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“I thought you would see it my way. Mayor DeLuca, follow me.” Paris puts away her legal pad and closes her briefcase.
I follow her lead and pat Chad’s stiff shoulder on my way out. “This situation is all very unfortunate.”
“If you had this kind of leverage, why didn’t you request a private meeting with me first?”
I eye him, my disdain clear in the sneer on my face. “Only the losing side opens negotiations. I’ve never been on the losing side, so I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
As I turn my back, he suppresses a growl, but too late for me to not hear it.
Outside, Paris turns to me while I bask in the sunshine with my eyes closed. “You’ve just declared war. I hope you’re ready for what comes next.”
I peer at her through the side of my eye. “Paris, this city will burn before I lose to the likes of Chief Thorne.” I close my eye and take a deep breath. Not even war will get in my way now that I’m this close to obtaining my heart’s long-held dream.
CHAPTER TEN
Valentino
Today has been a shit show, but walking into my house knowing Sloane rests under my roof allows me to breathe easier. I glance toward my office but detour upstairs. If I know my principessa, she will have seen the news and will worry in silence, never exposing how deeply things affect her. She might even be awake despite the late hour.
I can’t recall when she started steeling herself against her own emotions. If I had to guess, it was some time after I moved from the neighborhood. She’s selective about those days when she decides to reminisce, and Tácito… I know they have a pact that prevents him from revealing everything to me.
I shouldn’t feel resentment about it. Tácito and I have kept secrets from Sloane for years. They should share some things only the two of them have, but I can’t help how I feel. My father stole me away when I was used to daily interactions. The only reason they have secrets is because I wasn’t there every day.
For three years, I had to sneak away to make phone calls. Thankfully, Sansone felt sorry for me. Late at night when the house was quiet with only the guards patrolling, we snuck into the room farthest from Giulio’s, just for me to call Tácito and Sloane. Before smart phones and video calling, Tácito and I depended on voice carry over and TTY technology, which wasn’t the best, but no sacrifice was too small if we got to talk to each other.
I trained myself to stay up late, but it was more difficult for them. They didn’t live in the same house and I had to rush our conversations because if any of Giulio’s men found me, I risked losing all access to my friends. Oftentimes, I could only get one call in and had to choose between Tácito and Sloane. Even then, I agonized over choosing between them, albeit for different reasons.
On rare occasions, Sloane’s family allowed Tácito to sleep over or vice versa. Those were the best times because it almost felt like we were all together again. Thankfully the distance ended when Giulio gifted me my first car on my sixteenth birthday. I visited the old neighborhood as often as possible, though it wasn’t every day like I wanted. I made sure Giulio couldn’t fault me with anything else because nothing could stop me from seeing those two.
Now is no different from when we were kids. With Sloane recuperating under my roof, I see her every day, though many times she is asleep or well on her way by the time I walk through her door. As much as I want to talk to her, seeing her safe and resting, her smooth brow free of worry, her soft skin returning to her healthy glow, soothes away most of the day’s stresses.
I glance at my watch. Tácito is on-call tonight, which means no one ate dinner with her. I stop and turn toward the kitchen where I pile a few snack foods on a tray. When I enter Sloane’s room, she is wide awake and pacing in front of her laptop, a blurry image frozen on the screen. She hasn’t heard my entrance and I take the time to study her.
Physically, she is strong. Her body is a lethal machine, ripped with muscle and deadly reflexes. She is also soft and feminine, though she never really focuses on her attributes the way Tácito and I do.
I clear my throat. “I thought you could use a midnight snack.”
She swings around, her mouth open on a gasp. She takes an eager step in my direction, then slams her laptop shut. “Are you alright? I saw the news.” She faces me with her arms folded, but I see how tightly she clutches them by the crushed clothes under her fingers.
“I’m fine. Were you worried about me, principessa?” I set the tray on a table and turn to see her scowling face.
“Don’t be a moron. Of course, I was.” She surprises me by admitting the truth. “And since when did you start calling me principessa?” Her easy admission does something to me and words stick behind my tongue, but not for long.
“I’ve always called you principessa in my head. I wasn’t good enough to voice it before, but those days are over.”
She opens and closes her mouth at my disclosure. After clearing her throat, she says, “This job was your way out from under your father’s thumb. He’ll take advantage of any weakness to control you. Why aren’t you more upset about this?”
I take her hand and lead her to the chair beside the food I brought. I sit, pull her onto my lap, and wrap my arm around her waist. Elation like nothing I’ve experienced settles deep within my bones. Being able to hold Sloane without finding excuses for why is a gift I never knew I needed.
“Valentino?”
“If you want to make me feel better, just let me hold you. If we must speak, let’s talk about anything but what happened today.”
She rests her head on my shoulder and peaceful silence descends into the room. As she relaxes, the temptation to touch her grabs me by the throat. I nuzzle behind her ear. She stretches her neck, giving me more room to explore.
“This is a bad idea,” she sighs, but doesn’t make to move away.
“I disagree,” I say, turning her head towards me and kissing her.
