by Bella J.
After my shower, I walked back into the bedroom, only to discover the twins had left. I smiled. At least they knew me well enough to know cuddling and pillow talk wasn’t something I did. Hence the reason I’d probably be calling them again…soon.
While buttoning up my white dress shirt, I stared out my bedroom window. The sun was starting to rise, pinks and yellows breaking through the dark horizon.
She loved watching the sunrise.
“Dante, baby, wake up.” Soft fingertips brushed hair away from my face. “Wake up.”
I moaned and pulled the sheet tighter around me. “Unless you’re naked and horny right this second, I don’t see a reason I should wake up before dawn.”
Her fingers wrapped around my arm. “Dante, come on. Come watch the sunrise with me.”
I opened my eyes, blinking. “The sunrise again?”
“Yes. It’s the first day of spring. It’s going to be beautiful.” I watched as she pulled her fingers through her hair, golden strands cascading over her shoulders. “If you don’t get up now, we’re going to miss it.”
“Christ.” I placed my hand on the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes before sitting up. “Okay, fine. But after that damn sun is up, we are coming back to bed, with me between your legs.”
She chuckled and wrapped her hand around my wrist, dragging me toward the window. “Deal.”
I was still rubbing sleep from my eyes when she pulled the curtains open.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yup. Very.”
She scowled at me with her amber eyes. “Dante, you’re not even looking.”
“Okay, okay. I’m looking.”
I noticed her glance my way every few seconds, making sure I was actually watching the sunrise rather than napping off.
The sun slowly rose. My room used to be on the other side of the house, but after I learned how much she loved watching the sunrise, I switched rooms with Antonio so she could have the sunrise whenever she spent the night.
She twined her fingers with mine, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “The sunrise is one of the most amazing things to witness. The birth of a new day.” She glanced at me. “Do you realize how many people didn’t get this chance to watch this exact sunrise? And for how many people this will be the last sunrise they ever see?” She looked back out the window. “We should never take this for granted, Dante. Being able to share a new day together.”
I was no longer looking out the window. I was watching her. Her face. The way it lit up, the glow of the sun making it seem like her amber eyes had streaks of gold. It was the most amazing sight. She was the most amazing sight.
Jesus.
I couldn’t even look out my goddamn window without thinking of her. It had been five years. Why could I not forget her? She had probably long forgotten me…wherever the fuck she was in the world. For months I searched for her, called in every favor owed to me in a bid to find her. But it was like she had disappeared off the face of the fucking Earth.
I took a deep breath. Thinking about her too much made my chest hurt. I slipped on my jacket and grabbed my phone before heading out the door.
It wasn’t even six in the morning yet, and I walked right into Antonio as he passed down the hall.
I cocked a brow. “I see you’re still roaming the halls like a fucking vampire.”
Antonio crossed his arms. “I was rudely awakened by multiple footsteps and realized it was guests trying to quietly slip out of the house. Twins, actually. Know anything about it?”
I palmed my cock and adjusted my pants. “Nope. I’m afraid not, big brother.”
“Uh-huh. Remind me to check with security, then. Someone is obviously not doing their job.”
“Speaking about security,” I fell in to step next to him, “I need my phone checked. I’ve been getting weird phone calls.”
“Weird phone calls?”
“Yeah. Whoever is phoning me keeps hanging up whenever I answer.”
Antonio stopped and turned to face me. “Prank calls?”
“I don’t know.”
“Get Lorik on it.”
“Get me on what?”
Antonio and I both turned and saw Lorik sauntering toward us.
I scoffed. “Jesus. Does no one sleep in this fucking house?”
“I’m still trying to get used to living in this big as fuck house.” Lorik stepped in next to me.
“You’ve been living in this big as fuck house for the last six months.”
“Five.”
I cocked a brow. “Who gives a fuck?”
Lorik frowned at me. “Is there a reason you’re all up in my balls at six in the morning?”
I slapped him on the shoulder, and he stared at me with a giant what-the-fuck look on his face. “Lorik, you are two weeks away from marrying my little sister, for whom I care a great deal. As in, I would turn your testicles inside out if you so much as make her frown for even a second. So why would I have any reason to be all up in your balls?”
Lorik blinked. “And here I was, thinking you were the brother I actually liked.”
I grinned. “I am the brother you actually like. But that doesn’t mean I won’t break your spine if you fuck with my sister.”
“Oh, my God.” Antonio turned away. “You two assholes are giving me a migraine.”
Lorik and I followed him down the hall. “Your migraine has nothing to do with us, big brother, but everything to do with that bottle of bourbon that kicked your ass last night.”
Antonio mumbled something sounding a lot like “fuck” and “you.” Lorik and I just laughed as we made our way to the dining room.
The smell of butter and bacon that wafted down the hall made my stomach feel like my throat had been cut. But the second we walked into the dining room, spotting my dad sitting at the table staring at us, I knew it would be a while before I had the chance to finally have my breakfast.
“Good morning, Dad,” Antonio greeted, all polite and shit. Lorik and I rolled our eyes before taking our seats at the table.
By the look on Dad’s face, I knew business talk was on the menu for this morning.
Dad took a sip of his coffee before settling his gaze on Lorik. “Where is my daughter this morning?”
Lorik cleared his throat. “She’s sleeping in.”
“Is she ill?”
“No, Mr. Valenti. She’s just, well…a little tired.”
I glanced at Lorik and noticed how he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Antonio looked at me, and we both grinned, knowing why our little sister was “a little tired.”
My father lifted a brow, his lips pulled in a thin line. “Okay. I just want to make sure we are not disturbed.”
Antonio placed his arms on the table. “What’s going on?”
“It has come to my attention that there have been at least twelve overdose cases during the last three months.” He leaned back in his chair. “So, even though the Mancusos have been quiet on our front, it seems like they are pushing business, in turn soiling my motherfucking streets with their garbage.”
I rubbed my chin. “How many underage cases?”
Dad straightened. “Eight.”
“Jesus,” Lorik mumbled. “Motherfuckers.”
I placed my arms on the table. “I took care of one of those motherfuckers last night.”
Lorik turned to face me. “Exactly how did you take care of said motherfucker?”
“Let’s just say I took care of it in a way that would make the detective in you go all apeshit.” I grinned at him.
He took a deep breath and settled in his seat. Lorik knew as well as I did we were far from innocent and ran some questionable operations. But drugs? Drugs weren’t our scene. In fact, we made it our fucking mission to try to get the shit off our streets. But the Mancusos had no problem destroying innocent lives by distributing the shit like it was the morning goddamn paper.
Dad glanced from Antonio to me. “I won’t allow this situation to escalate any further. I
want these drugs off my goddamn streets.”
Antonio nodded. “We will take care of it.”
My gaze swept across the table. “What about Karina? If we go after their business, would it not put her under an even greater threat?”
Dad got up and poured himself another cup of coffee. “That’s another thing I want to discuss with you.” He sat back down. “I don’t think we need to worry about that anymore.”
“Why the hell not?”
“If they were planning retaliation, they would have done it already.”
Lorik waved his hand to get our attention. “I know I’m new to this and all, but I would think killing the underboss of a rival family isn’t quite something that would easily be swept under the rug…or buried six feet underground.”
I leaned forward. “I’m with Lorik. Letting our guard down is not a good idea, and neither is fucking with their business when we have a sister who is walking with a giant target on her forehead.”
“I agree with Dad.” Both Lorik and I scowled at Antonio. He shrugged. “It’s been six months. They haven’t made a single move, and with us being distracted by protecting Karina, they have managed to take over the streets with their drugs.” He scoffed. “It’s actually fucking brilliant if you think about it. They knew our main priority would be keeping every member of this family safe, especially Karina. They saw an opportunity, and they took it.”
I frowned. “I still don’t get why they haven’t even attempted to avenge Enzio’s death.”
“It’s because they can’t.” Dad stared at me from across the table. “Even though Stefano would want nothing more than to take revenge, he knows he can’t. Enzio overstepped the line. He started it all.” He looked at Lorik. “You just ended it.”
Lorik looked confused. “Yeah, we know that. But the question is, does Stefano know that?”
“He does. Enzio went against his wishes, blatantly disobeyed him by kidnapping Karina. If Stefano ignites a new war in the name of revenge, he would lose the support of his allies. We did what any other family would do.”
Lorik pulled his palm down his face. “Jesus Christ. Just when I think I have this Mafia 101 down, you lot pull out new shit to confuse my Albanian ass.”
I snorted. “And God knows it doesn’t take much to confuse you.”
“At least I know what it means when I say ‘kiss my ass.’”
Antonio and I started laughing, and Dad cleared his throat, demanding our attention.
“In any case. The wedding is in two weeks, after which Lorik and Karina will go on their honeymoon. Every measure has been taken to keep the destination a secret, and the security has been put in place. That would give us a month to sort this shit out and get those goddamn drugs off my streets.”
I leaned closer to Lorik. “Where’s the honeymoon?”
He shrugged. “Fuck me if I know.”
Dad got up from the table and turned to Antonio. “Get all your associates on this, and I don’t care if you have to pay double in order to get the necessary information from your informants. I want the drugs gone.”
Antonio nodded. “Dante and I will take care of it.”
I loved how my big brother always spoke on my behalf. I loved it so fucking much it actually annoyed the crap out of me.
Dad left the dining room in a rush, leaving the three of us in awkward silence…until I opened my big mouth.
“I disagree with Dad.”
Antonio glared at me. “That doesn’t surprise me. You always find it difficult to agree with anyone.”
“I’m with Dante on this,” Lorik chimed in. “I’m not as clued in as I like to be, but my instinct is telling me not to let our guard down.”
“We’re not. But like our father said, you and Karina are going on your honeymoon in two weeks. She’ll be safe while we stay behind and sort this shit out.” Antonio got up from the table, buttoning his suit jacket before focusing his stare on me. “Remember to get those phone calls checked out.”
“Yes, Dad,” I mocked.
Antonio left the room, and Lorik turned to me. “Tell me about these phone calls.”
“There’s not much to tell. It’s just random phone calls. When I answer, the person hangs up.”
Lorik raised an eyebrow. “How long has this been going on?”
“It started a few weeks ago.”
“I’ll try to get a trace on it.” Lorik stood, and as he passed by my chair, he paused. “You know why your sister is tired, right?”
“Jesus,” I moaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Yes, Lorik. I know.”
He leaned down next to me. “Do you know what it means to have a magic cock?”
And then I elbowed him in the gut, causing him to grunt.
“Fucker,” he mumbled, and I smiled as he walked out of the room.
I had no idea why, but I found his ass amusing, which was why I liked having the little shit around the house. Plus, it seemed like he had the ability to make my sister happy, which was a big thing for me.
At least one of us Valenti siblings was happy.
Chapter 2
Dante
“We are having a bachelor party.” I placed my hands on my hips, glaring at Antonio, trying to mentally convey the message that I would not budge on this one. He might be the underboss, the second in command—or whatever—but passing on a chance to have a bachelor party was fucking blasphemy.
Antonio got up from behind his desk. “Do you really think having a bachelor party should be on our priority list right now?”
I blinked. “Is that a trick question?”
“For God’s sake, Dante. We have other more important shit to worry about.”
“Like what?”
“Like heroin being handed out like fucking pamphlets at every corner.”
I snorted. “Still not reason enough not to take Lorik to a bar, force him to consume his weight in alcohol, and then watch him pass out between barfing sessions.”
Antonio stared at me. “You need help.”
“Oh, come on. The man keeps going on about how much alcohol he can drink without passing out. This is our one shot to prove him wrong, to make him pass out twice in one night. Once that ring is on his finger, his independence and freedom fly out the fucking window.” I clenched my jaw as I kept my gaze on Antonio. I was desperate. I had one shot to get something really embarrassing on my future brother-in-law. Something I could torture him with for the rest of my fucking life. Who in their right mind would pass on such a glorious opportunity?
Antonio sighed. “Fine.”
“Yes!”
“But we keep it simple. No funny business.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And by funny business, you mean strippers, right?”
“Yes. And by simple, I mean a night out at Vertigo.” Antonio pulled on his jacket. “I’m going down to the restaurant to make an appearance. You want to join me?”
No. “Sure.”
Going to Paradiso was one of my least favorite things to do. Sure, it had a bar, pizza, and its fair share of fuckable booty. But it was also the family restaurant, which meant we had to behave whenever we were there. We had to uphold the family name by acting like sophisticated snobs. Now, Antonio had that down to a fucking T. Me, on the other hand…I’d been struggling with the behaving part for quite some time.
My phone vibrated in my jacket pocket, and I pulled it out. “Yeah.”
Nothing.
“Hello?”
Silence.
“Who the fuck is this? Listen, fucker, stop wasting my goddamn time. I swear to God, if I find out who you are, you’ll wish you chose someone else to play your pissy phone call pranks on.”
“Dante?”
Holy shit. “Layla?” My heart stopped. My gut turned inside out when I heard that voice. “Layla? Is that you?”
Silence.
“Layla, is that you? Talk to me.”
I needed her to talk, to make sure the voice I heard was hers. The shock caused my palms t
o sweat and my mind to race. Was it her voice? Was it Layla?
“Layla?”
And then there was nothing.
“Fuck!”
I checked the caller ID, but there was none. I stared at the blank screen, my heart now racing at a thousand miles an hour against my ribs.
Was that really her? Or did I imagine it? Did I imagine her voice?
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!”
I rushed out of the study, and as if sent from the powers above, Lorik came strolling down the hall. His eyes grew wide when he saw me. “Who died?”
“Lorik, tell me you managed to get a trace on the phone calls I’ve been getting.”
“I’m still working on it. Why?”
I roughed my hand through my hair. “Jesus Christ.”
“Dante, what the fuck, man?”
My mind was a giant rush of confusion. “It’s her.”
Lorik stepped closer. “Who?”
“Layla.”
“Who the fuck is Layla?”
I glanced at him, my mind still spinning. “It’s…”
“Layla?” Both Lorik and I turned to Karina, who stared at me with worried eyes. If there was anyone who knew what and who Layla was to me, it was my sister.
“She’s the one, Karina.”
My little sister stared at me with her big, brown eyes, and I saw the doubt, the uncertainty. “Are you sure, Dante?”
I smiled, appreciating how much she cared for me. “I’m sure, Karina. I really am.”
“But you’re giving up everything for her. Your family, your home, your life here with us.”
I placed my hands on her shoulders. “You and I both know this life isn’t for me. And it’s not for you either, which is why you’ll be off to college the second you get the chance.” I winked at her then grabbed my suitcase off the bed.
“Dante, you and Layla, you’re still very young.”
I snorted. “You should talk. You’re only sixteen—”
“Seventeen.”