Page 135 of Devil Mine

“Valentina,” Thiago calls out and a woman around my age with luscious, long brown hair stands and turns around. I recognize her instantly, even if I only caught a glimpse of her last time. She’s the woman in the gold dress. “This is Tess. Marco and I need to talk, can you look after her while I’m gone?”

Her stunning hazel eyes widen when he introduces us. “Of course I can! I’m so happy to finally meet you, Tess. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Thiago kisses my forehead and walks off, leaving me with her and no explanation of who she is to him. I watch him go unhappily, then turn back around with a sour look on my face.

“So you’re close with my husband then?”

Valentina’s eyes widen at the hostility in my tone, her gaze pinging back and forth between mine as she tries to decipher me. Eventually, she laughs, her nose scrunching up adorably. She reaches out to clasp my hand in hers and motions for me to sit next to her on a couch away from the others.

“I’m not sure how much he’s told you about me, so let me make sure there are no misunderstandings between us. I have no interest or designs on Thiago. There is nothing and willneverbe anything between us. He’s my adoptive brother, that’s it,” she swears. “Plus, he only has eyes for one woman these days so I wouldn’t be concerned about his attention swaying.”

He just confessed that he has feelings for me, but that doesn’t mean it’ll last forever. My father once allegedly loved my mother and look where they are now.

“All men’s attention sway eventually.”

“His won’t,” she vows. “Nothing’s been able to take his attention away from the business, and certainly not a woman. Then one day out of nowhere, he’s chasing you across Europe and forcing you to marry him. He’s yours. If you want him to be, that is.” She tilts her head cutely to the side and peers at me. “And based on this five minute conversation, I think you do. He’s the best you know, underneath all that murderous angst is the most loyal man you’ll ever meet.”

I blush, looking down at my hands. “You speak so highly of him, it’s nice to hear.”

“I grew up with him, he really is my brother. And he cared for me after…” she trails off abruptly, her eyes glassing. She blinks and looks away, shielding the sudden sheen of tears from my view. It’s my turn to squeeze her hand. I can guess what made her emotional.

“After Adriana?”

Surprise colors her features when she turns to look at me. “He’s already told you about her?”

“Yes.” In fact, he’s been telling me more and more about her since visiting my mum in the hospital. It’s like realizing we have shared trauma when it comes to the women in our lives bonded us and made him open up even further.

“Then he’s definitely never swaying,” she says, proudly adding. “You’re in this for life.”

Carefully, I say, “I hope so.”

She claps her hands happily and cheers. “So I was right! I’m thrilled to hear it.” She grabs her glass of champagne and raises it in toast to me before taking a sip. “Does he know you feel this way?”

The truth is I’ve been falling in love with Thiago from the very beginning. It didn’t happen overnight, far from it. It started with raw lust, grew to interest with distance, expanded to fondness when he made sure the fridge was stocked with my favorite ice cream, developed into deep affection when I checked the time on his phone one night and saw that his wallpaper was the hastily taken photo of our signed marriage certificate he’d snapped sitting in the back of his car, bloomed to admiration when he let me rehearse a work presentation with him for hours because I was anxious about it, swelled to adoration when he saved my life, and ballooned into limitless, unyielding love when he took care of my mum. When he checked in with her every day for a week after she came home from the hospital. When he told me punishment for touching her would be the same as the one for touching me.

“He knows I care about him. Deeply. He doesn’t know that what I feel is a little more serious than that.”

She beams. “You should tell him.”

I shake my head vigorously. “No way. We literallyjusttalked about our feelings and he didn’t say it. He would have if he felt it. I’m not going to be the one to say it first if he’s not on the same page.”

I’m not sure why I’m spilling my guts to Valentina when she’s a perfect stranger. It’s something to do with the openness of her face, the way she holds my hand. She makes me want to confide in her. And there’s instant relief in the form of a weight lifting off my chest from letting someone in on my secret, even if I can’t tell Thiago yet.

“Anyway,” I add, waving my hand to put the topic behind us. “I’m sorry for being a bitch ten minutes ago. You understand why now. But if you’re Thiago’s sister, that makes us family so I’m hoping we can be friends. I promise you I’m usually quite nice.”

Valentina laughs delightedly, hooking her arm in mine and leaning close with a mischievous smile on her lips. “Oh, we’re absolutely going to be friends. Technically we already are because I’ve considered you my friend since you made Thiago chase after you, but I’ll give you some time to catch up to me.”

I giggle happily, relieved to have made a new friend on the other side of the cartel line. Except for a couple core people who I see every day, I haven’t really interacted with any of them. That side of Thiago’s life still remains a mystery and I know he likes to keep some separation, to not involve me. But if we’re going to have a successful future together, we can’t keep our lives separate forever.

I assume that’s why he brought me here too, as a first initiation.

“This club is amazing,” I tell her. “Have you been here before? Do you know the owner?”

“I have, plenty of times. The cartel has its own clubs and restaurants, but this is one of our regular haunts when we want to focus on pleasure, not business. And yes, I know Cillian well. I’m sure you’ll meet him at some point,” she says, before adding. “A piece of advice though – don’t stare at him for too long. His wife isinsane. She’ll cut your eyes out of your head for looking.”

Before I can answer, a man appears behind her. My gaze lifts to him and just by his size alone, I deduce that he’s Callum’s brother. Valentina’s eyes widen when she sees the look on my face. She’s got an apologetic expression pasted on before she’s even turned around.

“Sorry, Kill,” she says sheepishly.

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