Page 12 of Beneath the Shadows

“Val ordered a hit on Vincent Romano.”

“He did what?” the man asks, raising his voice.

“I need it stopped,” he says, his tone calm and steady. “I’ll explain later.”

There’s a long pause before he responds. “I’ll talk to Giovanni. Give me a minute.”

We wait in tense silence, my heart in my throat. After a few agonizing minutes, the man comes back on the line. “It’s done. Your uncle took care of it. Vince has been let go with our apologies.”

Relief washes over me, and I let out a breath.

“Your mother’s asking if you’re bringing Alessia over to the rehearsal dinner?”

I shake my head.

“She’s not feeling well,” Antonio replies without missing a beat. “I’m taking her back to her room.”

“Okay. Goodnight, son.”

Antonio disconnects the call and pockets his phone.

“Thank you,” I say, feeling the tightness in my shoulders ease.

“You can thank me by not being so reckless next time,” he replies.

Antonio walks me to my room in silence, his posture rigid, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He doesn’t look at me, his eyes fixed ahead. As we approach the door, my personal guards step forward, taking their positions.

“Thank you again,” I say.

Antonio gives a slight nod before turning and walking away.

The moment the door to my room closes, I lock it and lean against the wood. Reality crashes over me and my legs give way. Sinking to the floor, I pull my knees to my chest. The man I’m supposed to marry, the man who owns my future, is a monster. Tears sting my eyes, but I force them back.

Crying won’t save me from this nightmare. Nothing will.

Valentino

The alarm on my cell fills the room with a high-pitched beeping. I reach out, silencing it with the swipe of my thumb. Looking to my side, I find the blonde from the party.

“Good morning, handsome,” she purrs, her hand trailing down her chest, her eyes lowering to my erection beneath the sheets.

She was the perfect little plaything last night, letting me tie her up and use every hole. I made her scream into the sheets as I took everything I wanted. Her tears only fueled my satisfaction as I shoved myself deeper, watching her struggle.

"Time to go," I say, sitting up and swinging my legs over the side of the bed.

She slinks up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I’d rather take care of this,” she murmurs, wrapping her hand around my dick as if she has some claim to it.

I grab her wrist tight enough to make her flinch. “I said get your clothes and leave.” My voice comes out cold, causing her to jerk away. I stand, not bothering to hide my irritation and walk toward the en suite. “You better be gone before I’m done.”

I don’t look back because her feelings don’t matter to me. She was nothing more than a quick fuck. All that matters is that she’s gone before I’m done showering.

Usually, I wouldn’t let a willing body, or even an unwilling one, go to waste, but this is my wedding day. Tonight, I’ll be claiming my wife. Alessia's virginity is something I’ve made sure to preserve.

Knowing I’ll be the first to bury myself inside her cunt, to tear her open and make her scream, fills me with anticipation. I’ll fuck her until she’s raw, until every thrust leaves her aching, a constant reminder of the pain I can, and will, inflict. It’s a promise of what’s to come, a reminder that she belongs to me and no one else.

* * *

An hour later, I’m standing in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting my bowtie. Anticipation thrums through my veins, a mixture of excitement and raw determination. This is the day I've been waiting for. Today, I prove to my father that I’m prepared to ruleLa Famiglia.

---