Page 75 of Veil of Vengeance

“I understand, Dom, I do. This isn’t only my revenge. This is the Camorra’s revenge not only for my Pop, but my soldiers who lost their lives and families,” I say, and his shoulders tense as his face turns blank.

“I’m going back to New York. I’ll be dealing with the men down there to prepare everyone for the return of the family.” He flicks a piece of lint off his jacket before heading to the door.

“Dom?” I call after him. “I’m glad you’re back.” He pauses with his grip tightening on the doorknob, but doesn’t turn to face me.

“Yeah…it’s good to be back.” The door shuts behind him with a click and the silence settles in each corner of the room like a blanket. I close my eyes, trying to clear my thoughts and focus on one thing. The clock on the wall behind me ticks the minutes away as I bite the inside of my cheek. I run my palm down my face and decide to text both Matteo and Romiro to come to my office.

I tap my pen against the table as I wait. It doesn’t last long, and I get bored, so I drop my pen on my desk and move to my window. Fuck. Dominic had a full view of Valentina and I in the greenhouse from here. Of course, the fucker said what he did when I walked in. The possessiveness over her makes me want to go and gauge his eyes out for looking at her. Even if it was from afar. I run a hand through my messy hair. After I’m done with Romiro and Matteo, I’ll probably go back to my room. There’s a knock on the door before it swings open.

“What’s up, fuckface?” Romiro says. He places his hand on my shoulder, standing beside me.

“Go sit the fuck down, Romiro, you too, Matteo,” I order. Matteo shakes his head at Romiro’s antics, and Romiro gives him a shark-like smile before taking a seat next to each other as I settle back at my desk “Moretti has agreed to our terms.”

I regard my brother and best friend. Matteo’s face stays passive and his eyes as blank as they usually are, but Romiro’s smile slips off his face.

“Romiro, set up a meeting spot that’s secured and ready to go. Matteo, send the Outfit the address, also monitor the area on surveillance, and make sure that they aren’t going to try an attack on us.”

Matteo nods his head once.

“I’ll send them the location before you guys get there in an hour. I’ll also have the place set up for any attack they might try.”

He gets up and looks to Romiro, but Romiro stays sat, staring at me.

“You go ahead, Matteo, I’ll be out in a bit. I need to speak to the Capo first,” Romiro tells him, and Matteo looks between us before shutting the door behind him. I lean back in my chair and cross my feet at the ankles while I study Romiro.

“So, you’re sending Valentina back to the Outfit.” He’s not asking, but stating a fact. I search his face, trying to figure out what his thought process is. He already knows the plan.

“Yes. Is there something I should know about?” I ask. He leans forward and shrugs. A twinkle enters his eyes.

“I just thought you were more of a Matteontic than this little shitstorm.”

I narrow my eyes at him before shaking my head.

“Cut the shit, Rom. I don’t get what you mean.”

He gives me a wink and leans back into his seat, looking relaxed.

“Come on. You don’t actually think we didn’t know you two were fucking like rabbits.”

I rub my temple as my eyes close for a second.

“What do you mean by ‘we’?” I ask, and he shrugs.

“Me, Mara, Matteo, Lucio, and now Dom,” he counts off. I lean forward and cradle my head in my hands. “Dom texted me before you did. Real classy, fucking in the garden’s greenhouse.”

“Does Ma know about this?” I ask him with a groan. My eyes flick to his face, and he shakes his head.

“Her poor, conservative heart won’t take it,” he finally tells me.

I roll my eyes at his stupidity.

“Shut up. We both know that’s not why she’ll be pissed.”

“Whatever. She’ll be pissed, regardless. But now she won’t know because Valentina is going back to her family, and everything will fall back in place.” He shrugs. A nagging voice at the back of my head tells me that no, everything will not fall back in place. Valentina and I have gone too deep and now we’re completely and utterly fucked.

“Yeah. I guess that’s true. Don’t you fuckers have something to do?” I say, and he pushes to his feet.

“Aww, I know you love me.”

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