Page 266 of Valentino

Amusement flashes across Valentino’s face. “See…even she’s bored.”

The boys do laugh this time and I roll my lips to hold my smile.

After forty minutes of car searching, Valentino walks over to Mauro and snatches the licenses from him. “We’re leaving.”

“Not until I say you are,” Mauro replies.

“You have nothing to keep us on,” Valentino replies, void of emotion, his dark eyes hold the commissioner’s. “It was nice knowing you.”

Huh?

Mauro narrows his eyes. “Is that a threat, Leone?”

“Just an observation.” Valentino gives him a slow smile. “Make of it as you will.”

He turns to the boys. “Get in the car.”

The two other police officers exchange glances. “Good night, Mr. Leone,” one of them stammers, the other one nods. “Have a good night, sir. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

But Mauro, he doesn’t give an inch. He and Valentino stand toe-to-toe on the curbside, Mauro stares while Valentino radiates thermonuclear anger. The look he’s giving him is nothing short of evil.

He’s scary…even to me.

Valentino opens the back door and I climb in and slide over. We pull out onto the road and they put their guns back under their seats, Luigi turns the radio on as if this is a standard night. A sports car drives past us and the boys begin to talk about it as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Valentino’s elbow rests on the door and he glares out the window, his mind elsewhere.

And me…. I sit here stunned to silence.

I’m pretty sure my boyfriend just threatened to kill a cop…but maybe that’s just the banter that goes with policemen and I’m completely overthinking this.

Valentino’s hand slides up my thigh, he takes my hand, lifts it to his lips and kisses my fingertips. “My apologies, sweetheart.” He gives me a cool smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “That won’t happen again.”

I force a smile as warning bells scream in the distance. I turn my attention out the window, in all the time I was with Carlo, nobody was ever scared of him the way that they fear Valentino.

Two of those policemen were clearly terrified of Val, and I get the feeling that the other one should be.

Twenty minutes of silence in the back seat later, we pull up out the front of my apartment. Valentino gets out and opens my car door and as I climb out he leans through the driver’s side window. “Anna and I won’t be going out again tonight,” he tells the boys. “Probably best to go back to your hotel and lie low until this situation gets under control.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Situation?

What situation…we have a situation now?

What the hell does that mean?

“Thank you.” I smile to the boys as Valentino takes my hand in his. “Good night.”

“Good night, Anna.”

We make our way inside and take the elevator up to my floor, my hand is in Val’s but gone is the sex god energy that he had before we were pulled over. He’s now seemingly deep in thought and pensive.

Great…. Cockblocked by the boring commissioner.

“Keys.” He puts his hand out for the keys and I hand them over.

“I have to get you a set of keys cut,” I tell him.

“You do.”