All Chapters of The Wedding Jilt: Gangster's Revenge Bride: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Chapter 21: The Flight Plan**Tony's POV**The room was still dark, wrapped in the quiet that comes before dawn. Valerie's breathing was steady beside me, her body curled against the far edge of the bed like she was trying to keep distance even in sleep. I studied her face, nothing like the fury I'd seen blazing in her eyes hours ago.My phone felt heavy in my hands as I scrolled through Michael's messages again. The bastard was in Florence, probably thinking he was untouchable, surrounded by Tuscan hills and expensive wine. He had no idea what was coming for him.I glanced at the time. 4:47 AM. Victor and Vivian would be awake, they rarely slept when operations were active. I needed to move fast. Every hour Michael stayed free was another hour for him to slip away, another hour for the Black Crows and Dark Sun Cartel to close in on me.Carefully, I slid from the bed, Valerie didn't stir. I grabbed my pants from where they'd been discarded and pulled them on, then stepped into the hal

Chapter 23: The Arrival**Valerie's POV**I was sitting on my packed suitcase, trying to force the zipper closed, when Tony's head snapped toward the door after hearing some footsteps approaching. He'd been pacing for the last hour, checking his watch, making calls in clipped, angry tones."That's them," he said, moving toward the door before the knock even came.I smoothed down my hair and tried to look composed, though my heart was hammering. I'd met Vivian and Victor at Tony's compound, and that had been under very different circumstances. Now they were coming into my space, my little apartment that suddenly felt smaller than ever.Tony opened the door, and they swept in like a storm front, all black clothes and predatory grace. Victor carried a large duffel bag, while Vivian had a sleek garment bag draped over one arm and a briefcase in the other hand.The moment Vivian's eyes swept over my apartment, her lip curled with barely concealed disdain."Jesus Christ, Tony," she said, se

Chapter 25: Tension in the Car**Valerie's POV**As much as I tried to deny it, the truth was staring me in the face. She is jealous. The way Vivian looked at me, the way her jaw tightened when Tony moved closer to me, the subtle venom in her voice when she called me a liability, it was all there, written in the language women instinctively understand.Does Tony sleep with her? He obviously does, or may have done it once and dumped her and now she's sensed the shift between us, the change in his demeanor around me. Women know how to smell these things, especially when it comes to someone they've claimed as their territory.Well, I'm not about to get into a cat fight with a woman like Vivian over a man like Tony. I'm not sure I would survive it, and honestly, I'm not sure I want to. What happened between us was a fling, a one-night stand born out of grief and revenge and proximity. It would never repeat itself again.Or would it?Oh God, I can still feel him. The memory of his hands, h

Chapter 27: Aftermath**Tony's POV**My only concern right now was Valerie. The way she was jittering against me, trembling like a leaf in a storm, made my chest tighten with something I didn't want to analyze. She'd never been shot at before. Hell, she'd probably never even held a gun before, and here she was caught in the middle of a firefight because of me.How the hell was she going to cope if these bastards followed us to Italy? The Black Crows and Dark Sun Cartel weren't known for giving up easily, and if they were willing to risk a shootout in broad daylight on city streets, they were more desperate to get to me than I'd realized.Hopefully they wouldn't follow us internationally. Hopefully this was just a last-ditch attempt to take me out before I could escape their territory. But hope wasn't something I could afford to rely on in my line of work.I kept my arms wrapped around Valerie's shoulders, pulling her tighter against me as Victor continued his evasive maneuvers. "It's

Chapter 29: Hotel Complications**Valerie's POV**Florence was breathtaking, even under the circumstances. The ancient buildings glowed golden in the afternoon sun, and the Arno River wound through the city like a ribbon of silk. Standing outside the taxi as Tony paid the driver, I could almost forget why we were here."Hotel Davanzati," Tony said, checking his phone. "It's close to where Michael said he was staying. We can reconnoiter the area without being obvious about it."The hotel was elegant in that effortless European way, old stone facade, wrought iron balconies, the kind of place that had been hosting travelers for centuries. The lobby was all marble floors and frescoed ceilings, making me acutely aware of how out of place I felt.At the reception desk, Tony spoke to the clerk in fluent Italian. The conversation grew increasingly animated, with lots of hand gestures and apologetic shrugs from the hotel staff."Problem?" I asked when he returned to where I was waiting."They