperate against the pounding rain. His head was heavy in my lap, dark blood washing out of his hair and staining the wet gravel beneath us. His eyes were wide, glassed over, staring right past me into the dark before his eyelids fluttered and closed.
"Cruz! Help me! He’s hit!"
Hands grabbed my shoulders from behind, hauling me backward off the ground.
"
POV: ValentinaThe rich, savory aroma of garlic, olive oil, and simmering tomatoes drifted down the narrow hallway before I even unlocked the door.As soon as Matteo and I stepped inside, the heavy wooden door clicked shut, sealing out the damp heat and street noise of the neighborhood. Sofia stepped out of the tiny kitchen, wiping her hands on a worn dishtowels, her hair pinned up loosely. A faint smile touched her face when she saw us."Perfect timing," Sofia said, her voice dropping into a soft, comforting tone. "Empanadas are cooling, and the sauce is ready. How was the walk?""Lots of big trucks!" Matteo announced, kicking off his small shoes by the entryway. "And we saw a kitty at the fruit store!""A kitty?" Sofia knelt down, helping him unbutton his coat. "Did the kitty say hello?""No, he was sleeping," Matteo said, already toddling toward the living room rug with his plastic dinosaur in hand. "Mama said we can go see the big boats at the water later!"I set the stroller agai
POV: ValentinaThe damp heat of the city hit us the second we stepped out of the old apartment building onto the street Unlike the sharp, cool rain of Tuscany, the air in streets was thick and heavy with exhaust fumes, roasted nuts, and the metallic tang of the nearby river. Cobblestones clattered under the wheels of the heavy black stroller I pushed, while the low hum of Spanish chatter drifted out from the open doors of nearby bakeries and butcher shops.I kept one hand resting inside my oversized cardigan, fingers brushing the smooth leather strap of the cross-body bag where our passports and cash were stashed. My eyes darted constantly, scanning the cracked sidewalks, the motorbikes idling at the corner, the dark tint of parked sedans. Carmela’s men were out here somewhere, watching from a distance to make sure I didn't break our deal, but every unfamiliar shadow still made my heart hammer against my ribs.Matteo sat upright in the stroller, his small hands clutching the plastic
POV: CarmelaThe rain outside the clinic had settled into a steady, suffocating drizzle.I stood by the window of the second-floor waiting room, watching the tail lights of my driver’s sedan disappear past the wrought-iron gates. My reflection in the glass looked sharp, unfazed by the hour. A mother who had spent years building an empire did not have the luxury of showing fatigue.Few hours later, my phone vibrated in my palm. I brought it to my ear without turning around."She’s on the plane," Cruz’s voice came through, over the encrypted line. "The Gulfstream just cleared Italian airspace. She didn't fight the escort.""Good," I said smoothly. "And the child?""Asleep the whole time
POV: Valentina"Marco! Stay with me! Marco!"My voice tore out of my throat, raw and desperate against the pounding rain. His head was heavy in my lap, dark blood washing out of his hair and staining the wet gravel beneath us. His eyes were wide, glassed over, staring right past me into the dark before his eyelids fluttered and closed."Cruz! Help me! He’s hit!"Hands grabbed my shoulders from behind, hauling me backward off the ground."Get in the van! Move!" Cruz barked.He didn't wait for me to process it. He scooped Marco’s limp body off the gravel, draping him over his shoulder like a dead weight. Two of his men laid down a wall of suppressive fire toward the loading dock, the loud, rhythmic thwip-thwip-thwip of their rifles drowning out the storm as Cruz shoved me into the back of an unmarked black utility van.Cruz dumped Marco onto the metal floorboard and slammed the sliding door shut. The vehicle lu
POV: MarcoThe metallic taste of blood was thick on my tongue.My arms were pulled tight behind me, zip-ties eating into my wrists until my fingers were completely numb. Every time I took a breath, a sharp, stabbing pain flared through my left ribs. The captain with the scarred jaw had done a thorough job an hour ago, but the dull, throbbing ache in my torso was nothing compared to the noise ringing inside my skull.I was tied to a heavy wooden chair in the middle of a damp concrete room. The air reeked of mold and stale diesel. Overhead, a single bare bulb flickered, casting weak yellow light over two De Luca sentries sitting near the heavy steel door. They were smoking, their voices a low, muffled murmur over the steady thrum of an industrial generator outside.I closed my eyes, letting my head hang forward. Valentina. I needed her to stay in Prato. I wished luca and sofia could get her and Matteo out of the country before De Luca realized where to look
POV: ValentinaThe white Maserati hummed softly as I idling down the narrow dirt road leading to the Grosseto industrial park. Rain rattled against the windshield, blurring the towering silhouette of the abandoned tannery up ahead. High chain-link fences topped with razor wire surrounded the property, and two heavy rusted iron gates blocked the entrance.My right hand sat inside my coat pocket, fingers slick with sweat against the textured grip of the small pistol Cruz had given me. My left hand gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles ached.Minutes ago, I was sitting in a study signing away my life to Carmela. Now, I was pulling up to a trap.Two men stepped out from a small wooden sentry hut near the gate. They wore heavy rain jackets, but I could see the shapes of shotguns slung under their arms. One of them pointed a high-powered flashlight straight through my windshield, blinding me for a second.I rolled down the window just a
Valentina POVI woke up cold.That was the first thing. The cold, and then the ceiling—wrong color, wrong height—and then the smell of a room that wasn't mine. My body understood before my mind did. I was already sitting up, pulling the bedsheet tight to my chest, and counting everything that was w
Valentina POV "You're going to laugh at my uncle tonight," Marco said.I didn't look up from the mirror. "I never laugh at your uncle.""You always laugh at him," Marco said, adjusting his sleeves in the reflection behind me. "He tells the same story about the horse every single time, and you laug
Valentina POV I stopped scrubbing, my breath coming in short, shallow gasps. I looked up, squinting against the bright Sicilian sun. "Where?" He raised a hand, pointing vaguely at the wet stone directly beneath my left knee. "There. Right in the corner by the riser. It's dark." I shifted my weigh
Valentina POVThe man opened the door before my hand could even reach the wood.He stood flat-footed in the frame, blocking the light from the hallway. He didn’t say hello. Instead, his eyes dropped to my boots, tracked slowly up my faded jeans, and lingered on my flat stomach before finally settlin







