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

Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 70

Another upside of not having to work on Rocco’s crew was that I didn’t have to get up at the ass-crack of dawn anymore.

I was eating breakfast around 8 the next morning with Isabella and Ludavica – under the watchful and disapproving eye of an older kitchen servant – when Paolo walked in.

“Hey, boss,” he said cheerfully.

Guess he was happy about his promotion to Isabella’s bodyguard.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Signorinas,” he said respectfully to Isabella and Ludavica.

Isabella smiled back at him and said Ciao.

Ludavica said Ciao but didn’t smile.

Then Paolo turned back to me.

“Hey, boss,” he said excitedly, “take a look at this!”

He opened his suit jacket to reveal a shoulder holster and revolver.

“You know how to handle that thing?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said, offended.

“Okay.”

“So – where’re we headed this fine morning?” he asked Isabella.

“I asked Papa if we could go to Cefalù, and he said yes.”

“Where’s Cefalù?” I asked.

“About an hour and a half north of here,” Paolo said. “On the coast.”

I frowned. “How far is Cefalù from Ragusa?”

Paolo looked at me with wide eyes and a fake smile like, What the fuck are you asking THAT for? “Uh… three and a half hours, give or take?”

Shit. That meant Cat’s taxi would have to drive pretty far.

I needed to call her as soon as we got out of here.

“Alright, then – let’s get going,” I said.

We all walked out to the SUV. I got in the front passenger seat beside Paolo, and both girls got in the back.

As soon as Paolo was on the main road, I said, “Let me see your phone.”

He laughed nervously and looked at me like, Are you crazy?! “Uh… why, boss?”

“So I can call Caterina.”

I said it mostly to see what his reaction would be.

He didn’t disappoint.

He swerved into the oncoming lane, although he recovered quickly enough.

Luckily nobody was coming in the opposite direction.

“Jesus, don’t kill us!” I barked.

Paolo laughed nervously again. “Who’s Caterina?”

“We already know,” Isabella informed him from the backseat.

Paolo looked around in bug-eyed terror. “You do?!”

“Yes.” Then Isabella looked at me. “Is that her name? Caterina?”

“Yeah,” I said uncomfortably.

It was a little weird talking to your future wife about the girl you were banging.

“That’s a pretty name,” Isabella said sweetly.

“Yeah,” I said lamely.

What was I supposed to say?

Thank you?

I agree?

Instead, I focused on Paolo. “Your phone.”

Paolo was sweating now. “This is a bad idea.”

“Now you know why you got your promotion.”

He glared at me –

But he got distracted when Isabella said, “We can keep a secret.”

Paolo looked at them in the rearview mirror, then shook his head and swore under his breath.

“PHONE,” I said.

He pulled it out and slapped it into my palm.

“Pull off the road up ahead,” I ordered him.

“Why?”

glared at him. “So I can

to your conversation with your

my girlfriend. And

“Awww,” Ludavica complained playfully.

Isabella exclaimed. She was having more fun than I’d ever seen before. “What is she, then –

think she’s a fuck buddy,” Ludavica said, which

collapsed into gales

glared at them in the rearview mirror, then looked at Paolo. “Pull over –

had shut the door on the girls’ playful taunts and Paolo’s obvious panic – I

“…hello?” she answered warily.

“It’s me.”

said, her voice suddenly full of

being

ready to see

“Of course!”

something we need

Caterina sounded worried. “…oh?”

I didn’t work with his

he know about us?”

But in order to get out of the house to see you, I had to come up

“…which is…?”

with me and show

a long

that her name?” Cat

said in annoyance. “Yes, that’s her

Another long pause.

you going to keep her from finding out about us if you’ve got to show

“She already knows.”

“SHE ALREADY KNOWS?!”

Cat scream before. It

“She’s fine with it. She doesn’t want to

“And you believe her?!”

her father has her on lockdown. She’s only left her house a

bewilderment in Cat’s

not the

about us isn’t the important part,” Cat said sarcastically. “What’s the important

part is her father’s a fucking psychopath, and yesterday I saw what he did to somebody who crossed him,” I said angrily. “It wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was pretty fucking

Silence.

trying to bring it down a notch, “I called you to warn you. If you don’t want to

to run the risk,” she repeated

him finding

Don Rosolini. If either of THEM had found out I was going to see you, I don’t think

have done anything to you – they would’ve just

be so nice about it if they found me

do anything to you,” I said

trying to back out?” she asked softly. “Are you just trying to just let me

“What?! No! Absolutely not!”

“Are YOU afraid?”

you. If anything

hear me say it. Then she added, “But if something happens to me,

said with

is.” She sighed. “Look, I KNOW this is dangerous. I don’t care. I only want to be with you. So if you’re asking me, then I’m

Don Vicari’s

I was relieved

said happily.

I

called Cefalù. It’s pretty far from Ragusa – about three-and-a-half

I better get

me when you get there.

I can’t

I said warmly, a huge swell of emotion surging in my chest.

I stopped myself.

to say something I

wasn’t a good idea

Especially now.

“…yes?” Cat whispered hopefully.

I struggled to answer…

said, “I’ll see

Another long pause.

you soon,” she said sadly,

Shit.

get laid in a few hours, I was suddenly incredibly

what Isabella had

Do you love her?

the way here for you – and you

to

stood there for a long

I looked through the other calls on Paolo’s phone until I

Alessandra’s number.

of many Lars had made us all

pressed the number and waited, my heart beating twice as

familiar voice

“Alessandra?”

“What are you doing calling from

lent it

“So it’s going okay?”

yeah, it’s going great. I’ve seen Caterina a couple of times in the last couple

Alessandra

“…you do?”

me. I’m

sounded so joyful, it lifted my spirits the tiniest