Page 120 of Empire of Temptation

“And more.”

Holy shit. I felt . . . stunned. And betrayed. My parents had been sleeping together while I was at school. I couldn’t believe it. Why didn’t she tell me? How had I never noticed?

“We could not tell you,” he said. “It was too dangerous. If I resurfaced, then you both were at risk.”

“So you made an exception for her, but not for your daughter. Great. Thanks for clearing that up.”

“There is no need for sarcasm, figlia. Your mother was an adult, you were not. There is a difference.”

“Right. The difference is I needed a father. I needed help when she?—”

I couldn’t say it.

He drew in a shaky breath. “Perdonami, Val. But your mother insisted. She did not want you involved in my world. I had to respect her wishes.”

“So you just stood around and watched herdie?”

“No. She allowed me to help in the ways I could after she grew sick. Little things. Groceries, repairs. Laundry. You were at school, and this was important to her. She did not want you giving up your future to take care of her.”

I thought back to that chaotic time. I’d spent so much of it scrambling between her, the trattoria and school. “She told me the neighbors were helping out.”

“Sì.” He pointed to his chest. “I was the neighbors. I fixed the kitchen sink. I made sure the fridge had food. I helped her shower.”

It was too much. I pushed out of my chair and began walking around the kitchen. I gave the neighbors free food for months in gratitude. They must’ve been so confused.

But this was bigger than free meals. My head spun with what this meant. “You really loved her.”

“With all my heart.”

“Shit.” I could feel my eyes welling, the sting of oncoming tears. “I want to hate you so badly right now.”

“I know I have not been a good father to you. I never wanted you to be tainted by my past. Worse, I didn’t want you to lose another parent. I thought it was better if I stayed away in case Don Rossi found me.”

“Don Rossi?”

He waved his hand. “It’s not worth explaining. But they can’t allow me to live, Val. I know too much, especially now.”

“It’s been a long time. Why would they even care?”

“These men, they never forget. Now that they know where I am, I will need to go somewhere else to hide. I stayed here only to watch over you the past few years. I wanted to keep you away from men like Benetti.”

I leaned against the kitchen counter and folded my arms. “He’s not a terrible person. He cares about me.”

“Dai, figlia mia. He is a violent monster, a cruel man. He only cares about himself, his family. And he will destroy your life, if you let him.”

“You’re wrong. He’s sweet and very gentle with me.”

“That is how they seem at first. Once you give in, he will do whatever he wants to you. He’s already moved you in! You give these men an opening and?—”

A floorboard creaked. My father fell silent, his body going rigid.

A half-second later, Luca walked into the kitchen. In his hand was a gun pointed at my father.

Luca was here. And he lookedterrifying.Eyes hard, muscles taut. His face was etched in granite as menace leached from every pore. This was the mob boss, the killer. The man he hid underneath the naughty words and orgasms. I hardly recognized him, even though those hickeys were definitely mine.

How on earth did he find us?

Luca didn’t spare me a glance. He kept his attention entirely on Flavio as he snarled something in Italian. My father didn’t respond, which seemed to make Luca evenangrier.He said more that I didn’t understand, so I snapped, “English, Luca. I want to know what you’re saying.”

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