Page 96 of Fortress of the Soul

Toby: Sleep with one eye open, bitch.

I pound my fist down on the desk as rage bubbles up in my chest. It threatens to overwhelm me, which is typical for me. I have a hard time controlling my emotions when threats are laid toward the people I love…Love?Fuck. I suppose I have always loved Valentina since I’ve known her. She’s always been in my life; I’ve always taken care of her. But the thought that this fucking cocksucker could call her a slut and threaten her like this, it sends me over the edge.

What’s worse? She hasn’t even told me.

I stand from my desk, just as my new admin assistant, Josie, walks in.

“Sorry,” I say, standing. “I have to go out for an hour. Can we reconvene?”

She looks slightly miffed, considering she has been trying to pin me down for days. “I guess, but we do need to go over the timetable for the next few weeks. The schedule for Angelo has been messed up a bit.”

This is usual, and Josie is just getting used to how I work. Angelo comes first, above all else, and this means our schedule changes every other day.

I hired Josie to keep on top of the bookwork and invoices and stuff I just don’t get time to do anymore. Having her here means that I can be out of the office every day and not have to worry. And she keeps the appointments that are important in the diary on my phone.

“Yes, with Angelo it happens.”

“I can move it till four p.m.”

It’s just after lunch now. “Perfect. I’ll be back soon.”

I grab my keys and head, very calmly, out to my car to pay Toby Whinthorpe a visit.

18

ENZO

I takethe highway to the address Sloane texted me in the suburbs.

I can’t fucking believe that asshole, and I’m also pissed at Valentina for hiding this from me. She had no right to do that. So I’m glad I’ve got time to go pay her a visit after this before my next meeting. This is obviously going to be a day of confrontations.

I navigate through traffic with ease, tapping my hand on the steering wheel as I blast music through the speakers. That always gets me in a better mood; when I’m driving this luscious beast of a car, playing my favorite music.

The fact that idiot went and did this to Valentina after our altercation, just tells me everything I need to know.

One, being the fact he has no idea who he’s dealing with and that I’m associated with the most dangerous mafia family in Boston. Clearly, my first warning wasn’t enough. Two, he does not adhere to violent threats, ones that leave him breathing. Obviously, it is time to up the ante.

One thing I can’t fucking stand is insolence, and plain stupidity.

The vulgarity he used in his message towards her is not going to go unpunished.

In fact, the guy is lucky he’s dealing with me and not Angelo himself. If he gets hold of this, the guy’s head is sure to come flying off his shoulders. One thing Angelo will not tolerate is anything of an untoward nature directed at his sister or his mother.

I know his temper well.

After a while of plotting in my mind all the ways to break his face, and enjoying my music, my navigation system tells me I’m not far from his address. If I didn’t have to take my hands off the steering wheel, I’d crack my knuckles as I’m about to go into battle.

The neighborhood is quite affluent, and it makes me realize that Toby is probably a trust fund baby. So, while this guy puts on an air of importance and sophistication, it’s becoming obvious he’s just another rich little fuck whose parents could never say no to him.

As I pull onto his street, I wonder if he’s the reason for Valentina’s lack of self esteem in the recent past.

After they broke up, she was noticeably different. She changed quite a lot and became very quiet for a long time. She’s only just started to come back to her usual happy, vibrant self. And while I think she keeps up a very believable exterior, I have noticed her lacking in confidence when it comes to some areas of her life. Especially with her brothers.

She needs to speak up more. If she does, they will respect her more for it.

If this little asshole is the reason for her insecurities, I’m going to let it rip.

Namely a knife to his throat.

---