Page 130 of Fortress of the Heart

Angelo nods toward Valentina’s girlfriends who stand back waiting for her. “Take it easy on the hard stuff, Val.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m sure you’ll have one of your goons following me around all night to make sure, won’t you, Angelo?”

“Got that fucking right,” he mutters.

Little does she know Enzo will be on her case, he’s the most subtle out of all of us. Valentina and her friends will be staying in one of the suites tonight. My Ma and Aunt Voula as well, so they can’t get into too much trouble.

Plus, we’ll have our usual security on the door.

“Behave yourself tonight,” I say, giving her a kiss on the side of the head. “Don’t give Angelo any more gray hairs than he can handle.”

Angelo balks at that and the twins laugh as she swats Fynn on the arm for laughing at her.

Enzo doesn’t pay her too much attention, but I know he’s already eyeballing every other man in here that may be looking her way.

“I’ll give you fucking gray hairs.” Angelo shakes his head.

“You should listen to your brothers,” Enzo says, to which she rolls her eyes in return.

“I’ll listen to them all the way to the dancefloor.” She smiles oh so sweetly. “That is, if I’m still allowed to dance, Angelo?”

He gives her a look that indicates he really doesn’t want her causing a scene on the dancefloor. “Keep it clean,” he says to her when she challenges him with a look. “I mean it, Val.”

That earns him another roll of her eyes and a haughty laugh.

“Our mother is in the crowd after all,” Dante helpfully offers.

She pretends to be annoyed, “You guys are all so uptight and serious. Maybe you all need to drink some more champagne and let loose a little.”

“All well and good, Valentina. The trouble is, I know what you’re like, we all do.” Angelo moves forward as Enzo steps aside, and he slings an arm protectively around her shoulders. “And that tends to get you in trouble, more often than not.”

“I’m not a little girl anymore, Angelo,” she says quietly. But I still hear it.

I think Enzo does too. The corner of my mouth turns up.

“No, Valentina, you’re not. Nevertheless, you’re still a Medici, the youngest and the only girl on this side of the Familia. So I’d say you’re going to be stuck with us all for some time to come.”

She opens her mouth to say something, but thinks better of it.

“Now, go on, enjoy the night with your friends,” he says with a nod.

She smiles and flounces off towards the girls who are waiting.

“This is why you don’t want to have fucking daughters,” I say out of nowhere. “It’s bad enough when it’s your sister. Imagine if it were your own daughter.”

All eyes turn to look at me.

“What? It’s fucking true.”

“Women are trouble no matter what.” Enzo shrugs. “This is how it is.”

“Until you find the right one,” Angelo offers. “And trust me, they’re few and far between.”

I look across at him. He’s a standing testament to the fact that love works in mysterious ways.

“All of a sudden, he’s an expert,” Fynn says, giving Angelo a salute with his champagne flute. “Helps when she’s fucking h…”

“Watch your mouth.” Angelo points at him, but his mouth forms a half smile, probably because he knows it’s true. She is hot.

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