Page 68 of Mafia Kings: Valentino

This was the end –

There was absolutely no hope.

I still tried to bargain, though.

“We can leave – we can run away together,” I said desperately.

Valentino looked at me like I was insane. “I can’t do that. I can’t go against my family.”

“Baby – ”

He grabbed my hands and held them tight. “I’m sorry. I’m more sorry for this than anything else in my entire life… but I have to do what they tell me, Caterina. I’m sorry.”

That was when I broke down.

He held me in his arms as I sobbed uncontrollably.

We stood like that for nearly five minutes, me crying against his chest…

Until there was finally a break in my tears.

Then he tilted my face back gently with his fingers so he could look me in the eyes.

“…I’m sorry,” he whispered, then kissed me gently on the lips.

It was the most tender kiss he had ever given me –

And I drank it in like wine.

Then… it was over.

“I have to go,” he whispered again…

And with one tortured look back at me, he walked out the door and closed it behind him.

For a second, I just stood there trembling –

And then I collapsed on the floor in a heap, wailing like a dying animal.

I was in more pain than I had ever felt in mylife.

Amidst the agony, the truth became crystal clear to me –

A truth I had tried to ignore from the very first time we were together.

I was in love with him…

And now I had lost him forever.

25

Valentino

When I walked away from the bedroom, I heard Caterina howl in pain –

And I wanted to die.

But I kept on walking. I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other and make my way up the stairs to my room.

---