Salvatore
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ican’t get Valentina out of my mind. Her quiet defiance.
Those green eyes that never look away, daring me to flinch first. The fall of her dark hair against her shoulders, soft where everything else about her is sharp.
She looks at me like she’s studying my weaknesses instead of fearing my power.
Like she knows exactly how dangerous I am, and stays anyway.
Tonight, she meets my brothers and I can’t wait to see how it goes.
Rosa was instructed to prepare the red dress I had purchased for her the first week in the house.
She would have met my brothers already but the incident with the rat delayed my plans.
No more delays. Time to show Valentina what it’s really like to be mine.
Dinner isn’t until later in the evening so Elio and I decide to visit one of our shell companies downtown to meet with a few… investors.
We meet with three men and a woman we’ve been working with for several years now. I’ve managed this operation since my father was don as a personal asset while Matteo handled everything else. Now that I control everything, he manages them all but I show up every now and then.
I finish reviewing the first set of documents before handing them to Elio.
“How much is this going to cost?” he asks.
I sense the nervousness before the investor answers. “About twelve million.”
“Holy shit,” Elio blurts out. “You can’t get this shit done for 6?”
“I’m afraid I can’t get it down to that. Your brother Matteo really wants this property, and that’s the least I can get it for, trust me, I’ve tried exploring other avenues, it’s the best offer he’s going to get.”
“Let me think about it,” I say to the team, then standing up, signaling the end of the meeting.
Elio sends everything over to Matteo to run the numbers while we make our way back to the compound.
“So we’re finally having that dinner huh?” Elio asks, pouring each of us a drink.
“Roy, stop by the shops on 5th,” I tell my driver before rolling the partition back up then answering Elio. “Yeah, I’m sure you were pleased you were able to take care of that hot date last time.”
“I’ve taken care of more than her,” he says wagging his eyebrows.
I shake my head and laugh. He’s young, he’ll learn.
“Where are we heading?” “Tiffany's.”
“Wait, what? You’re not actually going to buy her a ring are you?”
“Why not?”
“You don’t think that will be awkward?” he asks, looking at me like I have two fucking heads.
“Awkward to give my fiancée an engagement ring?”
“Yeah, awkward as fuck, fratello, don’t tell me you’re going to kneel before her at dinner and propose tonight. No do that shit on your own time,” he insists.
I ignore him. We arrive at the jewelry store, and I select a set for Valentina, diamond earrings, a pendant necklace, and a matching bracelet.
When I step out, I’m lucky to have some random guy selling flowers on the side of the road, so I buy them for her, all of them.
When I arrive at the mansion, I don’t expect to see Valentina fully dressed in the gown I asked her to wear, waiting for me in the front living room.
Elio whistles when he sees her.
“Wow. I have to say, you usually have terrible taste in women but this time, you did good big bro,” Elio says, patting my shoulder before walking away. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with that kid,” I tell Valentina, who laughs. “I think he’s sweet,” she says.
I step closer, unable to resist. The red gown hugs every curve, the fabric catching the light as she breathes. Her dark hair is swept up, exposing the elegant line of her neck, and for a moment, I forget how to speak.
“You look…” I pause, searching for the right words but nothing fits. “You look like you belong here.”
She raises an eyebrow. “That’s your compliment? I look like I belong in a mafia mansion?”
“You look like you could burn down a kingdom and men would thank you for the privilege.”
Her lips part slightly, and I see the surprise in her eyes before she masks it. “I suppose that’s better.”
I hold out the bouquet I’ve been carrying, deep red roses mixed with white orchids. “These are for you.”
She takes them, bringing the blooms to her nose. When she looks up at me, something has softened in her expression. “You bought me flowers.”
“I did.”
“From an actual flower shop? Or did you threaten a florist into giving you their best arrangement?”
I can’t help but smile. “There was a man selling them on the street corner. No threats were necessary.”
“Salvatore Vitale, buying flowers from a street vendor.” She shakes her head, but she’s fighting a smile. “If your enemies could see you now.”
“My enemies would be wise to worry about what I’d do for the woman who received them.”
The air between us thickens. She holds my gaze for a beat too long before looking away, pressing the flowers against her chest like a shield.
“I also brought you something else.” I pull the Tiffany box from my jacket pocket.
Her eyes widen at the signature blue. “Salvatore…”
“Open it.”
She sets the flowers on the side table and takes the box with careful fingers. When she lifts the lid, a small gasp escapes her. Inside, nestled in velvet, is a set of diamond earrings, a matching pendant necklace, and a delicate bracelet that catches the light like captured starlight.
“This is too much,” she whispers.
“Nothing is too much for you.” I take the necklace from the box and move behind her. “May I?”
She nods, and I drape the diamonds around her throat, my fingers brushing against her skin as I fasten the clasp. She shivers at the contact, and I have to force myself to step back before I do something reckless like bury my face in the curve of her neck.
“Perfect,” I murmur.
She touches the pendant where it rests against her collarbone. “You can’t buy me with jewelry, you know.”
“I’m not trying to buy you, Valentina.” I offer her my arm. “I’m trying to deserve you.” Color rises in her cheeks, and I feel a quiet satisfaction knowing I’m the one who put it there. She takes my arm, and together we walk toward the dining room where my brothers are waiting.
* * *
The formal dining room is rarely used. My brothers have homes on other Vitale properties, but the mansion, like the empire, fell to me. Most nights I eat in the smaller breakfast room or, more often, scattered throughout the house. But tonight is different. Tonight, Valentina meets my family.
Matteo is already seated at the table, scrolling through his phone with the focused intensity he brings to everything. When we enter, he looks up, and his expression shifts from neutral to genuinely interested.
“So, we meet again, little mouse,” he says, rising to greet her.
“Matteo,” I warn.
He ignores me, taking Valentina’s hand and brushing a kiss across her knuckles. “A pleasure to formally meet you. As I’m sure you’ve already figured out, I’m the smart and rich one.”
“He handles the money,” I clarify. “The calculator does most of the work.”
“Numbers don’t lie, fratello.” Matteo winks at Valentina. “Unlike certain brothers I could name.”
Raffaele enters from the back hallway, still in his work clothes. Black shirt, black pants, and the kind of quiet intensity that makes most people step aside when he walks into a room. He’s built like a wall, broad and imposing.
“Brothers, Ms. Marino.” He says. “It’s Vitale,” I correct him.
“Not yet. But maybe you can tell us all why the fuck you’re in such a hurry to make her one.
I say we kill fucking Marco and settle this now.
” “That’s what I said,” Matteo adds. “That’s enough,” I command, slamming my hand against the table and Raffaele puts his hands up in mock surrender.
I nod for him to introduce himself to my queen.
“I’m Raffaele. Head of security,” he says to Valentina before sitting down.
“Among other things,” Elio adds, sliding into the chair beside Matteo. “Raffaele’s the one you call when things need to get… handled.”
“Subtle, Elio,” Raffaele says dryly.
I pull out Valentina’s chair for her, and she sits with the kind of grace that makes the room feel smaller. The diamonds at her throat catch the candlelight, and I watch my brothers take note of them. Of her. In the way I can’t seem to take my eyes off her.
“Fellas, let’s make this quick. I have a few ladies waiting for me back at the penthouse,” Elio says, adjusting his chair.
Dinner is served, a traditional Italian feast. Antipasti, pasta, braised lamb, and enough wine to drown a small army. As the meal progresses, I watch Valentina navigate my brothers with surprising ease.
She asks Matteo about his work, and he launches into an explanation of offshore accounts that would put most people to sleep.
But she listens, asks follow-up questions, and actually seems interested.
She makes Elio laugh with a joke about his dating habits, but that doesn’t surprise me; Elio gets along with everyone.
Raffaele, on the other hand, has one more fucking time to say piss me off tonight.
Lucky, Valentina seems unphased by his shit. She’s a natural. She can fight this all she wants, but she has to admit that she fits here like she was always meant to be a part of this family.
“So, Raffaele,” Valentina says, setting down her wine glass, “you handle all the gruesome stuff?”
“I oversee everything from security to enforcement. I have men to take care of most of it, but sometimes…” He pauses, meeting her eyes.
“Sometimes I prefer to get my hands dirty.”
“Sometimes?” Elio laughs.
I see the shift in her expression, a flicker of something that might be discomfort, quickly masked. She’s not ready for the violence this world demands. But she will be. The fact that she doesn’t flinch, doesn’t look away, tells me more than any words could.
She moves past it smoothly, turning her attention back to the table.
“Okay, so I’m guessing it was your idea to put cameras everywhere?” she asks.
“Just common areas,” Raffaele says. “A few of the rooms have cameras in case we need to watch someone, but those are temporary setups. Nothing major.”