Page 96 of The Mafia King's Reign
His face crumples with relief, tears mixing with the blood on his cheeks. "Thank you, Mr. Vitale. Thank you. I won't let you down."
"Oh, I know you won't." I crouch down to his level, making sure he sees the promise in my eyes. "Because here's what's going to happen. You're going to continue feeding information to the Volkovs. Except from now on, every word out of your mouth will be what I tell you to say. You're going to lead them into a trap and depending on how that goes, maybe we can consider your debts paid."
"I—yes. Yes, I'll do it. Anything."
"One more thing." I lean in close, my voice dropping to a whisper. "If I even suspect you're playing both sides again, if you so much as hesitate when I give you an order, I won't kill you. That would be too easy." I let the smile spread across my face.
His face goes gray. "Do we understand each other, Vladimir?"
"Yes," he whispers. "Yes, Mr. Vitale."
"Good." I stand, brushing off my pants. "Nico, get him cleaned up. Elio, I want a full dossier on everything they think they know about our operations. We're going to start feeding them very carefully crafted bullshit."
"And the shipment we lost?" Nico asks.
"We'll get it back. With interest." I head for the door, already composing the first false intelligence we'll leak. "The Volkovs want to play games? Fine. Let's play."
I step out into the sunlight, and my thoughts drift back to Valentina. To the way she challenged me. The way she saw a better option when I could only see one. The way she's slowly, inexorably, changing everything I thought I knew about who I am and who I want to be.
She was supposed to be leverage. A bargaining chip. A beautiful complication that would resolve itself after the wedding. Now I'm not sure I'll ever be able to let her go.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Valentina
Did I really say that? Out loud? To him? God, what is happening to me?
I dry off quickly, not bothering with a robe. The bedroom is warm, the afternoon sun slanting through the curtains. I pull on a pair blue underwear, then look through all the clothes I was gifted to figure out what to wear.
In the end, I give up. Crawl back into bed. Pull the silk sheets up and stare at the ceiling, trying to convince myself I'm not just... waiting. That I have other things on my mind. Important things.
Like the fact that he said he loved me.
Twice.
During sex, sure, but he said it. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.
The door opens without a knock.
Salvatore fills the doorway, still in the black shirt from this morning, though he's rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. His dark hair is disheveled, like he's been running his hands through it, and there's something hungry in his expression that makes my breath catch.
"Take off your clothes."
His voice is rough, commanding, and the sound of it sends heat pooling low in my belly. He steps into the room, closing the door behind him, and I feel shy under his gaze.
"I want you, Valentina." He moves closer. "Don't say no."
I should play it cool. Make him work for it. Maintain some semblance of dignity.
Instead, I push the sheets down, letting them pool at my feet, revealing my almost completely bare body.
His sharp intake of breath is deeply satisfying.
"Why are you naked?" His voice drops an octave.
"I just got out of the shower." I stretch lazily, enjoying the way his eyes fill with want. "Are you coming or not?"
"Come here," I tell him, patting the space beside me.
