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CHAPTER ONE
Valentino
Another anxious day ticks by without word from her. I’ve been counting down to this day longer than I’ll admit to anyone. The peace I usually glean from surrounding myself in my study is nowhere to be had. Not even Tácito’s calm presence in the chair facing my empty desk dents the worry and frustration climbing up my spine.
“Where the hell is she?” I voice the question aloud for my benefit, to free some of my pent-up unease. I sign the question as well because, although Tácito can read lips in English and his native Spanish, I respect him too much to not make the effort.
He’s been by my side since childhood, and if there’s anything I’ve learned since my sperm-donor swooped in on my single mom and me and declared me a DeLuca, it’s loyalty to family. Tácito may not be blood, but he’s more family than Giulio DeLuca has ever been to me.
“Cálmate! She’ll come. No job has ever stopped her from sharing this day with us,” Tácito says and signs, mixing his American and Mexican sign languages.
“Not true. When she was in the Air Force, she missed at least three anniversaries.”
When Giulio arrived at my childhood home and gave my mother the ultimatum that eventually separated us, my best friends and I made a pact. Every year on this day, we would reunite and reforge our bonds in defiance to my father’s decree to not sully my future with my past.
Giulio never understood. My best friends were my lifeline. They still are.
Our neighborhood was dangerous. Between the rival gangs’ brutal initiation for the unlucky or retributive murders, we were always hyper vigilant. One wrong decision could get us caught up in a life we never wanted, or with an unlucky gunshot wound ending our lives. Because of Giulio, I escaped at thirteen while my best friends continued to survive the best way they could.
Although my father reigned over his territory, being Giulio DeLuca’s son protected me from the everyday street-level violence Tácito and Sloane fought hard to avoid. Having him as a buffer helped mold me into a different animal. One who doesn’t blink at getting my hands dirty and ending someone’s life in one breath and attending a cocktail party of the city’s elites in the next.
“She’ll come no matter what. We’re still the most important people in her life.” Tácito rises to meet me in the middle of the room.
He places a calming hand on my arm. The effect is immediate. For five seconds, his weight centers me. I turn my head to the window overlooking the mayoral mansion’s garden. The darkness outside blocks me from seeing any movement or discerning the varying depths to the shadows.
Most of the day is gone, yet she’s sent us nothing. Not even a fucking emoji. I curl my fingers into my palm, hoping the bite will keep the stress at bay. Stress! A state I should be used to after all the years under Giulio’s thumb while I remained powerless to protect what was most important to me.
To combat his influence, I’ve made moves of my own. Now my day job involves controlling thousands of livelihoods. Stress on top of stress, yet neither job nor father can defeat me. There are only two people who achieve what my father has failed to do. They can bring me to my knees without a thought. And one of them won’t tell us where the fuck she is!
“Mayor DeLuca?” Trevor, my chief of staff, tentatively knocks on my door. From his tone, I can tell something is wrong.
I don’t want to divide my attention, but the sooner I solve whatever dumpster fire he wants to wash his hands of, the sooner Tácito and I can formulate our plan to get in contact with her.
“There’s a situation at the gate. For your safety, we need to evacuate you from the premises.”
I summarize for Tácito’s benefit. Instead of rushing to escape, my instincts tell me she’s caused the disturbance. “I’ll verify if it’s her.”
Tácito nods, but worry lines bracket his mouth.
I’m in the same boat, my friend.
I rush past Trevor to the entrance where I slide to a stop. My security has their guns drawn and pointed at the door.
“What’s the situation?” I ask, feigning a calm I don’t feel.
I have well-trained security, former military whose records rival hers. DeLuca interests pay for my safety because no city budget would suffice. Although I don’t hide my connections to my family, I don’t treat the city’s treasury as my personal bank account. Despite the thin line I walk, my position as mayor barely lends legitimacy to the family enterprise. It’s the worst-kept secret in Douglas. As such, I have more than political rivals to concern myself with.
But if the person besieging my property is who I think, she’s neither a political nor a DeLuca rival.
“An unidentified female has infiltrated the mansion’s grounds, incapacitated the guards out front, and is on her way here. You should really follow protocol and exit through the emergency tunnel.” Ethan’s attention does not waver from the door. As the head of my security, I respect his dedication.
She knows how to come and go without making her presence known. How could she be so sloppy?
“Is she unharmed?” I stare outside through the bulletproof windows beside the door. Blackness meets my gaze.
She would never cause this much ruckus unless something is wrong.
“She appears to have an arsenal on her,” Ethan responds.
