Page 93 of Empire of Temptation

“No, I’m not crazy. If it brings war with the other clans, so be it. I won’t be made a fool, left to dance on Rossi’s string.”

He nodded, like this was what he expected me to say. “And Valentina? Are you moving her to Catanzaro?”

“I think he should,” Aldo put in, but we ignored him.

I stared at Sergio, unsure why he was pressing on this. Was he worried she would disrupt my life? As I told Aldo in the car, I would return to Catanzaro alone. Valentina had the restaurant and her friends here, and my work consumed all of my time. I didn’t have time for dinners and dates.

So who takes care of you?

The answer was simple. I took care of myself, as I’d been doing my whole life. My mother never made her children a priority and my father had raised killers, not sons. The housekeepers over the years had shown us more affection than our own parents. And still we thrived, the four of us boys, like a pack of wild dogs that stuck together.

So, no. I wouldn’t take her to Catanzaro, even if this burning sensation in my stomach, this inexplicable craving for her, never abated. I would learn to live with the ache.

Family came first.

“No.”

Sergio’s shoulders relaxed, like a weight had been lifted, and he exhaled toward the ceiling. “Thank fuck.”

“Why do you care?”

Sergio leaned down on his elbows. “Do you really believe she’ll forgive you after she learns why you’re here? To use her to find her father. Not to mention you were originally prepared to kidnap her and turn her over to the GDF. Think about it, Luca.”

“She will never find out.”

“Dai, Luca. You can’t be this naive.”

My voice turned hard. “Do you have a death wish, fratello?”

“I am looking out for you!” He straightened and faced me. “For the family. We are all in jeopardy right now because of this woman and your decisions. I’ve been holding everything together in Catanzaro since you left, then you order me here at a moment’s notice. I barely slept on the plane and arrived here to learn you’ve moved her into your house. What thefuck?”

“There is no jeopardy, stronzo.” I stalked over to the island and stared him in the eye. “We are going to find Segreto and get answers. Whatever happens outside of that doesn’t concern you.”

“Anythingrelated to you concerns me. You are don of this family and every decision you make affects all of us.”

“You think I don’t know this? I have lived with the responsibility longer than you’ve been alive. And it won’t change until I’m dead.”

“Which could happen at any moment now.” He dragged a hand through his hair and began pacing, which was unusual for my normally calm brother. “You are completely exposed here in the middle of nowhere. The house and grounds aren’t nearly as secure as back home, and you don’t have enough men. And why are you riskingyour life? For a woman who won’t speak to you after she learns that truth.”

“I understand that you are worried?—”

“Of course I’m worried!” He stopped moving and pinched the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger. “First you fucked Palmieri’s wife, now this woman . . . You know it’s dangerous to move her in, yet you did it anyway. It’s like you have a death wish.”

My upper lip curled into a sneer as I considered it. “I’m not scared of Segreto. And it’s safer for Valentina to live here until this business is sorted out.”

“Safer . . . or just more convenient for you?”

Fury flooded my veins and my muscles bunched in preparation for violence. I’d never hit him, not once even when we were young, but I wanted to hit him now. I wanted to punch him until these disrespectful words stopped coming out of his mouth.

But I couldn’t. This was my brother, my closest confidant. My family.

Through sheer force of will, I remained calm. “Stay out of my relationship with Valentina. She’s here until I say otherwise and that’s all you need to fucking know.” Sergio’s jaw tightened and he stared at the wall, but I didn’t care. I turned to Aldo. “Gabriele moves out to the pool house today. See that it’s taken care of.”

I didn’t wait for his response. I walked out of the room and headed for the office. I needed to be alone.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Valentina

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