Chapter 9
nine
Gabriel
There is something intriguing in how I feel about tonight.
I haven’t seen Valentina since the day she showed up at my penthouse.
But I did as I promised. I texted her. I barely talked on the phone, though.
Not because I didn’t want to; there was just too much going on, and instead of working on exterminating the rats in the family, I’m in a tux I can barely stand and waiting for the woman I’m marrying in three weeks to accompany me to a fundraising black-tie event that Salvatore was supposed to attend.
I await the confirmation from the pilot that they’re on their way. I sent a pilot with a private jet to get Valentina, but she never showed.
I scroll through the texts I sent that she never answered, which should have been a red flag that something was off.
I wanted to think she had no time, and that she was probably planning something to irritate me.
The pilot is still waiting for her, but there is a nagging feeling telling me she isn’t coming.
I land at the small airport in Chicago after I stayed at the event for as long as I needed to. I can’t shake the feeling that something is going on. On my way to Valentina’s house, I try to call and text, but I still get no answer.
I park outside her house and ring the bell, almost expecting Valentina to open the door for me. To my luck, her sister, Chiara, who I met on the day of my engagement, opens the door with a confused look on her face.
“I’m here to see Valentina.”
Chiara furrows her eyebrows. “She’s not here.”
“When is she coming home?”
She opens her mouth and closes it before she speaks. “Actually, I don’t know. It’s been maybe a week since I saw her properly.”
“You haven’t seen her for a week?”
She shakes her head. “No, I said I didn’t see her properly. She’s been around, but she always left early and came back late, if she came back at all.”
“I see. Do you know where I can find her?”
“The club or the gym?” She inspects me. “Maybe you should talk to Nico. I’m sure he knows.”
“Thanks, I will.” I turn to leave.
On my way to the club, I text Marco Valentina’s number and ask him to find her location.
“Where is Valentina?” I ask for the third time this evening. The bartender, the same one who was here the night I first met her.
He narrows his eyes at me. “I told you, she isn’t here.
If she comes, she comes either after we close or before we open.
Ever since her engagement to you, she’s been busy with the wedding.
” He throws the dishcloth over his shoulder and leans over.
“Look, there has been something going on with her for the last week. Talk to Nico or, better yet, Mack. For the last week, he has been her shadow.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
He raises his hands. “I don’t know. I’m just a bartender. Nico will be here any minute; he has a VIP area set for him. You should ask him.” I watch him as he pours a drink before passing it to me. I take it and watch the entrance, waiting for Nico to show up.
The comment that Mack never left her side keeps ringing in my head as the burning in my veins and the tightening in my chest surface.
Feelings I buried deep inside me. I shake my head.
I’m not going there. I take a sip of the drink in hopes of swallowing the bitter taste on my tongue, but it lingers, waking up hidden doubts I covered with the lust I felt toward Valentina.
My phone rings with a text.
Marco: Tell me, why do you want to track her? Should I be worried about your well-being?
Gabriel: Just do what I’ve asked. I don’t need therapy, especially not from you.
Marco: I’m hurt.
Bastard. I ignore the next row of texts when my eyes catch Nico entering. I put my phone in my pocket and follow Nico into the VIP area.
I approach him, and if he’s surprised to see me, he doesn’t show it, nor does his sidekick, Max. Ever since we started to work together, he’s never without him. I look around for the rest of the trio, but only Max is here.
He tilts his head to the side, assessing me. “If I’d known you were coming, I would have welcomed you properly.”
“It was a last-minute decision,” I say, lowering myself into the booth. “I’m looking for Valentina. She hasn’t answered my calls.”
He laughs. “Welcome to the club. I don’t know what’s going on with her, but I was told it could be wedding nerves.” He leans toward me. “Maybe she got cold feet, and I will have to find you a new bride.”
“You wish.” I run my hand over my jaw. “She was supposed to accompany me to the event tonight. I arranged for her to fly in and then send her back. The pilot waited two hours for her to show, but she never did. She didn’t answer my calls, and my texts are left unread. She usually texts every hour.”
“Oh, is that why you’re in a tux?” He shrugs. “I talked with her this morning. She said she needs to take care of something before the wedding.”
“Like what?”
“She didn’t say. She just told me that Mack is with her. You should leave her be; she doesn’t like being controlled.”
I shake my head. “I’m not trying to control her; I’m just concerned.” Or irritated that she’s ignoring me. I stand and turn to leave. The only way I’ll know where she is is when Marco finds her.
I take my phone out and scroll through the texts Marco sent.
Marco: Found her. This is a live link. You can thank me later.
I click on the link he sent and open the coordinates of where Valentina is.
What are you up to, Valentina?
When I arrive at the location, I slow my car and look around the street.
The street is pretty busy, with a couple of restaurants and bars.
She could be in any of those. I look for her red bike.
Not seeing it, I exhale and park my car, eyes on the street.
Movement from the SUV on the opposite side of the road catches my attention, and if it weren’t for Mack, I wouldn’t have recognized her.
Her long hair is now cut to her chin. She fixes a cap on her head and lowers her head as she enters the SUV.
They don’t move; their SUV stays parked there.
After I’m sure she's staying put, I exit my car and cross the street toward them.
I open the back door and slide inside, closing the door, and face the gun pointed at my face.
. “No need to shoot me.” I face Mack, who slowly lowers his weapon.
“What are you doing here?” Valentina asks, not even looking at me.
“I should ask you the same thing. You should have been in New York with me.”
She exhales. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.”
I lean forward in the middle to get her attention. “Is there a reason for that?”
She flinches as she shifts in her seat. Is she hurt? “I needed to take care of something.”
I look at Mack; his jaw is clenched. “And that is?”
“Something that doesn’t concern you.”
Concern me. This woman. If only she knew how thrilled I was to see her, how much I wanted her by my side tonight.
When she didn’t show up, it hit me like a punch to the gut.
What’s worse was that I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
No matter how many times I told myself it didn’t matter, my mind kept dragging me here… to her.
I laugh. “Everything about you concerns me.” I tilt my head to the side. “Valentina, look at me.” She shakes her head. “I said, look at me.”
Slowly, she complies, and I see it. Her bruised face.
She lowers her head, avoiding my eyes. I grab her cap and take it off her head, revealing cuts and bruises on her face.
My breath quickens, and my heartbeat increases. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm myself, but all I see is red.
Opening my eyes, I lean forward between the two front seats. I cup her face with my hand and inspect her injuries. “Who did this to you?”
“It doesn’t matter. They’re going to pay.” The determination in her eyes doesn’t give me any doubts about her plans. Still, I need to know who hurt her.
“Who was it?” I grit out.
Mack catches her attention, shifting in his seat. "I'm going for a walk," he says in a tight voice.
He opens the door and exits the car, leaving me with Valentina, who is trying hard not to look at me.
“I’m trying to stay calm right now, Valentina, but if you don’t start talking, I don’t know what will happen next.”
“It’s personal. And it has nothing to do with you.” Her voice comes out tight, edged with anger, but there is a pain beneath every word.
I huff. “If it’s personal to you, it’s personal to me.”
She swallows. “It was a present from Mario, my ex-fiancé. I guess making sure he stays in prison isn't enough to keep him away from me.” Her strangled voice shakes at the end of the sentence.
That son of a bitch. I exit the car and move to the seat Mack occupied. I still don’t know the extent of her engagement to Mario, and from the look of it, it seems I need to know.
“Start talking,” I order.
And she does. I listen carefully as she tells me the short version of her engagement and how she’s made sure he stays in prison for the foreseeable future.
“I was going to meet Mack in the gym late that night. Ever since the engagement, I’ve been busy, and I needed to kick something.
I was training when four men showed up. I tried to fight them, but they were stronger than me.
They had a message from Mario for me. And now I’m sending the message back. ”
“So, you’re hunting the men who assaulted you? Do you even know who they are?” I look at the restaurant she’s looking at, where she's sure the men are in the company of Gianni Savoini.
“Yes. They are all going to pay.” She looks at me. “Now you know, you can leave. This is my thing to take care of.”
I laugh and trace the bruises on her face with the back of my hand.
“They touched what’s mine.” I place a finger on her lips, stopping her from arguing.
“I know you want to take care of this by yourself, but I can’t let you do that, though I’m more than happy to do whatever you need me to.
I’ll give you the match, and we can watch them all burn down.
No one touches what’s mine and gets away with it. ”