Page 22 of Don't Break My Heart
“I could have died today, treasure.” The weight of his words sits heavily on my shoulders, and I know exactly how he feels, I thought we lost him out front of his brother’s place. There was so much blood. As much as I prayed, I couldn’t see how he would survive.
“But you didn’t,” I tell him because I can’t delve into the depths of what that would have meant. I don’t ever want to imagine a world without him in it.
He places a soft kiss on my lips, and I know he has so much more to say, but I won’t let him, not now. He knows how I feel. I close my eyes and try to rest beside him. Eventually his soft breathing becomes more even, and I know he’s out to it. But there is no way I can sleep, doesn’t matter how tired I am. My mind races from who wants me dead now, to how the hell am I going to get out of here? To how on earth did I fall in love with four men at the same time? What is wrong with me? And why are they all okay with it? It’s like a tennis match up there, questions bouncing around everywhere.
After some time, I hear someone come into the room when the door creaks open. I don’t bother to see who it is; I don’t really care. But when their phone’s ringtone pierces through the silence, and I pop open my eyes to see Valentine sneaking from the room, I carefully roll out of bed and tiptoe over to the door that he left ajar and listen.
He’s moved down the hallway, and even though he’s talking quietly, his voice is harsh like he’s furious. “Can you not follow simple instructions?” is the first thing I make out. “Orlando nearly died out there last night.”
The hair on the backs of my arms stands up. What the fuck does he mean simple instructions?
Silence, and I assume the other person is talking, so I wait.
“I said make sure no one gets hurt but the girl.” It’s then I see fucking red. This asshole was the one who tried to have me killed tonight. He knew where we would be and roughly what time we would leave the club. It makes perfect sense.
Without thinking, I shove open the door and stalk out into the hallway. I wait till I’m right up in his face before I open my mouth. “I don’t know what your fucking problem is with me, Valentine, but let me get one thing straight,” I seethe bitterly, keeping my voice low. The last thing I want is the other boys to hear this conversation. This asshole thinks he has me pegged, the gold digger after daddy’s cash. Fuck him.
Valentine disconnects his call, giving me his full attention. His dark eyes bore through me in a way that should send me running. But I’m not scared of this motherfucker.
“I don’t want your papa’s fortune, or his businesses. I want one thing and one thing only and that is to get the fuck out of this country and go back home. But your papa dragged me here, and now he’s dead, and I’m stuck here until we get this legal mess sorted out.” My body shakes as anger vibrates off me.
He stares at me, the vein in his forehead looking like it’s about to pop. It’s then I realize why I disliked this fucker the moment I met him. He reminds me of Alex Moretti. I guess the Moretti genetics are strong. “The little girl thinks she can have a voice. That’s my problemwith you. You changed him.” He motions to the door. “You fucking changed Romeo too. You make them weak, when I need them strong. I saw you on my video surveillance, a fucking little slut, opening up your legs for them both, manipulating them into giving you everything you want.”
My eyes narrow. Is he fucking kidding me? I should have known he would have surveillance, I wasn’t thinking straight. “They’re stronger than you will ever be, you misogynistic piece of shit.” I pull my gun and aim it at his head. He flinches back, and I know it was the last thing he expected me to do. He’s never dealt with a chick like me before. I could shoot him right now, take another enemy off my list. But in truth, I know if I ever want to get out of this place, we need him.
I stare dead into his eyes. “We all have a fucking job to do, to make sure this transition is smooth. Your brothers may not have told you this yet, but if you play your cards right, it will all be yours. We don’t want it. You pull a stunt like this again, I will make sure it’s my bullet that ends up in your head, and I’ll come up with another solution to my problem of who will run the family business. I’m not sure how you raise your women here, but I was raised by a gang of bikers, and they taught me to believe I could be anyone, not just the arm candy for some rich cunt wannabe mafia don.”
His eyes run down my face with a fresh wave of curiosity. “I wanted you dead. Yeah, I’ll admit it, but that was until I saw how you were with my brother when you thought he was dying. You actually care about him.”
I consider him for a second. His anger toward me is simmering down, but it could all be some ploy. I don’t believe for a second he would back down because he thinks I love his brother. A cold emotionless motherfucker like him wouldn’t understand what we have. “I hold the life you want in my hands, asshole. Are you going to backdown and treat me with some fucking respect or do you want to die today?”
“We are family, Ava. For the peace of the family and the smooth transition of our dear papa’s passing, we can put the past behind us. I will respect you for your very short stay in my country, as long as you stay the fuck away from my wife and this conversation never leaves this hallway. If Romeo or Orlando ever found out…”
“I wouldn’t need to kill you,” I say it for him. I lower my gun and take a step back from him. “Smart man. Now tell me, how do I get my husband home to our villa? I have had enough of this place.”
“I will arrange that for you this morning.”
“Thank you, dear brother-in-law.” I turn away from him, very aware of the fact he would be armed as well, but I know he won’t shoot me, not while his brothers are around to witness it. For some reason, he wants their approval. Not only that, but we really do hold his future in our hands. If he shoots me, he will lose it all.
Chapter 11
Iquietlycreeptowardthe door of Orlando’s room at our villa, leaving him to rest. He’s on some pretty heavy sedatives, and I know he needs it. But I can’t stay staring at the ceiling any longer. Valentine had him moved back here not long after our altercation.
“Treasure,” he whispers into the room, right as I’m about to close the door.
I glance back at him. Damn it, I thought I was being super quiet.
“Come back to bed.” He reaches for me. “I need to make good on my promise.”
I move back through the room and take his hand in mine. “What promise?” That’s not enough for him, and he pulls me back to his side. “Shit, Orlando, be careful,” I say, worried he’s about to pop his stitches.
His nose nestles into my hair, and he kisses me, stroking my hair over my shoulder delicately as his lips press down my neck lovingly. “I’m fine, treasure, stop fussing over me.” His hand skates down my body, and he squeezes my ass cheek. I can feel how weak he still is.
“You need to rest,” I chastise him, knowing exactly what he is after, and there is no way his body can handle it right now.
His eyes lock with mine more seriously. “I need the taste of your sweet cunt on my lips.”
Dirty, dirty man. I huff out a laugh, lifting his shirt to see the bandage covering his wound. “You can have that when you’re not still bleeding through your bandage.”
