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

Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 26

For almost half an hour, I lay curled up on the spare bedroom floor, sobbing my heart out.

I hurt so bad it felt like I might die.

Actually, I wanted to die.

I just wanted this awful hurting inside me to end.

When my tears finally slowed down, I realized I should probably clock out and tell them I wasn’t feeling well. That way, I could go back to my room and not have to try to fake it through the rest of the workday.

I didn’t think I could handle the stares and whispers once the story got out. And thanks to Marianna hearing Valentino say, “We need to talk,” I was pretty sure it would get out pretty damn quick. Especially once somebody saw me and put two and two together.

I went to the bathroom to clean up. Thank God I hadn’t worn much makeup today, because what little I had on was a mess. I washed up and did my best to look presentable, but my eyes were still red and swollen.

If I could just make it to the kitchen without being stopped…

Or without breaking down again…

That last part was the hardest. Not starting to cry again.

I kept my head down as I walked back to work.

A couple of other servants walked by, but they rarely talked to me anyway, so they didn’t notice.

But Alessandra did.

I was almost to the kitchen when she saw me. She was coming down the hallway in the opposite direction, and she called out cheerfully, “Hi, Caterina!”

When I heard her voice, my heart stopped in my chest.

I thought about turning around and running in the other direction –

But my feet froze.

I looked up the tiniest bit –

And out of the edge of my vision, I saw her happy expression turn to worry.

“Caterina?” she said as she walked up to me. “What’s wrong?”

I lifted my face – and as soon as I made eye contact with her, my lip started to tremble and the tears started flowing.

“Caterina!” she cried out in alarm as she wrapped her arms around me.

As soon as my head was on her shoulder, I started crying again. My entire body shook with my sobs.

“What’s wrong?!” she asked as she stroked my hair. Then her voice turned angry. “Did Valentino do something?!”

“N-n-no…”

She held me at arm’s length and dipped her head so she could look into my downcast eyes. “Cat, tell me the truth: did he cheat on you?”

I shook my head ‘no.’

Alessandra frowned. “Was he cruel to you? Did he hurt you?”

“N-no… it w-wasn’t his fault…”

“What wasn’t his fault?!”

“N-Niccolo said that because of the stuff going on with their uncle, they h-had to get allies… so he t-took Valentino to S-Sicily for an arranged marriage.”

On those last two words, I burst into a howl of pain.

Not as loud as the howl Alessandra gave, though.

“WHAT?!” She put her hands on my cheeks and forced me to look at her. “Niccolo forced Valentino into an arranged MARRIAGE?!”

She looked both shocked and outraged.

I nodded ‘yes.’

this look

would have yelled for Niccolo

by the hand

angry before. Ever. She’d told me she’d occasionally been snippy with Dario back when he brought her to the mansion against her

this after

pissed,

willingly, not really thinking about where she

we reached

the Rosolini men always met

Mafia business.

foot soldier stood in front of the door, his hands

looked at Alessandra

my

eyes widened, and he

mafia don’s wife yells at

started trying to pull my hand out

alright, I’m

alright! NONE of it is, and I plan to get to the bottom of it!”Alessandra pulled me

she yelled at the top

– oh shit, oh shit, oh

was alone, sitting at his desk and reading some

as he heard Alessandra’s shouting, he looked up in alarm

he saw

closed his eyes like he had

a voice asked

one of the

the Don said wearily. “Please give us

guy quickly

would have given just about anything

Alessandra

hear about Niccolo taking Valentino off to Sicily for an arranged MARRIAGE?!” she

myself as I watched the Don. He

all the saints

need to talk about

about it RIGHT NOW!” Alessandra

the plan, but yes, I agreed to –

know

Oh shit!

know if I’d

Well…

Actually…

the way my heart had

I was

if

knew he was amazing

had at least five

But love?

me

Alessandra to say that he was in

sure that

was forgotten as Don

I ever walked by a graveyard at midnight and saw the Grim Reaper rise up from amongst

pretty sure he would look like

and his eyes were furious as

Alessandra, though?

seem fazed

scowled right back at

Me?

other direction if I hadn’t been

in front of Alessandra, looming

coldly, “Caterina, if you

whispered, “Yes, Don Roso–

Alessandra snapped. “She deserves to be here to

Rosolini stared down at

think I would have crawled off into a corner

hand,” he said