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

First we went to Siracusa – Syracuse in English. It’s a seaport in the southeast.

Isabella was all excited. Syracuse is apparently one of the oldest cities in Sicily, with a history stretching back to the ancient Greeks.

We had a boring morning looking at ruins in a giant park, which Isabella couldn’t get enough of –

And then we went to Ortigia, where I was meeting Cat.

Ortigia was a small island off the coast of Syracuse, with a single bridge connecting it to the mainland. Though there were plenty of thousand-year-old buildings, it also had the feel of a beach resort town.

The west side of Ortigia looked out on a bay filled with sailboats.

Along the walkway bordering the water, restaurants served Aperol spritzes and massive seafood platters under shaded canopies.

One hotel even had a bayside sunning deck complete with a DJ spinning dance music.

The place was jammed with tourists and felt like a fucking party.

“Whoa,” Isabella said as she stared at the throngs of people.

I knew she was overwhelmed. Ortigia was by far the most crowded place we’d been in, even more than Cefalù.

“You alright?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” she reassured me.

“I love it,” Ludavica said. She was bobbing her head along to the DJ’s set.

“We can go someplace a little less jampacked,” I offered, ignoring the dirty look Ludavica gave me.

“No – I love the sailboats,” Isabella said as she stared out dreamily at the bay. “I’ve read about them all my life, but I’ve never seen one. Except in drawings in books.”

Jesus.

To live an entire life without ever seeing a sailboat – not even on TV –

It was hard for me to comprehend.

Me, the girls, and Paolo got a seat in a restaurant so Isabella could have a view of the bay. And we were out of the broiling summer sun, so that was a plus.

Paolo checked his phone.

“You got a text, boss. She’s at the Locanda dell’Ortigia,” he said, then held it out to me.

I read the rest of Cat’s message:

Locanda dell’Ortigia, Room 301. Meet you out front – the view is amazing!

I checked Google Maps on Paolo’s phone and saw the hotel was on the waterfront on the opposite side of the island.

“See you guys later,” I said as I gave Paolo back his phone.

“Enjoy your sex,” Ludavica taunted me.

Isabella tried to shush her but laughed in spite of herself.

“I will – thanks,” I said with a smile as I walked off.

I cut through the sandstone-colored buildings in the center of the island until I got to Ortigia’s eastern shore.

Things were a lot more subdued on this side. No tchotchke shops or tourist-packed restaurants. In fact, almost no restaurants at all, despite the wide-open view of the Mediterranean.

Most of the buildings were centuries old and had been renovated into hotels or living spaces, so there were only a few tourists here and there. Most of them were heading for the hotspots on the west side.

I walked along the sidewalk that bordered the Mediterranean.

To my left was a one-way street with cars parked on both sides of the road – probably local residents. There was hardly any traffic.

To my right was an iron railing that protected you from falling 20 feet into the water below.

I passed a couple of stairs leading down to the ‘beach,’ if you could call it that. It was mostly a bunch of giant, craggy rocks next to the ancient seawall that surrounded the entire island.

A ring of boulders farther out in the water formed a breakwater – enough that you could swim without getting tossed around by the waves.

I saw one guy swimming laps while a girl took selfies on one of the giant rocks.

Other than that, it was deserted.

As I was looking down at the water, I heard a voice.

“Hey, hot stuff!”

I looked and saw Caterina on the other side of the street.

I grinned and immediately started towards her –

“Wait, hold on,” she said, and crossed over to me instead.

We kissed by the iron railing, the waters of the Mediterranean lapping down below us.

Then she rested her head on my chest so she could look out at the view.

“Isn’t it beautiful here?” she murmured.

“It is.”

“We’ve got a window that looks out over the sea. It’s spectacular!”

“Let’s go up and see it,” I said, a seductive tone in my voice.

She grinned. “I wanted to look at it out here because I knew that as soon as we up to the room, you’ll have me naked and in bed in 30 seconds flat.”

“Probably true,” I admitted as I squeezed her ass.

After a few seconds of passionate kissing, she took my hand.

“Okay, enough of the view. I want to have sex,” she said as she led me across the street.

I chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

And it wasn’t true – it didn’t take 30 seconds to get her naked and in bed.

It took 67.

I counted.

I was deep inside Cat and on my way to making her come the first time –

When I heard rapid knocking at the door.

“What the fuck?!” I exclaimed.

“Was I too loud?” Caterina whispered, mortified. “It is the middle of the day…”

“You’re fine – WHO’S THERE?!” I yelled angrily.

I’d put out the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, so if it was Room Service, I was going to kick somebody’s ass.

to interrupt,” came Paolo’s muffled voice, “but we

pulled out of Cat and walked towards the

something bad happened,

SHIT.

visions of Don Vicari torturing me

didn’t even bother to put a

the door a crack so I could

WHAM!

my face – and

filled my vision

“WHAT THE FUCK!”

see Paolo standing

it wasn’t the old, nervous, shit-eating

guy’s eyes were

expression

he commanded as he

and pulled the sheet over her exposed

towards her. “Shut

immediately dropped from a

pointed at her, I calculated whether it was better

gun, it could go off and Caterina

I decided not

took a quick step back and aimed at

crazy ideas, asshole. Now get

up until I

drifted down below my

luck,” he muttered, then

will you?” I growled as

I can see why you keep coming after

FUCKING

“I’m the

Isabella?”

She’s still out there with that other

Shit.

He’d tricked me…

never seen

is a shakedown,” I said bitterly, finally realizing what was going on.

Though you’re gonna have to cough up a lot more than

I cursed myself silently.

a traitor to

he’d

into a sense of false security, thinking he’d be

had to admit, he never would have let this happen to

guard down, and he would’ve

miserably as she pointed at her purse on

while keeping his gun

he said as he pulled out the money and stuffed it in his pocket. “But that’s

all we’ve got,” I snarled.

that sister-in-law of yours

Alessandra.

He means Alessandra.

threw Cat’s purse at me. Despite being caught off-guard,

out the phone and

My uncle stole all

did she pay me 50 large? And I’d watch who you

that paid you, not my sister-in-law,” I said. “Another

what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna call her up and get her to send me

“One MILLION?!” I shouted.

stickin’ your dick all week. I’m guessin’ he’s not gonna be

stop and think what he’s going to do to

first time, Paolo’s

considered what to do if I said

assumed I would

was a moron

a moron, said a voice

I told the voice.

took Paolo a second,

then I kill you. Or maybe I’ll kneecap you so you can’t walk, then call Don Vicari after

“Yeah, I noticed you didn’t tell Isabella about what Don Vicari’s doin’

bitch in front of you while you bleed out. Show her what she’s

me. “What do you say about that,

That was it.

That last part –

to Caterina like

I fucking lost it.

on instinct

of hours training with

was pointed at me, so even if it went

Just me.

still eyeing Cat, I threw the purse out from my chest like a

heavy enough that when it

“WHA– ”

could get the word out, I was already

grabbed the revolver in

the most important thing –

me, but so nobody would hear

hand against the

fool hadn’t

trigger, the hammer wouldn’t be able

hammer couldn’t move, the gun couldn’t

still disoriented by getting

when I dropped down with all my weight pulling

elbow across my

it

screamed in agony

the gun out of his hand. It went clattering across the marble

swung at my head with

punch, but even the glancing

could use a chokehold to

take the chance that

had just tried to

threatened to rape the

he was going

a chokehold, he reached over his head, trying to grab at

kicked his knees from

His legs buckled –

I SLAMMED his head into

struggling for

of seconds

into the bathroom, just five feet

plunged his head

realized what was going on,

planted a knee in the center of

his

screamed, but it came out as bubbles and

my weight and stayed clear of

arm was bent sickeningly at the elbow where I’d broken