Page 101 of Empire of Temptation

I marched over, my heels clicking on the cement. Sure enough, my father was waiting there, cleverly concealed. God forbid he actually acted like a normal father.

He looked the same, with a little more gray in his closely cropped hair. Maybe a little more round through his middle. But the haggard face, the dark suspicious eyes? I’d recognize them anywhere.

“What do you want, Flavio?” I snapped. “I’m a little busy.”

“Luca Benetti is a dangerous man. You need to stay away from him.”

I exhaled heavily and looked to the sky for support. “Seriously? That’s what you came here to tell me? You have no right to comment on anything regarding my life. Now, if that’s all, see you in five years or so.”

I started to turn, but he grabbed my arm to hold me. “Valentina, don’t be stupid. He is a murderer, a torturer. He is not a nice man. Even if he weren’t too old for you?—”

I ripped my arm out of his grip. “God, stop it. I know exactly who Luca is, and none of it is your business. If this is your attempt at protecting me or acting like a real father, it’s too little, too late. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.”

“You need to listen to me! I know you hate me, but you do notwant to get mixed up with him or his family. He would kill you without a moment’s thought.”

“No, he wouldn’t. You don’t know him like I do. And you don’t have a leg to stand on, Flavio. You come from the exact same world.”

“Yes, which is why I am warning you away from him,figlia. This will only end badly for you.”

Maybe, but I didn’t want to hear it. Not from this man. He’d ignored me nearly all my life, letting my mother raise me alone, then letting her die with only me at her side. Letting me struggle with the restaurant, the mortgage. Fuck him. “Go away and don’t come back. I don’t need you or want you in my life.”

“Don’t be stubborn, Val. Not now. Your mother?—”

“Donotspeak of my mother. Get her name out of your mouth. You lost that right years ago.”

“Mamma mia,” he said, dragging a hand across the back of his neck. “I know you hate me, and I can’t change that, but I’m telling you Benetti is the worst kind of man. I can’t let you get mixed up with him.”

“Can’t let me?” God, the absolute nerve. I made a sound that was half between a scoff and a dark laugh. “You have no control or influence over my life, Flavio. None. Thanks for stopping by,” I said sarcastically. “Don’t do it again.”

I started to walk away, but my father wasn’t done.

“He’s only here to use you to get to me.”

I stopped in my tracks and looked over my shoulder. “What are you talking about?”

“Benetti. He’s here in New York, getting close to you so he can find me.”

“You’re delusional.” I put up my palms like I was warding off an evil spirit. “Seriously. Now you’re trying to make me believe it’s all about you? Jesus. Just when I thought you couldn’t get any worse.”

“Think about it, Valentina. Why did he come to your restaurant that first night? Why is he hanging around this shithole town? Why has he moved you into his house?” He shook his head. “Do you reallythink this is some love affair between the two of you? You can’t be that naive.”

A lump formed in my throat. I wanted to brush off the words, but these were all of my deep-seated fears. Not even my own father had loved me, so how could any other man? I’d worked through a lot of this with a therapist before my mom grew sick, so I knew it wasn’t true. But inside my heart, buried in my soul, I always believed it.

I folded my arms. “Fine, let’s say you’re right. Why would Luca want to find you?”

“Because I’m a wanted man back in Italy. My enemies. They will put me to death. And Benetti means to make it happen.”

My god, the drama. This was unbelievable. My limbs vibrated with anger as I pointed at him. “You’re crazy. I get that you don’t want me to date him, but to make this stuff up is ridiculous. Seriously, go away.”

Turning on my heel, I hurried toward the kitchen. “You don’t know him!” my father called.

I didn’t stop. I needed to get back to the dining room. I didn’t want Luca coming to look for me and finding Flavio. My father was an embarrassment, nothing more than an old fool spouting lies and trying to act like he gives a shit about me.

I wish I’d never gone outside.

Luca and Roberto were chatting at our table when I returned. Needing to calm down, I inhaled and let it out slowly, then I put a smile on my face. Like we were tethered by an invisible string, Luca glanced over as soon as I started toward him. His eyes roamed all the way down my body, the examination slow and thorough. When I grew closer I could see that the heat in his gaze was genuine, not faked for my benefit. And it caused a riot in my bloodstream, my pussy growing wetter with need.

My dad could fuck off. Luca was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

---