Page 152 of Empire of Temptation

“Gabi said the mansion was well-fortified. And you can fly back here whenever you like. The two of you can stay here for months at a time. Allora, you could split the year in half.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It will be a headache for security, but the rest is easy. This isn’t Nonno’s day without computers and mobile phones. Our business is international and so is technology.”

I rubbed my jaw and straightened my legs. “Why are you pushing this so hard?”

“Because I’d like to see you happy. And maybe if you’re happy in your own relationship, maybe you’ll let me marry Bianca.”

“Stai zitto!” I snapped, telling him to shut up. “No talk of marriage, especially to a girl I haven’t chosen.”

He grinned, not repentant in the least. “I said maybe.”

Leonardo wasn’t fooling me. The fact that he’d raised the possibility told me he’d been thinking about it. “I’m telling your uncles to keep a closer eye on you.”

“Does this mean you’re going to live in Paesano?”

I didn’t answer. It wasn’t as simple as that. This was a decision I couldn’t make alone. My brothers needed to be involved, as splitting my time between two countries would reorganize our family structure. A small army would be required to keep the estate in New York safe, as well as to keep Valentina protected wherever she went.

And if I did move there, would she want to marry me? She was so young, her whole life ahead of her, and my world was death and destruction. It hardly seemed fair.

I have everything I need back home—except for one thing.

Leonardo took the empty water bottle from my hand and replaced it with a fresh one. “Gabi also said there is opportunity there. The locals are weak and a mess, and Vito D’Agostino is in Toronto. He could be a resource.”

“Yes, he told me.”

“Could be fun, Papà. We haven’t had a turf war in years.”

I shoved his head and ruffled his hair. “You were four. How would you even remember?”

My son laughed then pushed to his feet. Reaching out, he offered a hand. “Come on. You need a shower and your bed.”

I was too tired to fight him. Too tired for everything. “When did you get so smart?”

He held open the door to the gym for me. “I’ve always beensmart. Which is why I hope you’ll listen to me when I say that if you love her, you shouldn’t let her go.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Valentina

Two weeks later

The bell jangled as I walked into the café. Sam was all alone behind the counter, sipping an iced coffee and scrolling on her phone. She had her nose ring in today and her black hair was braided into two pigtails. With her pale skin, she looked very Wednesday Adams.

She glanced up as I drew closer. “Val, have you finished this book for book club yet? It’s soboring. I suggested a dark romance, but they picked this one instead. I’m forty percent in and no one has even banged yet.”

I set my wallet and keys on the counter. “No, I haven’t started it. To be honest I’ll probably skip book club this weekend.”

Wincing, Sam looked up from her tablet. “I’m sorry. I totally forgot.”

“It’s okay. I’ve only just mentioned it, so how could you forget?”

“I mean that I forgot about the man who shall not be named.”

“It’s okay. You can say his name. The entire town knows.”

When I returned from Italy, everyone was talking about what had happened. From the fire and the shooting, to my father, then how Luca was arrested . . . and it was no secret that he’d broken my heart.

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