Page 345 of Valentino

I lift his face so that his eyes meet mine. “I didn’t do this for you, Val, I did it for me.”

The steam fills the room as we stare each other.

“I was defending myself, and I was protecting my man.”

“I can protect you,” he whispers.

“I know that, but in this instance I was the only one who could get close enough to Carlo,” I fire back. “If I had rejected him, we both know his intention was to kidnap me, chain me down and take me against my will…to hurt you.”

His eyes hold mine.

“I couldn’t let that happen.” I shake my head. “I’ve already been used enough by Carlo Bernetti. There was no way in hell I was going to let myself become his weapon against you.” I lean up onto my toes and kiss him. “I did what I did, and I am under no illusion. I did it, I have no regrets.”

His hand lifts and runs down over my hair as if thinking.

“Why are you wearing clothes in the shower?” I ask.

“Shut up.” He pulls me violently into a hug and holds me so close that I can hardly breathe.

For a long time we stand under the water, and I want to say something to lighten the mood and bring him back to me. “Did you get my ring box yet,” I tease.

“Fucking hell,” he sighs. “Stop nagging me about the stupid fucking ring box. It’s just a box. An empty box.”

I smile against his chest.

“For a ring that you took off,” he huffs. “May I remind you.”

“I only took it off because if things went south and he killed me, I wanted it to be in your possession.”

He pulls back to look at me, completely horrified. “Can you hear the fucked-up shit that’s coming out of your mouth?”

I smile up at him. “I love you, Valentino Leone.”

“And I love you, Anna Russo,” he whispers as he pulls me into an embrace. “Just. Please. Promise me.” He hugs me tighter. “Less doing, more listening.”

I smile against his chest. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Twenty-four hours later.

I sit on the arm of the couch and flick through the channels, Valentino is in his office.

He’s been on the phone to who knows who, talking about who knows what for hours.

I land on the news.

Breaking story.

A further development in the Italian cartel drug war.

Carlo Bernetti has escaped from prison and is on the run.

His whereabouts are currently unknown.

In retaliation to a string of drive-by shootings in Milan yesterday, Sicily is now on fire.

Nine clubs have been burned to the ground and numerous

people are dead.