Page 32 of Heir of Darkness

So he released her.

Now all he heard about her were rumors that swirled through the people in their world. Her father had allegedly found someone else, but Valerio wasn’t sure how legitimate that was. He couldn’t pry into it either because it would only raise suspicions on whether he was trying to reinstate the contract ornot. If there was someone new, it was better he didn’t know who it was.

He didn’t have time to start a war over it.

So he surrounded himself with work and beat the shit out of the punching bag, having to replace it too many times to count at this point. Only when he could hardly keep his eyes open did he make his way to his bed where he lay, begging sleep to overcome him. Rarely did it.

Valerio sat at the kitchen counter, his second cup of coffee in his hand. He hadn’t slept the entire night and felt like he was on the verge of a caffeine overdose at any moment. Still, no matter how badly he wanted to sleep, his nightmares shifted into finding Luna in the tub instead of his mother, making it impossible.

The first night that happened, he woke up in a cold sweat, barely making it to the bathroom where he threw up everything that was in his body.

He was absolutely terrified, his hands shaking, having to convince himself it wasn’t her. She was alive.

Valerio ran his hands through his hair. He was seriously losing his fucking mind.

Gianna stumbled into the kitchen on the phone, Allister following in after her. His brows were furrowed as he listened to his sister’s conversation.

“Tell her to stop freaking out. We’ll figure something out,” Gianna told whoever was on the phone. “Ask her if she has a passport with another identity.”

She rummaged through the fridge, taking out a water bottle. Valerio watched her, having a clear indication of who she could be talking to. He looked over at Allister, who had a look of worry on his face.

The hair on his body stood up in anticipation of some sort of bad news. Something bad was happening; he just didn’t know what it was yet.

“Maybe I can ask Dante if he knows someone who can create one for her,” Gianna said, running a hand through her hair. “Give her the phone.”

Valerio wished he had super hearing so he could listen in on whatever was being said on the other side of the phone. He craved to hear her voice one more time even if it was her telling him to go fuck himself. He tightened his hand on the coffee mug.

Gianna looked at Valerio before turning away from him to face the kitchen cabinets. “Luna, listen to me. We will get you out of this. Give me a couple of hours to figure out something. Give the phone back to Blair.”

She was silent for a second before she whispered into the phone, “Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. Don’t leave her alone.”

With that, the phone call ended and Gianna let out a deep breath. She turned around, a bright smile on her face that didn’t match her eyes. “Good morning.” She was a great actress; he would give her that.

“What’s happening?” Valerio asked immediately.

“Nothing you should concern yourself with,” she told him, crossing her arms in defiance.

“Gianna, now is not the time,” Allister said in a stern voice. “Tell him or I will.”

“Why do both of you know something I don’t?” Valerio asked.

“Because she didn’t want anyone to tell you,” Gianna said.

Valerio’s eyes narrowed. “Speak now.”

“If you must know, but you didn’t find out from me, Luna is having an engagement party tonight,” she said quickly and quietly. “Her parents found someone else.”

Valerio was sure his heart had stopped for a second. Or maybe it was longer than that because time seemed to have stopped so quickly, he didn’t understand how long he was silent for.

The rumors were true then. She was marrying someone else. He shouldn’t have cared.

Something murderous rushed through him in an instant. The mug in his hand shattered, leaving a mess of spilled coffee and ceramic pieces on the counter.

“It’s better I didn’t know.”

“No one is expecting you to do anything about it,” Gianna said. “You let her go, and that’s great for you, but I’m wasting valuable time talking to you right now.”

Valerio let her leave the room, his heartbeat so loud in his ears that he couldn’t hear anything else.

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