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.’

Alessandra got this look on her

hand, I would have yelled for Niccolo to run (even if he was

then took me by the hand and started pulling me behind

She’d told me she’d occasionally been snippy with Dario back when he brought her to the mansion against her will – but I’d never witnessed her anger

honestly say this after having

was pissed,

with her willingly, not really thinking about

reached the

where the Rosolini men always met to

Mafia business.

of the door,

looked at Alessandra in

of my way!” she

widened, and he immediately

at you to

started trying to pull my hand out of her grip.

I’m alright, I’m fine

of it is, and I plan to get to the bottom of it!”Alessandra pulled me forward with unbelievable strength as she banged

yelled at the

– oh shit, oh shit,

sitting at

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

he saw

eyes

voice asked off

of the family’s foot soldiers standing

said wearily. “Please

guy quickly left the

given just about

Alessandra

I hear about Niccolo taking Valentino

mentally crossed myself as I watched the

saints in heaven,

scowled. “We need to talk about

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

plan, but yes, I agreed to

know he and

Oh shit!

know if I’d go

Well…

Actually…

heart had broken

knew I was in

if

was amazing in

sure I had at least five or six orgasms for every one of

But love?

never told me he

that he was

that was the

Don Rosolini stood

at midnight and saw the Grim Reaper rise

would look like Don Rosolini at

his eyes were furious as he walked slowly around the desk

Alessandra, though?

seem fazed at

just scowled right back at

Me?

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

stopped right in front of Alessandra, looming over both of

at me, he said coldly, “Caterina, if you would wait

“Yes, Don

“She deserves to be here to hear whatever you’re

Rosolini stared down

that, I think I would have crawled off into

hand,” he said to