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I was lost in thought as Valentino escorted me to the table. He pulled out a chair and I sank into it before he took the one next to me. Sabrina chose the other seat near me, and I smiled at her as her husband—the don—pulled it out for her. I felt reasonably safe sandwiched between Valentino and Sabrina.
I almost snorted. Since when had I felt safe with the man who’d planned to kill me? As for Sabrina, she was the don’s wife, she might be as bloodthirsty as her husband.
The waiter unloaded the trolley into the center of the table. I recognized most of the dishes. Gnocchi, spaghetti, carbonara, pizza margherita, risotto, lasagna and ravioli. It was an Italian feast.
The men with a partner each reached for a dish, then served up a portion for the women next to them and themselves before they passed the dish along. Valentino did the same for me and I ended up with a small portion of every dish.
A pity I was too tense to eat.
Except once I took a bite I couldn’t seem to stop. The rich, earthy flavors exploded in my mouth, making me want to devour what I had in front of me.
Sabrina giggled and looked at Valentino. “Haven’t you been feeding her?”
He put his fork down onto his plate. “She might have been my hostage, but I didn’t mistreat her.”
“Might have been?” I asked him, my heart suddenly hammering. “Does that mean I’m free now?”
Sabrina blinked at me. “Do you want to leave?”
“I’d just like the choice to decide for myself,” I said softly, my words guarded, cautious. I couldn’t offend these people. I valued my life.
Sabrina turned to her husband with a smirk. “Does that bring back any memories?”
“Yes!” Isabella piped up from across the table. She pushed an errant strand of dark hair behind her ear. “Having a normal relationship doesn’t seem to be a thing for any of us. Lucky we fell in love with our captors.”
I stared at the two women, gobsmacked by the news. “You were both kidnapped?”
Isabella nodded slowly, though a small smile curled her lush lips. “We were.” She glanced at Salvatore next to her. “Our husbands aren’t known for their…patience.”
Sabrina looked back at me. “It was only lucky we didn’t cause a worse turf war between the Costas and the Agostinos, not just for the kidnappings, but for falling in love with someone from rival families.”
“I had no idea,” I said faintly. I might have lived with the Irish mafia but I’d learned nothing about any kidnappings.
Carlo leaned forward, his dark eyes sharp behind his bushy brows. “Didn’t Sean tell you anything about us?”
I shook my head. “Very little. I mean, I overheard bits and pieces, but I wasn’t ever told anything, not unless Sean hoped to frighten me.” I glanced at Ethan. “He told me you’d killed your own father for a woman…Sabrina. I had no idea you’d kidnapped her though.”
He shrugged. “I have no regrets.” He turned to Sabrina and added softly. “Not. One.”
She nodded, then said huskily. “I know.”
Salvatore took Isabella’s hand and lifted it to kiss her knuckles, his voice somber and his icy-blue eyes softening like clouds when he captured his wife’s gaze. “Neither do I.”
The dark-haired beauty smiled tenderly up at him. “I guess revenge really is sweet.”
My chest suddenly burned, my throat tightening. How must it feel to be loved so unreservedly by a man like that? All the males here reminded me of Valentino. Each and every one of them were tough sons-of-bitches who knew how to survive in a world that was too often cold and unforgiving. That they were handsome to boot was nothing more than a lucky coincidence.
I winced. Perhaps I’d exclude Carlo from the handsome category, though I had no doubt he’d been a looker in his youth, he was certainly charismatic. That he was here alone meant he likely brought whores or a mistress to mafia parties that were less refined than this one.
I’d attended enough of those kinds of celebrations to know what went on. That I’d often been forced to do things to Sean at them even now turned my stomach. But it’d been better to comply than be taught a harsh lesson. I’d learned that the hard way.
“Let’s eat,” Serafino announced. “My chef will be distraught if we don’t polish everything off our plates.”
I smiled. Why did I sense that was a lot of words from him? He really did seem like the silent and deadly type. My smile withered. He’d be someone who’d approach his unsuspecting target from behind, then snap the neck of his victim before their death had even registered in their brain.
Everyone began eating again. I soon got my appetite back, eating with gusto just like everyone else. I had, after all, long ago acclimatized myself to criminals. I’d had to just to survive. It wasn’t until I put my fork down that Valentino held up a bottle of Chianti and I nodded yes, watching as he poured the red wine into my glass.
He poured himself one too and brought the glass up to his nose to sniff the liquid appreciatively. “This one has the perfect cherry and spice bouquet.”
