Mafia Kings: Valentino: Dark Mafia Romance Series #6 by Olivia Thorn

Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 15

The longer I worked at the house, the more I saw of the extended family – Valentino’s brothers, father, uncle, and cousin.

I already knew Niccolo from the day I got hired. Something about him always scared me a little. He would seem happy and in a good mood – but underneath, I got the sense that he could turn on a dime and get furious. Not to mention that he would mess with your mind… and enjoy it.

Another brother scared me, too: Adriano. I saw him blow up at a couple of men who worked for the family, and I made a promise to myself right then and there never to be on the receiving end of his temper.

Just to be clear, Adriano was never mean to me. He was pretty distant – he never spoke to me unless he wanted something – but he would always make eye contact with me when he entered the kitchen and nod at me in greeting.

That was more than I could say for some of my bosses back in Florence.

In contrast, Massimo was a giant teddy bear. He would smile and be pleasant whenever he saw me, asking me how my day was. I loved Massimo.

Roberto was kind, as well. He was quiet and kept to himself, but he would smile and say hello whenever we saw each other.

But the brothers’ father, Leonardo? The difference between him and most of his sons was like night and day. He was most like Valentino: full of laughter and charm.

The people in my town had whispered about Leonardo’s nickname, but for a guy they called il Mostro, he sure was friendly. If he saw me in the kitchen, he would tell me I was so pretty that I ought to be married to a prince from Monaco instead of there in his kitchen. And he always complimented my work, even though I was still only doing prep.

By the way, everyone on staff was instructed to address Leonardo as Don Rosolini.

could have been an old-timey way of addressing

I’d seen

of man you called ‘Don’ in

that the mafia vibes were

Don Rosolini was

Valentino’s Uncle Fausto made my skin

treated the kitchen staff like we were beneath his contempt. He rarely spoke

even worse. He was an out-and-out asshole. He would complain about everything and insult

and slammed a big metal bowl of sliced fruit across the room, scattering it everywhere. When everybody

in the family was very different. Some were wonderful, like Valentino and

were pleasant, like Massimo

awful, like his uncle

Adriano weren’t awful, exactly… but I still kept

I kept my distance from, too: co-workers who

– and when Fausto or Aurelio were assholes to some of my co-workers, they just passed along

avoid them

out about me and Valentino, and every time I saw her, she gave