Chapter 20 Cristian
CRISTIAN
Last night felt like freedom.
Like something I was meant to do.
This morning, with reality breaking through, I see it for what it truly was—a betrayal of everything I stand for.
My job was to protect her, not seduce her.
To keep her safe, not put her in more danger.
And that's exactly what I've done. If she's pregnant…
Fuck. I've spent my entire life being responsible, controlled, obedient to orders without question.
One night with Valentina, and I've risked her safety, her very life.
If Maksim discovers what we've done, he'll kill her.
If she's carrying my child, there will be nowhere on earth we can hide.
I was supposed to protect her.
Instead, I might be the reason she ends up dead.
She rises and steps around me. “I’m going to shower.”
It’s probably a good idea. I’m sure the room reeks of sex. No doubt, we do too.
“I’ll call Alessandro.” When she disappears into the bathroom, I reach for the phone again, but don’t call right away.
Instead, I let the memories of last night wash over me.
Her soft skin. Her breathless moans.
The way she held me, called out my name.
The best fucking night of my life, hands down.
I've had women before, usually, quick fucks in dark corners of nightclubs.
I’ve had a few prolonged affairs that lasted months.
But none of them were Valentina.
None of them made me feel like I was drowning and flying all at the same time.
I think about how she looked last night, curled up in that chair.
The fierce Dante princess, determined to stay awake, to protect me while I rested.
I'd stood there for a full five minutes, just watching her breathe, memorizing every bit of her.
All I could think was that she was mine.
Except she isn't mine. And she never will be.
I give my head a shake, knowing I need to let last night go and focus on today.
Focus on getting her home. Back to Maksim.
The man who’ll put his hands on what is mine.
The protective rage that floods through me is unlike anything I've ever felt.
It’s darker.
More violent. I could kill him with my bare hands for even thinking of touching her.
For a moment, I consider other options.
I want to throw her over my shoulder, steal another car, and drive until we hit a country where no one could find us.
To build a life somewhere no one knows who we are.
Impossible fantasies.
We're not normal people who can choose our own paths.
She's a Dante.
I'm her brother's soldier.
Our lives have never been our own.
I know my duty.
Get her home safely.
Return to my post.
Stand guard as she marries a monster.
Protect her as best I can from within the confines of our world.
I steel myself against the pain.
Emotion is a luxury I can't afford.
Not when her life hangs in the balance.
I need to be the man Alessandro expects me to be.
Cold.
Calculating.
In control.
Get it together, Bonetti. I punch in Alessandro's number, bracing myself for the explosion.
"Who is this?" Alessandro’s voice is sharp.
"It's Bonetti. I've got Valentina. She's safe."
"Jesus fucking Christ." The relief in his voice is palpable before it shifts to anger. "Where the hell have you been? Carlo is dead and you two just disappeared."
"Didn’t Valentina reach you? We were ambushed."
"And you couldn't find another fucking phone until now?" But there's less heat in his question than I expected.
“Valentina’s got left behind. Mine is busted. The first priority was to get her safe.”
Alessandro exhales. "You did what you had to do. Where are you now?"
I give him our location, and he promises a car within the hour.
"And Cristian? Good job keeping her alive. Not many would have managed it against Maksim's men."
“Just doing my job.” Except she’s not just my job. Not anymore.
Valentina steps out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. The energy around her says Mafia princess. Just like that, she's transformed back into the cool, indifferent woman I’m charged with protecting.
"I'll be ready in five minutes," she says, voice cool as she gathers her clothes and returns to the bathroom.
It’s stupid to feel hurt by her change in demeanor.
What else could I expect?
Declarations of love?
Her begging me to take her away?
She's doing exactly what needs to be done, moving forward.
I have no right to feel wounded when I'm the one who reminded her that we need to return to reality.
I check my weapon and peer through the curtains again, scanning the parking lot for unfamiliar vehicles or faces.
Nothing seems out of place, but that means nothing in our world.
Danger is always present, whether visible or not.
When she emerges, fully dressed with her hair pulled back, she looks every inch the untouchable Dante daughter.
If not for the fading mark on her neck, I might believe last night never happened.
“I need to go check around.” It’s not completely a lie. I should see if the stolen car has been made or if anyone is lurking around who shouldn’t be.
But the truth is, I need a moment away from her or I might succumb to the overwhelming need to ask her to risk her life, her family’s lives, to run away.
“Sure,” she says, pulling up the sheets of the bed and tucking them under the pillows.
“Don't move until I get back," I instruct.
Something flickers in her gray eyes.
I can’t be sure if it’s hurt or maybe resignation. "I know how to follow orders, Cristian."
I nod and hurry out the door.
The car is where I left it behind the hotel.
I hotwire it and drive it two blocks up and one block down, getting it away from us in case anyone comes snooping.
I walk back to the hotel, hoping Valentina is worried about how long I’ve been gone.
Disturbing thoughts sneak into my mind. What if Maksim's men are waiting?
What if Maksim already knows about us?
I've never been a man who struggles with nerves, but this isn't about me anymore.
It's about her.
About what I've done to her.
I scan every rooftop, every window, every face I pass as I make my way back to the hotel.
This isn't paranoia.
It's the reality of our world.
One mistake, and everything falls apart.
Valentina is waiting when I return, drinking the now tepid coffee I’d picked up for her this morning.
There’s so much I want to tell her, I want to ask her.
But as she looks up at me with resolve in her eyes, I know to keep my mouth shut.
I spot Adriano's sleek black Audi before he sees us, his tense profile visible through the windshield as he scans the area.
Relief floods my system.
We’re almost safe.
But that’s immediately followed by dread. Returning her to her family means handing her back to the men who sold her to Maksim.
"That's our ride," I murmur, guiding her quickly out the door toward the car with a light touch to her lower back that I instantly regret.
Even that small contact feels too intimate now.
Adriano steps out, his eyes hard and unreadable as they sweep over us.
I tell myself he’s looking for injuries, not signs that Valentina is no longer a virgin.
"Get in," he orders, not bothering with greetings.
Valentina slides into the back seat, and I want to follow, but I know Adriano wants me up front. He’s not a chauffeur.
He slams Valentina’s door shut and hurries to get into the driver’s seat. He pulls away in a hurry, making the tires squeal.
"Are you both okay?" he asks, eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror.
“Fine,” she answers with a calm that belies the danger we faced yesterday.
“I was able to take out a few of Maksim’s men, but at least two, maybe three, hunted us through the woods.”
Adriano nods, then returns his gaze to his sister. "What the fuck were you thinking writing a letter to Maksim?"
Valentina straightens, chin lifting in that defiant way that I admire and dread.
"You shouldn't have agreed to this arrangement if you weren't going to follow through," Adriano snaps. "Do you have any idea what kind of shitstorm you've created?"
I clench my fists, fighting the urge to defend her. It's not my place. It would only raise suspicions.
"I'll follow through," Valentina says, her voice distant. All the fire seems to be drained from her. "The wedding will happen."
Adriano's fingers tighten on the steering wheel. "Why did you write that fucking letter? We know it was you. You've made everything worse."
I risk a glance at Valentina. Her shoulders slump almost imperceptibly, but she doesn’t answer.
"Alessandro is meeting with Maksim as we speak," Adriano continues. "Trying to convince him he didn’t send the letter.”
I want to tell him to shut his mouth, that she's been through enough.
Instead, I stare out the window, unsure whom I’ve failed more, Alessandro or Valentina.
“What the fuck, Valentina? For someone who always has an opinion, why are you pouting like a child back there?”
"So she sent a letter," I snap, unable to hold my tongue any longer. "Maksim ambushed us. Would have killed me and done God knows what to your sister before killing her too. You think that's fair punishment for wanting to postpone a marriage she never asked for?"
The car swerves slightly as Adriano's head whips toward me, his eyes burning with warning. "You're overstepping, Bonetti. This is family business."
"Family business?" My laugh comes out harsh. "With a priority of business over family the way you ignore just how dangerous Maksim is to her.”
"Cristian," Valentina says, but I'm too far gone now.
"Six men with automatic weapons, ready to gun us down on a public road. That's who you're aligning with. That's who you're giving your sister to."
Adriano's jaw clenches. "You think I don't know what Maksim is? You think Alessandro doesn't? We're trying to prevent a war that would cost hundreds of lives, including ours. Including hers."
"No, not including hers. You’re sacrificing her life." I should stop. I’m about to be dumped on the side of the road with a bullet between my eyes.
"You're a soldier, Bonetti. You follow orders. You don't question them."
"Cristian is the only one who seems to care that I'm a dead woman walking," Valentina cuts in. "The only one who sees me as more than just a bargaining chip."
Adriano's expression softens fractionally. "Val—"
"Don't." She turns away, staring out the window. "Just don't."
"You made this bed," Adriano growls, clearly annoyed at being made the bad guy. "You're the one who agreed to marry Maksim."
Her voice rises. "What was the alternative? Let everyone die in a war with the Bratva? You think I didn't see how Alessandro looked at me when he proposed this solution, like I was his only hope? You think I didn't feel the weight of our entire family's survival on my shoulders?"
Adriano's eyes narrow in the rearview mirror. "We all make sacrifices—"
"Maybe I should just get myself exiled like Luca," she interrupts with bitterness in her voice. "He gets to live his life with a woman he loves. He gets to be free of all this."
I keep my face forward, my expression neutral, but inside, I’m rooting her on, supporting her efforts to exert control over her life.
"You don't mean that," Adriano says, but there's uncertainty in his tone.
"Don't I? What exactly am I getting for my sacrifice, Adriano? Not gratitude. Not freedom. Not even basic respect. At least if I were exiled, I'd have a chance at happiness. You turned your back on Luca just like you're doing to me, all for the 'family'."
The car falls silent.
I stare straight ahead, not daring to look at either sibling.
I shouldn't be here for this conversation.
Adriano's jaw works back and forth. "It's not that simple, Val."
"No, for you, it wouldn’t be.”
His eyes flick to the mirror. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Only a man devoid of emotion would have trouble choosing his sister over the enemy.”
“That’s not fair.”
She laughs derisively. “You have no idea the meaning of unfair.”
The silence that follows is suffocating.
For a moment, I consider saying something.
Maybe if we could convince Adriano that this marriage is a mistake, he could advocate for her against Alessandro.
But no. Adriano always supports Alessandro. And I've said too much, risked too much already.
As it is, there will be consequences when we get back.