Chapter Twenty
Ipraise every single god I can think of as my knees hit the carpeted floor below me. It feels as though this day has been a long time coming.
I didn’t think that my dolce ciligera would allow me this much so soon but I refuse to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Slowly, I tease the shorts off her hips, unable to hold back the groan at seeing the lacy panties she has been hiding from me.
It doesn’t matter how many times in the past few weeks I have seen her in scraps of fabric or even bare, the sight is still as mouth watering as if it was the first time.
Sucking in a breath, I curse the designation that fate gave this beauty. While I have nothing against Betas, I long to smell a scent from her. I know it would be just as delicious as what my mind is conjuring up.
Whispering sweet nothings, I bring my hands back up to her waist, threading my fingers through the lace and tear them off her. She gasps, her eyes widening in surprise as I stuff the now ruined panties in my pocket.
“You better fucking replace them,” she tries to grumble but it falls flat as she throws her head back as I swipe my tongue through her slit.
I growl as her taste explodes on my tongue. There is a hint of sweetness that I can’t quite work out but I continue eating her like she is my last meal.
Her fingers thread into my hair, gripping the strands and pulling my face closer into her heat.
It feels like only seconds pass before her hold on me tightens. One of her legs wraps around my shoulder bringing me closer to her. Spearing her on my tongue, I guide a hand that isn’t gripping her leg to her clit, flicking the nub gently.
With a scream, Valentina gushes all over my face. I groan, drinking down her release, refusing to allow any of it to go to waste. It would be a tragedy to wipe away such a gift on the back of my hand.
No, I want to taste my girl on my lips for the rest of the day. Maybe tonight she can give me a refresher of her essence.
Slowly, Valley’s leg drops from my shoulder and she begins sliding down the wall, her legs too weak to hold her any longer. Collecting her on her way down, I bundle her up into my arms, holding her as the after shocks of her orgasm continue to pulse through her.
After all of these years having remained celibate, I chuckle at myself, proud of a job well done.
“What are you laughing at?” Valley asks breathlessly.
“Just that even after all these years, I still have it.”
My girl pulls back and rolls her eyes at me, “Alright, Old Man. No need to get ahead of yourself. Wouldn’t want you to pull a hip with all that postering.”
She tries to hold a straight face but breaks seeing the stunned expression on my face.
Old.
My girl just fucking called me old.
What the fuck.
Never in my young forty-five years have I ever been this stunned.
I knew that my girl was wicked but I didn’t think that she would go straight for the throat especially after I left her frazzled after an orgasm that I know blew her mind.
Yet here she is, fucking sassing me.
Someone has been spending way too much time with my brother.
She stands, giving me a final view of her pussy before moving away from me and collecting her shorts. There is a grimace on her face as she shrugs them on and I find a shred of delight knowing the rough fabric will be rubbing on her sensitive core for the rest of the day.
Perfect time to continue winding her up.
Getting back to my feet, I silently watch as she moves around her new room.
It's easy to see just how perfect she is in this space. It's as though we had it built with her in mind.
Her hands trail over a four poster bed that almost perfectly mirrors Amity’s room. But where piccolo’s room is filled with all things girly, we went for a much darker theme in this room.
The sheets on the bed are a dark green that seem to offset the black feature wall behind the bed. The rest of the walls are a warm off white, allowing the room to still feel breathable.
Decor was kept to a minimum, the room having nearly been forgotten about until the vision before me walked into our lives.
Scratching my head, suddenly feeling an odd nervousness, I clear my throat, “I know that it isn’t much. Interior decorating isn’t our thing but I want you to add your own touch. To make this room truly feel like yours.”
She nods but keeps her back to me, looking out the window.
On quiet feet, I walk up behind her, hesitant as I wrap my arms around her waist. I pause as she tenses but continue wrapping my arms around her when she relaxes into my hold.
We are both silent for a moment as we look out over the property. The back of our property overlooks the city of Vadena. I know that Valley will be up here watching as the sun sets behind the skyscrapers.
Pointing at one of the buildings, I bring my head down to her ear, “See that building there?” She nods before I continue, “We own that.”
“Wow,” she murmurs with a hint of surprise in her voice. “What do you do there?”
I thank my brother again for skipping to the whole ‘Mafia Don’ speech so I didn’t have to. It’s never an easy conversation to have.
“The bottom half of the building we rent out to various companies for office space. A few floors above that are apartments where we house a lot of our single soldiers. Above that, each floor is dedicated to one of our businesses.”
I cringe slightly as I leave that statement hanging between us.
“Do I even want to know how many of these businesses you have?” she questions, a hint of a smile in her tone.
“Ah, probably not. To be honest, I’m not as involved with them as I should be. Cal handless all of them while I handle the more…” I trail off trying to find the right word.
“Sinister side?” she adds, her tone laced with an edge of snark.
I nod with a chuckle, “Yeah, that sounds about right.” I pause and squeeze her tight. “I know Cal told you about what we really do but I need to know… Are you really okay with it?”
I wait with bated breath as she thinks over what I just said.
There is a pit in my stomach. One that is fucking terrified that she will hate what we do, just like Gwen did.
I know that I wouldn’t blame her if she did. It's not like the three of us have normal jobs. There is no nine-to-five here.
No, this job is a lifestyle. One that after all these years I don’t know if I would be able to turn my back on, even for Valley.
I couldn’t do it for Gwen.
But as I mull it over into my head, I know that I have been preparing Theo for the day that he will take over from me. Jax is already working closely with Conall. Olis has taken a backseat this last year as he has allowed Ledger to organize the soldiers under my command.
And Kennedy, well my figlia has fit in easily into the family business. I think all of us were surprised the night she took her life back.
I couldn’t be any more proud of my kids.
Maybe handing things over to them, even just partially wouldn’t be a bad idea. Maybe that makes me seem like some kind of helicopter Don but I don’t see anyone telling me that I should do otherwise.
In fact, maybe it will be the answer to all of my problems.
After all, a life with Valley would be like balm to the soul.
“Honestly,” my dolce ciliegra finally breaks the silence, turning towards me, “the idea of you three being able to protect Amity and I makes me feel at ease for the first time in a long time.”
She sighs, looking down for a moment before meeting my eyes again. “I have been running for so long that it feels almost unnatural to now have the option to stop hiding. That maybe now that I know I will be safe, I can finally be the real me.”
I don’t know exactly what it is in her words that lets me know there is some kind of underlying to her statement but I brush it aside and focus on the words that have tears pooling in my eyes.
I haven’t cried in what feels like forever but at a simple admission from my girl, I am nearly brought back to my knees.
Clearing my throat, I bring my hands up to rest on either side of her face.
“I vow that both you and Amity will never know anything but true happiness ever again. That when you are here, your safety is paramount to us. That if it comes to it, I will put my life on the line just so you can sleep at night.”
Tears stream down her cheeks but I quickly wipe them away, my heart aching seeing the raw emotion on her face.
It's unbearable seeing even an ounce of pain on her.
“I don’t want you to put your life on the line for me,” she says through her tears, her words choked.
Pulling her into my chest, I squeeze her tightly. “I’m sorry il mio cuore, but if it is between me and you, you will always be my first choice.”
After Valley’s tears settle, we move back through the house, finding Olis making lunch.
There is an almost foreign smile on her face as she watches Amity dancing in front of the TV to a song I haven’t heard before.
Cal dances beside the three-year-old, but where piccolo is adorable, Cal just looks like a deranged chicken as he twerks.
Valley giggles at both of them but quickly, my slight annoyance at my brother dissolves.
If it is my brother that puts that smile on her face, I can deal with his antics for one more day.
It only takes moments for Olis to realize that we have walked into the room. He grabs a plate and dishes up lunch for our girl.
“Here sweetheart,” he says quietly, placing the plate down at the table. The smile she aims at him is breathtaking, the look clenches something in my stomach.
I want her to look at me like that. Like her world starts and finishes with me. Very much the way I am starting to feel about her.
Piccolo uses that moment to turn and run towards Valley who collects her in her arms.
“Mommy, this house is so cool! Can we stay here forever?”
I chuckle at the sweet little girl as I bend down and get to her level, “The three of us would love to have both you and your momma here forever.”
Her eyes lighten up even more. She surprises me as she launches herself into my arms, squeezing me tight with her little limbs.
“You are my new favorite, Grumpy Cat.”
Well fuck if I don’t just melt right there on the spot. Even including the nickname I know was encouraged by my brother.