Page 51 of Prince of Malice

“Good one,” he responds dryly. “I’m just saying that not only can my family give you a better option than the Rossis, but also that you telling your dad that you support us isbetter than me telling him that you’re gettingveryclose with Dominic Rossi.”

My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach. The wave of students crashing around us seems to stop in place and the air vanishes from my lungs all in the same instant. There’s no way that he knows. How could he possibly know?

Dominic likes to talk, but even he knows better than to spread this around.

Did this guy know what we were doing in the locker room? Was his conversation with Antonio afterward just an extra evil edge to his plan?

Or did he find out after Dominic’s race when our hookups began? It’s clear that the Grecos have been pulling some strings to get him involved in these activities, so it’s not too far-fetched to think they have some way to keep such close tabs on him.

That doesn’t matter for now; if he knows, then he knows. All I can do is hope that he doesn’t know as much as he’s letting on or that I can find some other way out of this.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” I say, trying my best to bluff.

“Oh, but that answer tells me otherwise.”He grins. He’s got me beat, and he knows it. “Just think about my offer, but don’t take too long. I get impatient.”

My teeth grit behind my dry lips, and I’m unable to move my feet as they anchor themselves in place. I can do nothing but watch him disappear back into the crowd.

There is more to their plan. I didn’t unravel the string in time, and now it’s starting to wrap around my neck.

What the hell am I supposed to do now? Just when I thought we could get on top of this mess, he goes ahead and pulls it out from under me.

I know I care about Dominic in a way that I’ve never felt about anyone else ever before. But my family is quite literally my entire life. I have always done whatever I needed to for my father and our business. I have devoted myself for years to this college purely so that I can be the best leader I can for the Valentis.

However, the respect my father has for me seems to be lessening by the day. It’s starting to feel like no matter what I do, it’ll never be enough for him. I have put everything I have into this family and spent everymoment trying to live up to the Valenti name and make my father proud.

But when I’m with Dominic, it’s like I don’t even have to try at all. My true self is all he ever expects from me, and when we’re alone, I instantly feel the weight of my father’s burden lifted off of me.

Is that the most we can ever be though? Even if a miracle occurs and we somehow find a way to stop the Grecos’ plot, there’s no way in hell that our relationship would ever be accepted by either of our families. The Valentis don’t allow themselves to fall victim to their emotions, only ever letting logic do the talking, and the Rossis are known for their suspicious nature and lack of restraint when dealing with outsiders.

Is giving up my entire family worth all the lies and stolen moments we might get to have together?

There is no way that I could ever make this decision. It’s choosing between everything I am and everything I want.

No. I won’t play their game. This is exactly what they want. They want Dominic and I to turn on each other like this andmake their jobs even easier, but I won’t let any of that happen.

I can’t let him get too caught up in this. The Grecos are adamant about focusing their sights on me while using Dominic as a puppet. He’s been in the middle of this for long enough, and I won’t let it go on for any longer.

I’m going to handle this and take down the Grecos myself. I will make sure that I can keep Dominic safe and have my family at my side at the same time.

I storm into my father’s study, crashing through the wall of heat emitting from the fireplace, and I stare him down as he reclines in his favorite chair. “Luca,” he says, startled by my entrance. “What are you doing here at this hour?”

“I want us out of this deal,” I demand.

“Why would we do that?”

“They’re making threats.”

“What threats? And who exactly are they threatening?”

“Well—” I can’t tell him what they’ll do.Not only would that defeat the point in even coming here, but my father will disown me for what I’ve done and let the Grecos win on two fronts. “That doesn’t matter. It’s not the way you taught me to handle things.”

He scoffs. “So the Rossis handle their business with all the grace and decorum in the world?”

“What part of this don’t you understand?” I ask, the frustration and pure spite coating my tongue as I speak.

My father steps to me, trying his best to get up in my face until I step back from him. I won’t be intimidated.

“Why I should trust the Grecos any less than the Rossis?” he returns.

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