15

Valentina

The soft sheet drapes over my sore body and when I move, it sends sharp pains through my nipple. The pain is enough to wake me from my half slumber. I roll over to see Leonardo sleeping soundly on his stomach and images of last night crash into me.

“Hey, fucker, wake up.” I push at his head.

“Why are you like this? Let a man sleep sometimes.” He stretches onto his side and swings an arm around my waist, enticing me into him.

I snuggle my ass against his front, his strong arm holding me against him. “I’m hungry,” I complain.

He chuckles. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“Want to order room service? Do you think he’s still here?” I sit up and look around the room, noticing our discarded clothing strewn around and the bloodstains on the sheets.

“Who fucking cares. We’ll stick it on his tab anyway.” Leonardo sits up and runs his fingers through his hair before jumping up out of bed and making his way to the floor to ceiling window. “This view is fucking insane. What Enzo wouldn’t do to get his hands on New York territory.”

“Let him fucking try,” I laugh at his idiotic statement.

He pads across the room, butt naked, his muscular torso on full display. I watch him grab his boxers and pull them on before he searches for the room phone. “Hi, I’d like to order up some room service. Okay, thanks.” He cuts the call.

“Don’t they do room service?” I groan, my stomach instantly hating me.

“Your future husband had it pre-ordered. They were waiting for our call and will be sending it up in the lift in a few minutes.” Leonardo strolls out of the room.

The view is spectacular. You can see the whole of Central Park from here, it’s fucking insane. Of course, Giovanni would purchase this penthouse. I can picture him sitting here, in his expensive suit, like the king of fucking New York. The thought irritates me and reminds me of what I am in this whole arrangement. Nothing but an afterthought for the men involved.

I climb out of bed, my limbs still stiff after last night, and wrap the sheet around me like a toga. I go in search of Leonardo but he’s nowhere to be seen. This palatial penthouse is so much bigger than what it seemed last night. I cut across the main lounge area and find Leonardo standing in the middle of a giant floor couch. It covers the whole floor.

“What are you doing?” I eye him with a remote in his hands.

He looks up at the ceiling. “Watch this.”

A thousand twinkling stars appear as the lights in the room dim. “It’s so beautiful.” I stare up and wonder what possessed the designer to do this.

He bounces toward me and grabs me by the waist, lifting me so I wrap my legs around his hips. “Want to fuck under the stars? A mischievous grin turns up the corners of his perfect mouth. He walks back into the middle of the room and lays me down.

“Leonardo,” I laugh.

“Don’t talk, babycakes. Let me devour you and fuck you until you can’t scream my name any longer.” He kisses me possessively. There’s something behind his urgency, behind the press of his lips.

I wrap my arms around his neck and squeeze him into me, trying to get him closer. He reaches down and pulls off his boxers and settles back between my legs, nudging his dick against my already wet opening.

He kisses me slowly and sensually, taking his time, making sure he explores every dip and groove of my lips. His hands run up and down my sides, caressing the outer edges of my breasts and legs. He lifts my thigh and wraps one leg around his back, entering me deliciously slowly enticing a low moan from my lips. His movements are deliberate as he grinds his pelvic bone against my clit.

Running my fingertips over his muscled back, I roll my hips in time with his, the slow build of pleasure teasing me.

“Are you okay?” I whisper into his ear and I’m met with a dazzling grin.

“More than fucking okay.” His hands hold the sides of my face and his lips find mine again, as though he’s letting me know I have him. All of him, in any which way I desire. His lips leave mine and trail kisses across my neck and collarbone while his hand reaches down under my ass to lift it for a better angle.

Wrapping my other leg around his waist, I grind into him, when a loud buzzer rings from the main lounge area. We both stop moving and lay there waiting to see if it buzzes again. He gazes into my eyes as he twitches his dick inside me. He looks as though he wants to say something like it’s on the tip of his tongue, but he’s too afraid of the fallout.

“Fuck,” he sighs and slides out of me, pulling his boxers on and going to see what the buzzing sound is.

I lay there confused as fuck. My emotions all over the place.

“Food is here,” Leonardo calls.

I push my feelings into the deep cave of my heart, get up off the plush lounge, and tie the sheet around me again. I pad across the floor to where the elevator is to see Leonardo pushing two carts out of it.

“Breakfast is served.” He wheels them past me and heads into the main lounge area.

I follow him and the smell of bacon has my stomach grumbling. We settle on the oversized sofa and both lift the lids off our food.

“What the fuck is this?” Leonardo snatches up a piece of card stuck in his food.” He turns it over and studies it.

“What is it?” I spear my fork into a rasher of bacon and shove it in my mouth. The smoky saltiness speaking to my soul.

“A message, I guess?” He turns it over again.

“Show me.” I grab it out of his fingers and my blood rushes to my feet.

Perfect end to an evening is a Midnight Storm

The cursive writing is written in blood again. The room around me sits in silence as the high pitched ringing in my ears mutes out my heartbeat.

“Fuck,” I cry out and jump up, knocking over both the trolleys. Food and hot coffee go flying everywhere as panic seizes me.

I stand motionless, the gut-wrenching fear circling inside my heart like a black cave full of bats about to explode from their slumber for the night.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Leonardo stands up and grabs my hand in his, trying to get me to speak.

“The…the…the fuck,” I shriek and run to the master bedroom in search of my phone.

I find it on the bedside table, fumbling as I snatch it up. I can feel Leonardo’s worried gaze on me, thinking I’ve most probably lost the plot as I call my Papa. “Answer your fucking phone,” I scream.

I dial Vito next and he isn’t answering either. Where the fuck are they all? “We have to go, quick get dressed.” I throw Leonardo’s pants at him and dart around the room searching for my underwear.

Leonardo catches me in his arms as I’m about to trip over the bedding on the floor. “Valentina.” He jerks me so I look at him. “What the fuck is going on?” His eyes bore into mine.

“The fucking note. I think they’ve got my dogs,” I choke on my words. “We have to go. Do you have a car here?” I jerk out of his arms and continue to get dressed in last night’s gown.

“I do, I’ll call valet and have it ready.” He pulls his suit pants on and grabs the phone to call through to the valet.

My heart hammers against my chest, the ache becoming unbearable at the thought of someone harming my dogs. I watch Leonardo in awe as he gathers all our things and is ready at the elevator doors before I’ve even managed to get my dress on. I’m so thankful for him at this moment. Not even a hesitation with the idea of stepping into enemy territory to help me.

“Come on.” He presses the elevator button again, his haste as urgent as mine.

I hurry to him and grab his neck, pulling his lips to mine. “Thank you.”

He kisses me back as the elevator doors open, snaking his arms around my waist and pulling me in with him. It feels as though the descent takes longer than ever, the feeling of impossibility sinking further into my heart.

I gaze up at the man standing here beside me; his eyebrows drawn together as he texts away on his phone. Allowing me to be silent and knowing I’ll speak when I’m ready. The elevator stops in the basement parking lot and I practically burst out of it.

“Over here.” Leonardo grabs my hand and leads me to the valet parking where his black Murcielago sits, purring. “I figured you wouldn’t want to go running through the hotel lobby barefoot and wearing that sexy as fuck afterglow.” He smiles at me, but it doesn’t touch his eyes like usual.

I squeeze his hand in appreciation. “Thanks, now get me home as fast as this thing can get me there, please.” I kiss him before climbing into his car and watch him hurry to the driver’s side, climb in, and throw our things at my feet.

Leonardo eases the car out of the hotel parking and drives into the New York traffic like a maniac, the tires on the Lamborghini spinning like circular blades. I’m hoping his fast sports car shaves off some of the time it takes to get to Staten Island.

I glance at his profile, his face serious with concentration, and I wonder what is going through his mind right at this minute. He didn’t bother buttoning up his shirt as we left the penthouse and I watch his muscles tense as he takes the corners and weaves in and out of the traffic.

We sit in silence for a few miles, the quiet not uncomfortable. I feel at ease when I’m around him, like he doesn’t expect me to change who I am or how I act. He takes me in his stride, outbursts and all. We’re not perfect together. We’re usually a dysfunctional mess. But he gets me. I reach a hand over and place it on his thigh, running my thumb in circles, helping ease my anxiety.

“Thank you, you’re way too good to me.” I squeeze his leg.

He glances at me and grins, the corners of his eyes crinkling. There’s the smile I’m used to, lighting up his face, and making him seem his usual sarcastic self.

“As if I was going to pass up getting behind enemy lines.” He winks at me.

“Oh my god.” I roll my eyes at him. “Have you text Enzo yet.”

“You betcha,” he laughs. “But seriously, I could be going into the firing line here, so they needed to know.”

My heart stammers again. “I’m a fucking idiot.” I slap myself on the forehead. “Leonardo, turn around, you can’t come to my Papa’s house. They’ll kill you,” I worry.

He looks over at me as though I’ve grown a second head. “Are you kidding me? There’s no way I’m passing this opportunity up. Enzo is jealous as shit that he’s not here with me. Babycakes, it’ll be okay, I’ll hide behind you if I have to. Let’s just get you there to check everything is okay.” He swerves around a car driving too slow and guns it over the Verrazano.

We pull up outside the gates of my house and my insides are in turmoil. I’m terrified of what I’ll find behind closed doors. Leonardo opens his window as our guard bends down and checks to see who has arrived. His eyes go wide when he sees me in the passenger seat.

“Miss Mancini, are you alright?” He asks as his gaze slices to Leonardo and back to me.

“Yes, just let us in. I think something’s wrong.” The urgency in my voice has him pausing for a moment, and finally pressing the gate open.

We slink up to the front of the house and I jump out without thinking, leaving Leonardo behind. The front door is unlocked, thank fuck, because I don’t know where my keys are at this point. I push the doors open, slamming them into the walls as I race into the kitchen.

“Hello,” I shout in panic and run to the back of the house to look outside. “Midnight, Storm,” I call through my cupped hands.

Nothing. Not one fucking twitch of movement anywhere. “Vana,” I yell at the top of my lungs.

Nothing.

I turn in circles in the middle of the kitchen, too afraid to go upstairs alone. The unease spiking my insides with jagged thorns, their barbed wire points piercing my heart. I spot Leonardo walking toward me, barefoot and his shirt undone. His usually calm and carefree stance tucked away and out has come the mafia son. I’ve not seen this side of him and he looks truly terrifying.

I’ve heard the rumors of the Russo cousins and the vicious and depraved way they play with their enemies. But we’ve kept this side of our lives from each other. I watch as he stalks toward me, with a Glock in his hand, and a trigger happy grin. His eyes scan the rooms leading off the main area before he comes to a stop in front of me.

“Are you okay?” He asks, concern ebbed with a need to kill in his deep voice.