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.

I’m sorry to interrupt,” came Paolo’s muffled voice, “but we got a big

muttered as I pulled out of Cat and walked towards the door. “What’s

Isabella – something

SHIT.

of Don Vicari torturing me in his

unnerved I didn’t even bother to put a robe

a crack so I could

WHAM!

door slammed into my face – and

my vision and pain

“WHAT THE FUCK!”

to see Paolo standing there with his revolver

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

eyes

his expression was even

the bed,” he commanded as he slammed the door behind

and pulled the

the gun over towards her. “Shut the fuck UP,

from a scream to

whether it was better to play it safe

could go off and

not to

I could have, because Paolo took a

asshole. Now get over by

up until I was against the

down below my waist

all the fuckin’ luck,” he muttered, then looked

I growled as I

to you,” he joked, then glanced at Cat. “With a pipe like that, I can see why you keep coming after him like a crack whore.” He looked her up and down lecherously. “And why he likes his little crack

YOU FUCKING TALK

fuck up, asshole,” he interrupted. “I’m the one

Isabella?” I asked

laughed. “Nothin’. She’s still out there with that other chick,

Shit.

He’d tricked me…

I’d never seen

shakedown,” I said bitterly, finally realizing what was going on. “Just like Rocco does for his

could call it that. Though you’re gonna have to cough up a

I cursed myself silently.

Paolo was a

I hadn’t thought he’d be

of false security, thinking he’d be happy with whatever

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

he

as she pointed at her purse on

it while keeping his

said as he pulled out the money and stuffed it in his pocket.

all we’ve got,” I snarled. “We

you don’t, but that

Alessandra.

He means Alessandra.

threw Cat’s purse at me. Despite being

get out the phone and call her,”

broke, you idiot. My uncle

fuck did she pay me 50 large? And I’d watch who you call idiot,

her grandmother that paid you, not my sister-in-law,” I

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

“One MILLION?!” I shouted.

or Don Vicari’s gonna find out where you been stickin’ your dick all week.

think what he’s going to do to you once he realizes you went behind his back?” I

the first time, Paolo’s face showed

to do if I

assumed I

a moron with

a moron, said a voice in my head that sounded like

I told the voice.

Paolo a second, but

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

Vicari’s doin’ to Eliseo out in the barn. What was that all about? Tryin’ to save her from finding out Daddy’s a

maybe I’ll just shoot off your cock and fuck your bitch in front of you while you bleed out.

at Caterina though he kept the pistol pointed at me. “What do

That was it.

That last part –

talking to Caterina

I fucking lost it.

on

of hours

me, so even

Just me.

the purse out

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

“WHA– ”

the word

revolver in

thing – to

so he wouldn’t kill me, but so nobody would hear

hand against the revolver’s

hadn’t cocked

the trigger, the

the hammer couldn’t move, the

struggled, but he was still disoriented by getting hit in the

when I dropped down with all

slammed his elbow across my bent

arm CRACK as it bent in a direction Nature never

in

the gun out of

head with

solid punch, but even the glancing blow made

so I could use

chance that anyone would hear

just tried to blackmail me

to rape the woman I

was

put him in a chokehold, he reached over his head,

kicked his knees

His legs buckled –

SLAMMED his head into the

for a

couple of seconds was all

across the floor and into the bathroom,

head into

what was going on, he

planted a

forced his

came out as bubbles and a

weight and stayed clear of his one good arm as it flailed

other arm was bent sickeningly at the