~VALENTINO’S POV~We arrived in Italy under the cover of night, Castello Romano still looking exactly as it did the day I left Milan.The white marble steps still gleamed under the pale Italian moon, the iron gates still stood like ancient sentinels and the smell of olive trees and distant tobacco still lingered in the stone courtyard.It had been three months since I walked out of these walls. Three months of chaos, of war, of blood, of near-death experiences.But tonight, I had returned.As the black SUV pulled to a halt in the courtyard, the castle guards who patrolled the estate like silent shadows straightened in unison, their eyes widening as they took me in.Some of them pressed a hand to their chest, heads slightly bowed.The moment the door opened and I set a foot out of the vehicle, one of the guards broke rank, his hand pressed to his chest with a slight bow.“Il Diavolo di Milano… is back,” he said reverently.I stepped out slowly, letting the wind catch my coat as it fell
~ALINA’S POV~ The office smelled faintly of expensive ink and polished wood, and I couldn’t help but sigh with relief as I closed the folder in front of me. “Tired already?” Giulia’s voice chimed from across the table, her stiletto heels propped unprofessionally on the edge. “You’ve been back for what? A week?” “Excuse me,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Some of us actually work.” She snorted. “Girl, please. You’ve been glowing since your little reconciliation. Don’t act like work is your biggest stress right now.” I smiled in spite of myself. She was right. I had been glowing and a certain tall, brooding Italian mafia don had something to do with that. We packed our things and walked out of the office together, and as soon as we hit the elevators, she looped her arm in mine like she always did. Her perfume was loud and sugary, her red nails catching the elevator light as she flicked a hair out of her eyes. “So,” she started as we stepped out of Ali’s Holding and into the car, “ha
~VALENTINO’S POV~ Her breath was ragged against my lips, her body trembling as I pushed deeper, filling her completely. The way she clenched around me, hot and tight, nearly undid me right then. But I held back, savoring the feel of her, the way her nails scraped down my back, the way her hips rolled to meet mine. “Dio, you feel perfect,” I growled, my hands tightening on her hips as I pulled out slowly, then slammed back in, drawing a sharp cry from her lips. Her back arched, pressing her breasts against my chest, her nipples hard and pebbled. I dipped my head, capturing one in my mouth, sucking hard as I fucked her against the wall, each thrust driving her higher. “Val—oh God—” Her voice broke as I hit that spot inside her, the one that made her legs shake. I smirked against her skin, nipping at her collarbone before lifting her higher, changing the angle just enough to make her scream. “Right there?” I murmured, my voice rough with lust. She could only nod, her lips
~VALENTINO’S POV~ The moment her lips met mine, the world dissolved. The way her breath hitched against my mouth, the way her fingers tightened in my hair like she was afraid I’d vanish if she let go. I kissed her back with the same desperation, my hands sliding down her back, pulling her flush against me until not even air could slip between us. Her mouth was warm, sweet, alive, and when she whimpered, I swallowed the sound like a man starved. I groaned into the kiss, my hands sliding down her back, gripping her waist before lifting her effortlessly. Her legs wrapped around me instinctively, her dress riding up as I carried her to the nearest wall, pinning her there with the weight of my body. The heat between us was unbearable, a wildfire neither of us could or wanted to control. “Dio, you feel good,” I murmured against her lips, my voice rough with need. My hands found the zipper of her dress, tugging it down with agonizing slowness, savoring every inch of skin revealed.
~ VALENTINO’S POV~ An eerie silence stretched between us, long and heavy, until finally, hesitantly, her fingers brushed against mine before she slowly reached for my hand again. “Do you know that the reason why I stayed with Vince was because he promised he’d help me find out what happened to them?” My eyes snapped back to hers. “What?” She nodded, her eyes teary. “Yes. That’s why I agreed to stay with him.” A new ache bloomed in my chest. I hadn’t known that, had blamed her for staying with a man, thought she was cheating on me. And all the while, she was looking for answers. For the truth. “But I have you.” she said, tears beginning to gather in her lashes. “You know the truth, why won’t you tell me?” I closed my eyes for a moment. Then I let out a slow, shaky breath. “Because the truth hurts, Moglie,” I said. She blinked. “Hurt me?” “You love your father. You respect him. And I know that telling you the truth would take that from you. It would poison e
~VALENTINO’S POV~ The house had never felt so still. Not the kind of silence that chilled you, but the kind that wraps around you, soft and heavy, after a storm has passed. Outside, the black town car rolled down the gravel path and disappeared beyond the Romano gates. Dante was behind the wheel, and in the back seat sat the woman who had once left me behind, and who had somehow returned to help me piece myself back together. My mother. I had ordered Dante to drive her back home even though a part of me still wanted her here. I stood there, arms crossed over my chest, watching the car until it vanished beyond the horizon of stone walls and wrought iron gates. The weight in my chest hadn’t lifted, not entirely, but it had shifted. Just a dull ache that I was learning to carry. Beside me, Alina stood close, the side of her body brushing mine. Her arm was looped through mine, like she knew I needed her there more than I was able to admit out loud. I turned to her