Page 27 of Valentino

Valentino.

My friend, and the one person hell-bent on revenge.

What’s he doing here? He hasn’t spoken to me at all, and I really don’t have time for him to start right now, I’m in the middle of a freak-out. I open the door in a rush. “Hi Val.” I try to act calm.

“Hello.” He leans against the doorjamb as he looks me over.

I get the distinct feeling that he has an agenda.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

His dark eyes hold mine. “Have you heard from Carlo?”

He knows.

“No.”

“Don’t lie to me, Anna.”

“I’m not lying.” Adrenaline surges through my system. “Stop worrying about me.”

“I’m protecting you.”

Honestly, I do not have it in me to be patient right now, this isn’t about me, this is about Carlo and the revenge he wants to take.

“Go to hell, Valentino. I don’t need your protection.” I go to slam the door in his face and he stops it with his hand and holds it open.

“I’m moving in.”

“What do you mean?” I scoff. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

His cold eyes hold mine. “If he wants you…he’s got to get through me first.”

“He doesn’t want me. I haven’t even heard from him.”

“Show me your phone,” he says as he brushes past me and walks into the apartment.

“There’s nothing to show you.” I cross my arms as my anxiety grows, if I don’t tell them he’s been in contact, does that mean I’m protecting him?

Valentino goes to the window and looks out over the view down below. “My things are being delivered; I’ll stay in the spare bedroom,” he says calmly.

“No. That won’t work for me.” I try to act calm. “You cannot just barge into my apartment, demand to see my phone and tell me you’re moving in, I don’t know who you think you are.”

He turns and his cold eyes meet mine. “I’m the man who’s going to kill your boyfriend, Anna,” he sneers. “I’m going to gut him like a fish, and in the end he’ll be begging me to kill him.”

A frisson of fear runs up my spine as my eyes hold his, and I know it’s not an idle threat. Valentino is fully intent on killing Carlo Bernetti.

“I don’t know where he is,” I lie, well not really a lie because I don’t actually know where he is. But even if I did I wouldn’t tell Valentino.

Carlo is no longer anything to me but that doesn’t mean I want his death on my conscience.

No.

I couldn’t handle that. Keep your mouth shut.

“I don’t want you to stay here, I’m fine. You have hardly spoken to me in forever, why would you want to stay here? I haven’t heard from Carlo; I don’t know where he is.”

Valentino’s eyes are locked on mine and I can feel the calculation going on in his brain as he stares at me.