I took a deep breath and tried to steer my mind in a different direction. I thought about Karina, my little sister who had a giant target around her neck. It had been months since Lorik put a bullet in Enzio Mancuso’s chest. We’d been expecting a retaliation attempt from the Mancusos ever since. But nothing. The fuckers were quiet…too quiet. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was coming. The silence before the storm.
Lorik, Antonio, and I had managed to double the security around Karina without her knowing. Lorik was right. The less Karina knew, the better. She had been through enough because of Enzio, the son of a bitch who now rotted in a damn casket somewhere. I was pretty sure the bastard had his own little corner in hell.
But something wasn’t right. The Mancusos hadn’t made a single move yet. It was like they retreated into the shadows, which was highly fucking unlikely. Lorik killed their underboss, for Christ’s sake. Stefano Mancuso’s firstborn son.
No way. A war was coming; I knew it. I could smell it in the air with every goddamn breath I took.
I gave it a few more minutes before I finally decided to give up on the idea of getting any sleep. Just as I wanted to move away from the two bodies cocooning me, I heard my phone buzz on the bedside table.
I reached over one of the twins, who stirred a little, and grabbed my phone.
“Yeah.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, my head starting to pound from lack of sleep. “Hello?” Silence. I checked the caller ID, but there was no number. “Hello? Who is this?” Still nothing.
Seriously?
I hung up and tossed the phone on the mattress as I lay back. Both of the twins moaned and reached across my chest, soft hands roaming over my body. There was a reason they called them the insatiable two, but right now, I was all fucked out.
I stilled their hands with my palms. “It’s been fun, ladies, but I need to get an early start.”
More moans followed as I got off the bed, grabbed a pair of pants, and sauntered to the bathroom.
I closed the door, the odd phone call crossing my mind for another second. It could have been a prank, but I’d learned in our world one should never assume, so I made a mental note to get the call checked out.
My eye caught the laundry basket standing in the corner. The sleeve of my dress shirt wasn’t properly tucked in, the bloodstain clearly visible on the white fabric. It was a reminder of what I had done before I invited the twins over. My job. That was what I had done—what I’d been doing for the last three years.
We weren’t saints. We were the Valentis. This town belonged to us. Nothing happened on these streets without us knowing about it. Those who knew us either feared us or were loyal to us. And those who crossed us—well, let’s just say the blood on my shirt was an example of what happened to those who did.
Antonio and I were the ones who took care of thedelicatematters of our business. Our father didn’t trust anyone else to do it, which was why my path to hell was probably paved with the bones of those whose blood I had on my hands. But some, more than others, deserved their fate—those who thought they could steal from us. Those who thought they could get away with fucking with the people who were loyal to our family, people who lived in peace on our streets. No one came into this town, fucked with our people, and got away with it. We rewarded loyalty, whether it be with money, support, or blood.
I took a long shower. A really long shower. Even though I had washed away the blood earlier, it felt like it still clung to my skin. There was no amount of water or soap able to wash away the blood I had on my hands. But this life was all I had—all I knew. There was a time, a long time ago, when I thought there would be more to my life than loyalty, blood, death, and power. But that was the dream of a man who sought something he could never have. Unconditional love and loyalty.
After my shower, I walked back into the bedroom, only to discover the twins had left. I smiled. At least they knew me well enough to know cuddling and pillow talk wasn’t something I did. Hence the reason I’d probably be calling them again…soon.
While buttoning up my white dress shirt, I stared out my bedroom window. The sun was starting to rise, pinks and yellows breaking through the dark horizon.
She loved watching the sunrise.
“Dante, baby, wake up.” Soft fingertips brushed hair away from my face. “Wake up.”
I moaned and pulled the sheet tighter around me. “Unless you’re naked and horny right this second, I don’t see a reason I should wake up before dawn.”
Her fingers wrapped around my arm. “Dante, come on. Come watch the sunrise with me.”
I opened my eyes, blinking. “The sunrise again?”
“Yes. It’s the first day of spring. It’s going to be beautiful.” I watched as she pulled her fingers through her hair, golden strands cascading over her shoulders. “If you don’t get up now, we’re going to miss it.”
“Christ.” I placed my hand on the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes before sitting up. “Okay, fine. But after that damn sun is up, we are coming back to bed, with me between your legs.”
She chuckled and wrapped her hand around my wrist, dragging me toward the window. “Deal.”
I was still rubbing sleep from my eyes when she pulled the curtains open.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yup. Very.”
She scowled at me with her amber eyes. “Dante, you’re not even looking.”