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.

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

Cat and walked towards the

Isabella – something bad

SHIT.

with visions of Don

unnerved I didn’t even bother to put a robe

crack so I could

WHAM!

door slammed into my face –

backwards as stars filled my vision and pain

“WHAT THE FUCK!”

I looked up to see Paolo standing there with his revolver pointed in my

wasn’t the old, nervous,

eyes were cold

expression was even

by the bed,” he commanded as he slammed

screamed and pulled the

towards her. “Shut the fuck UP,

from a scream

at her, I calculated whether it was better to play it safe

could go off and

I decided not to

Paolo took a quick step back and aimed at

getting any crazy ideas, asshole. Now

backed up until I was

down below

he muttered, then

else, will you?” I growled as I picked

keep coming after him like a crack

FUCKING TALK TO HER LIKE –

up, asshole,” he interrupted. “I’m the one in charge here,

to Isabella?” I asked

that other

Shit.

He’d tricked me…

never seen

what was going on. “Just

could call it that. Though you’re gonna have to cough up a lot more than some two-bit

I cursed myself silently.

Paolo was a traitor

he’d be a traitor to

false security, thinking he’d be happy with whatever cash Alessandra had thrown

hated Niccolo, I had to admit, he never would have let this

his guard down, and he would’ve seen it coming from a mile

said miserably as

while keeping

money and stuffed it in his pocket. “But

I

that

Alessandra.

He means Alessandra.

threw Cat’s purse at me. Despite being caught

get out the phone and call her,”

My uncle stole all

50 large? And I’d watch who you call idiot, IDIOT, seein’ as I’m the one who’s got the fuckin’

paid you, not my sister-in-law,”

You’re gonna call her up

“One MILLION?!” I shouted.

Don Vicari’s gonna find out where you been stickin’ your dick all week. I’m guessin’ he’s not gonna be too happy

think what he’s going to do to you once he realizes you went behind

the first time, Paolo’s face showed

obviously hadn’t considered what to do if I said

assumed I

meant he was a moron with

means you got played by a moron, said a

off, I told the voice. I’m handling

a second, but he finally

you so you can’t walk, then call Don Vicari after I’ve gotten the hell

didn’t tell Isabella about what Don Vicari’s doin’ to Eliseo out in

off your cock and fuck your bitch in front of you while you bleed out. Show her what she’s

though he kept the pistol pointed at me. “What do you say about that, sugar tits? Ready for a real good

That was it.

That last part –

to Caterina like that

I fucking lost it.

on

hundreds of hours

at me, so even if it went off, she wasn’t

Just me.

I threw the purse

bag was heavy enough that when it slammed into Paolo’s face, his

“WHA– ”

get the word out, I

grabbed the revolver in

was the most important thing

kill me, but

hand against the

fool hadn’t cocked

pull the trigger, the hammer wouldn’t be able

couldn’t move, the gun couldn’t

was still disoriented

with all

slammed his elbow across my

arm CRACK as it bent in a direction Nature

screamed in agony

I’d knocked the gun out of his

my head with his left

even the glancing blow made me

so I could use a chokehold to cut off his

the chance that anyone would hear him scream

just tried to blackmail

threatened to rape

he was going

in a chokehold, he reached over

kicked his knees

His legs buckled –

head into

struggling for a

couple of seconds was all

him across the floor and into

head into the

on, he tried to fight back

stood up, grabbed his shoulders, planted a knee in the center of his

forced his

screamed, but it came out as bubbles and

all my weight and stayed clear of

was bent sickeningly at the elbow where