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 on her

gun in her hand, I would have yelled for Niccolo to run (even if he was responsible for

the hand and started pulling me

had never seen Alessandra angry before. Ever. She’d told me she’d occasionally been snippy with Dario back when

this after

she was pissed, Alessandra

her willingly, not really thinking about where she was leading

reached the

men always

Mafia business.

door, his

Alessandra in surprise

my way!”

widened, and he immediately stepped

yells at you to do something, you

what Alessandra had in mind, I dug in my heels and started trying to pull my hand out of her grip. All my

I’m alright, I’m fine

of it is, and I plan to get to the

at the top

shit, oh

Don was alone, sitting at his desk

shouting, he looked

he

his eyes like

a voice asked off to my

over to see one of the family’s foot soldiers

Onofrio,” the Don said wearily. “Please give us a

guy quickly

would have given just about anything to go with

Alessandra

I hear about Niccolo taking Valentino off

crossed myself as I watched the Don. He did not

the saints in

need to

about it RIGHT NOW!” Alessandra yelled. “Did you really send Valentino off

the plan, but yes,

COULD YOU?!” Alessandra shouted. “You know he and Caterina are

Oh shit!

I’d go quite that

Well…

Actually…

way my heart had broken into a

knew I was in love with

idea if

was amazing in

knew he always made sure I had at least five or six orgasms for

But love?

me he loved

to say that he

sure that was the

forgotten as Don Rosolini

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

was pretty sure he would look like

his eyes were furious as he walked slowly around

Alessandra, though?

didn’t seem fazed

right

Me?

have been running in the other direction if I hadn’t been frozen

front of Alessandra, looming over

me, he said coldly, “Caterina,

whispered, “Yes, Don

here to hear

Rosolini stared down

looked at me like that, I think I

hand,” he said to his