Page 146 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

“Miss me?” I asked jokingly.

He grabbed me again and held me tight, his hand on the back of my head.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” he whispered.

His voice nearly broke with emotion.

I started crying – happy crying this time – and he kissed me again.

“How did you find me?! How did yougethere?!”

“Alessandra helped me.”

Valentino looked stunned. “Shedid?!”

The guy who’d brought Valentino coughed. “Ahem.”

I got a good look at him for the first time. He wore a black suit, black tie, and a white shirt, much like the foot soldiers who worked for Don Rosolini.

And he was grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

“I’d say you’ve got about two hours, boss. Then I gotta get you back home.”

Valentino stared at him. “You were in on all of this?!”

The guy laughed.

“I was.” Then he grew somber. “Seriously, though, Don Vicari can neverfind out about this. He’dkillme.”

“Not just you,” Valentino said grimly.

“I’ll call your lady – I got her cell phone number – but when we gotta go, we gotta go. You should, uh, probably take a shower before we leave, if you know what I mean,” the guy said with a wink. Then he pointed down the road. “She’s already got a room waiting for you.”

Valentino stared at me in shock. “You do?”

“Uh-huh.”

“How are you paying for all this?!”

“Alessandra gave me money.”

“Holy shit,” he muttered in amazement. “If Dario finds out – ”

“Let’s go,” I begged him, pulling at his arm.

“You should listen to your lady,” the guy in the suit said, then turned to go. “Two hours, boss!”

Then he walked back down the street, leaving me alone with Valentino.

“Well?” I prodded him with a big smile.

He kissed me once more, hard –

Then took my hand. “Let’s go!”

We ran all the way to Casa di Violetta.

49

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