Page 52 of I Would Die For You

“Shouldn’t suspect a thing.” He pauses. “These two were here because you were next of kin. In my rush to get home, I gave this address for all of us when we touched down on US soil.”

That must be how they knew to find me here.

“Congratulations,” he says softly.

I can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic until I see the small smile on his face. He means it.

“I don’t think it’s really warranted.”

His intense gaze bores into me for a long time. I want to squirm, but I know one should never squirm in front of men like him. He’s a Mafia boss now, and boy does it show in no uncertain terms. It’s like a mantle he’s pulled on, and he wears it frighteningly well.

“You don’t want to be married to Stefano?”

There’s no inflection beyond the question mark in his words. So I can’t gauge if he’s angered or not by this possibility. Stefano is his cousin; I’m nobody to him. Of course he’ll be wanting to protect him.

“It’s not that,” I confess, my voice barely audible.

“You want to be with the Don?”

My head snaps up so fast, I heard my neck crack. “What?!”

He frowns at me, waves of menace pouring off him. “Answer my question.”

And here I’d thought the cops had been scary. Valentino doesn’t need to raise his voice or take a menacing pose to terrify me. In fact, just the opposite. Why is he coming after me this way?

“Of course I don’t want to be with the Don. What sort of idea is that?”

He shrugs. “Weirder things have happened.”

“You must know some weird people, then.”

His chuckle takes me by surprise.

“Stefano loves you.”

I gulp. I wish he’d show it.

“What proof do you need?”

Wait, did I say that aloud? I groan.

“He’s been avoiding me, in case you hadn’t noticed,” I say, trying to cover up my goof.

And that’s true. He didn’t sleep in my room, much less my bed, on what was technically our wedding night. Yes, we must’ve gotten here around nine or ten this morning, but still, it’s the thought that counts.

“He’s worried.”

“About what?”

“Losing you.”

Ihavebeen running away from him every chance I got, haven’t I? Time to face some hard truths. Still, not wanting to do that in the moment, I let myself get distracted by the way Valentino spoke those words. I take a closer look at him.

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience,” I say softly.

His small smile is wan. “I was afraid of losing myself.”

“And now you’re living with a different kind of loss?”

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