Page 75 of King Of Order

She shrugged, and I sucked my teeth, wanting to stride after her sorry-ass siblings and give them a hiding they’d never forget on her behalf.

My gaze never left as I cleaned up while she gathered tableware, and I wondered about my growing need to ensure her honor.

An hour later, tired and done for the day, we locked and exited Olivio’s empty, cold mansion and headed home.

Chapter 16

VALERIO

Night settled over the garden like a velvet cloak as the day’s warmth lingered in the air.

A gentle breeze drifted in from the sea, carrying the scent of salt and brine, mixing with the fragrant blossoms that framed the pool.

The rhythmic and soothing sound of the waves crashed faintly in the distance, like an ancient lullaby that only the ocean knew how to sing.

Above, the sky stretched in a vast canvas of deep indigo punctuated by a scattering of stars that flickered like distant fires.

The crescent moon hung close, casting a silver glow over everything it touched. The pool’s surface rippled with light like liquid silk, reflecting the heavens in its depths.

The warm wind moved with a gentle rustle through the trees, causing the leaves to flutter and whisper, their soft murmur blending with the far-off sounds of the sea.

The garden appeared alive with subtle movements, the night creatures emerging to claim the world once the day passed.

Yet, a profound stillness settled over me and all that lived and breathed around the pool. It was a rare quiet—nothing seemed pressed or rushed, and time felt suspended.

I sat sprawled on a divan in the semi-darkness, a cheroot in one hand and a beer in the other.

Fuck, it’d been a shit show of a day.

Getting a glimpse into the underbelly of Naples had been eye-opening.

While my family had deals with many of the mobsters at the wake today, we’d done so from the shadows. Always via proxies and intermediaries, never having to sully ourselves with the riff-raff.

The reality of seeing the red-eyed gangsters of Naples’ unpleasant underside, who’d likely crawled out of their holes for the event, had been jarring.

I growled, recalling how, driven by insatiable greed, their cold, calculating gazes on Chiara promised danger and betrayal with every sly grin.

I sat back and took a drag of my cheroot, vowing never to permit them to get their claws into her.

Fuck them all; if they came in my way, I’d eviscerate the lot.

Once more, a genuine drive to protect her flared in me and I mulled on it.

I let the smoke curl from my fingers as the pool water rippled in the wind. Everything appeared suspended like the world was holding its breath.

Whisper soft footsteps sounded on the deck.

I glanced up to see Chiara in a silk robe loose around her shoulders.

Barefoot.

She stepped into the muted glow of the poolside lamps, her silhouette outlined.

We stared at each other for a moment, neither saying a word.

There was something unreadable in her eyes, a calm intensity that gripped me with a jolt of wild desire straight to my rock.

My heart throbbed.

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