Page 42 of Merciless Oath

I sink downto the floor with Valentina, prying the phone out of her hands, and read the message. As much as I’ve been trying to fight it, the message is clear.

This sick individual is somehow obsessed with me and sees Valentina as a threat.

The red hair is throwing me off—the crazy antics, too. I’ve never dated anyone that might stoop to such ballsy threats or have the skills to pull them off.

“Maybe itissome kind of stalker,” I muse, zooming in to check for any identifying marks. But all I see are clear stretches of milky white skin—no tattoos, no piercings, not even a unique birthmark that might single someone out.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Valentina shudders, taking a deep breath, “but at what point do we get the police involved?”

“We have some contacts in the police department.” I hesitate. “But I think we both know it’s better if we don’t get them involved.”

“You’re right,” she says, shaking the nervous tension out of her body. “I should go clean this mess up before Matilda gets back from California.”

“I’ll help.” I spring up, heading for my walk-in closet to avoid her inevitable protestations. I bypass the rows of perfectly tailored suits and throw on an old pair of jeans and a hoodie, happy to be in a more low-key outfit.

“Enzo.” Valentina appears in the doorway, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t think I need your help, but thank you for offering.”

She slips into the closet and wraps her arms around me, giving me a soft kiss on the cheek. I gaze into her deep blue eyes, usually glittering pools of emotion, but they seem haunted lately.

“I know.” I kiss the three freckles on her nose. “It’s not an offer. In fact, it’s non-negotiable. I’m not letting you out of my sight, Lenny.”

“I was worried you’d say that,” she purrs, snuggling her face into my chest.

“Worried or hoping?”

“Just don’t get into a wild-west-style gun fight with my uncles, okay?”

I make no promises.

As we speed across the city to Valentina’s more suburban neighborhood, she grows increasingly tense. I see her fingers wildly fidgeting with her purse out of the corner of my eye, so I slide my hand onto her knee.

She interlaces her shaky fingers with mine and flashes me a grateful look. “Thanks for forcing me to take you along,” she whispers, staring at her feet.

“Nothing could stop me.” I smile at her.

We drive in silence through quiet streets. Large, stately homes from generations gone by line the wide, tree-lined streets.Most homes here have tall wrought-iron gates and high-tech security systems.

“I wonder if your neighbors’ cameras caught anything?” I muse as we breeze through the gates and follow the winding driveway to the home. Ours have clearly been tampered with, but I doubt The8 has hacked the cameras across the rest of the neighborhood.

“That’s an idea,” she agrees, looking hopeful for the first time today. “We could ask around.”

We pull up to the house, an army of Rossi men already assembled on the porch. Some are smoking and lounging on the outdoor furniture, others are checking out my car.

Luigi Rossi stands in the middle, giving me a stare cold enough to freeze my blood.

“Look, it’s my biggest fan,” I whisper in Lenny’s ear as we climb over a forgotten snowdrift to the front steps. She breaks into a hacking cough to cover her laugh, and I pet her back gently, a model of innocence.

“Valentina, can I speak to you alone for a moment?” Luigi grumbles, not even acknowledging me. She eyes me guiltily and ducks into the house, leaving me alone with the Rossi men.

For a minute or two, awkward silence stretches between us.

“Hey, I’m Enzo,” I finally say, waving lamely. I pray that most of these guys are too young to know the drama that happened six years ago.

“Dude, your car is sick,” one of the younger ones finally pipes up. “Can I see it?”

“Yeah, sure,” I tell him, gesturing to the car. “You can drive it for all I care.”

Surprised shouts echo from the porch, and a handful of Rossi boys run over to my beautiful Koenigsegg Regera. I toss one of them the keys, absent-mindedly praying they’ll give it back to me in one piece.

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