Page 11 of Veil of Vengeance

I cut her off with a laugh. “Did you just say pompous? Who the fuck says that?”

She turns beetroot red and shifts her face forward again. Narrowing my eyes at her, I turn her face back to me with two fingers under her chin, which she slaps away.

“Watch it, Moretti. Just because I am treating you as a gentleman should treat a woman, that doesn’t mean that you’re not the enemy, or that you’re not the hostage in this situation. Never let yourself forget that.”

Just as I’m about to get up, the sign for us to put our seat belts on to depart comes on. She sees it as well and sighs as she buckles herself in.

“Mr. Folonari, we’re ready for departure if you want to leave now.” The pilot's voice comes out of the sound system, and I press the button that’s located at the side of the seat I’m in to indicate that we’re ready.

I can see the moment Valentina realizes who I am. Her eyes widen as she turns her head to me, then quickly to the cabin door, looking lost for words. Interesting.

She knows my name, but not how I look. I’m not exactly as popular as her and her sisters with the press. My temper gets the best of me when they get in my face, and they end up with their cameras left in pieces on some sidewalk in Brooklyn.

“Glad to see you’re able to put things together yourself without needing someone to spell it out for you,” I remark sarcastically, which she clearly doesn’t like, as she pinches my hand that’s on the armrest at her side.

She fucking pinched my hand. Romiro seems to have seen the whole thing go down because he bursts out laughing.

“Shut the fuck up, Romiro.” I grip her jaw in my hand. “Need I remind you why they call me the butcher of the East, or will you behave?”

She looks at me with her eyes full of defiance, defiance I want to squash. When her hand pushes mine off her jaw, I let her do it. My phone buzzes, and I see that Romiro has texted me.

Rom

So it’s definitely not love at first sight? Right?

Eli

Shut the fuck up.

You’re an idiot.

Rom

Oh, come on. You can’t blame me, look at that face.

Eli

Romiro, for the love of everything that’s holy. Shut. The. Fuck. Up.

Rom

No. Thanks.

Oh, yeah, btw you have some paperwork to go through.

Eli

What kind of paperwork?

Rom

It’s the contract for the jewelry company to supply precious gems for other chains.

Eli

Send it over.

Rom

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