Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Tiny goosebumps flare across my skin as Valentino undoes my pants, aggressively yanking them down to my ankles. I step out of them in a hurry with Valentino tossing the freed leg over his shoulder. He licks his lips as he stares at my pussy. Flashes of everything that can go wrong fly through my head, wondering if I should make him stop. However, my apprehension disappears the moment I feel him slide my panties to the side and curve his tongue around my clit.

The way he sucks gently, using his strong arms to anchor me against his face, forces me to lean back. My hands grip the ledge of the counter as my eyes shoot up to the ceiling. The pleasurable sensation shooting up the center of my core from my sex makes me roll my hips into Valentino’s face.

His moans and short breaths of urgency have my heart racing at how badly he wants me. He can’t get enough.

Valentino moves his mouth fluidly to bring me to an orgasm. The eruption of bliss his tongue delivers is like nothing I remember from the weekend. The way his mouth navigates my walls shows me the sincerity of his apology. But we have to stop this.

‘We can’t,’ I tell him as he slides his tongue inside of my walls. ‘We can’t finish here.’

‘We can’t, but you will.’ Valentino’s voice is dark as he resumes dining between my legs. I don’t have time to protest any further. The pressure of him sliding his fingers inside of my walls silences me until I whimper from my climax. When he pulls his fingers from me, his mouth leaves a trail of kisses from my center to my inner thigh.

Valentino rises to his feet after slipping my panties back in place and helping me step back into my jeans. He gives me little room to secure them as he cages me between his arms, gripping the edge of the counter beside my hands. His head lowers as he whispers into my ear.

‘I’ve been foolish, Lia. I knew better than to believe I could only have you for this weekend and be done. Even more foolish is you thinking you can just walk away from me. Come to my office.’ His command is unclear. His mouth is distracting me with how close he is to my ear, peppering kisses between his words.

‘Why would I come to your office, Val? You can’t just invade my privacy and kiss my pussy to make it all better.’ I tell him, moving him slightly to step away from him. His scent, his energy, Valentino’s presence, it’s all overpowering.

The grin spreading across his face tells me where his mind is. ‘Then tell me where else you’d like me to kiss.’

‘I’d tell you to kiss my ass, but I have a feeling that you’d like it, and we don’t have time for you to chase me around my cousin’s apartment.’

Valentino cracks a smile. ‘You’d be right. That ass is a masterpiece worthy of so much more than polite kisses. Still, you and your parents need to come to my office. I don’t want to share the information I have for them outside of a secure location. When they’ve finished sorting through it, they can talk to my head of legal. I’ll let Cecilia know to expect you and your family.’

‘Cecilia?’ I ask. A pang of jealousy hits me. It’s amazing how a single exchange of intimacy immediately leaves me with feelings of entitlement. It’s as if Valentino can only belong to me, but I know that’s not fair. Just like it’s absurd of him to show up here, but at least the feelings of ownership are mutual.

Valentino reaches into his pocket to pull out his wallet and then a business card. He hands the business card to me. ‘Cecilia Walton is my head of legal. She’ll listen to you and your parents. She’ll take your case and make sure Saul can’t hold your family hostage anymore.’

‘This Cecilia woman is going to take our case, just like that?’ I ask in disbelief with a snap of my fingers.

‘Just like that because I said so. I apologize again, Lia. I let my emotions get the better of me. I’ll try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.’

‘Try?’ I raise an eyebrow.

Valentino shrugs as he adjusts his clothes. They fit him perfectly. Even after spending all that time kneeling, he looks fresh off a runway. The way his fingers run through his light brown hair, smoothing it back as his crystal blue eyes take me in from head to toe, makes me regret we’re not in my apartment.

When he leans in closer to me, kissing me gently on the lips, I wonder if he’s going to pick up where we left off. I stopped him for a reason. It’s as if every time he’s this close, all logic flies out the window.

‘I can’t make any promises. I don’t think I’ll ever stop craving you, Lia. Please, call Cecilia and get this stuff with Saul under control. I worry that Saul can’t stand losing you to me. He’ll hurt you or your family to prove a point. If he goes that way, there’s no stopping what comes next.’

I swallow. ‘What happens if your families go to war?’

I know what happens in the movies, but reality is slightly different.

Valentino takes my hand into his, rubbing the top of it with his thumb; a poor attempt to soothe my worries. ‘People are going to die, Lia. I’ll protect you, your family.’

‘All of this simply because you took my virginity.’ I huff and pull away from him.

Valentino stops me. ‘It’s not about that, Lia. Agitating Saul is a passion of mine and I’ve never cared about anyone caught in the crosshairs of our rivalry until now. It’s not fair to you or your folks. I have to get back to the office. Promise me you’ll speak to Cecilia.’

‘I’ll give her a call, but I can’t make that same promise for my parents,’ I tell him. It’s an acceptable answer. Honestly, I don’t know what my parents are going to think or say. They’ve been full of surprises lately.

I watch Valentino leave just as Frankie walks back inside. I hear them exchange a few words before I see them shake hands. Relief washes over me as the door closes and Frankie heads directly to his freezer and pulls out a bottle of rum. After a healthy gulp, he puts it back and slams it shut.

The conflict written on his face is the tip of the iceberg. I can see Frankie trying to decide whether to be pissed or compassionate.

‘Take it from the top, Lia. Don’t leave anything out, either.’

‘Frankie—’

He cuts me off with a raise of his hand. ‘Uh-uh. No. I just attacked the don of the Barrone crime family, the CE—motherfuckin’—O of Barten Security. That man is on several lists of fortune magazines as being one of the most powerful men in this city. It’s an open secret that he’s one of the most dangerous men in this city, fuck, the country, and you just let it slip that he bought your virginity. Not to mention, I think someone was following me outside.’

‘Frankie, I’m sorry.’

‘Oh shit,’ he mumbles. ‘I’m gonna get whacked.’

He clutches his neck with both hands as his eyes grow wide with fear.

‘Frankie, breathe. You’re not going to get whacked. If Valentino is the kind of man I think he is, he’s not a liar.’

Frankie’s eye twitches. ‘What the fuck does that mean?’

‘That means that he promised to protect me and my family. You’re included in that group. We’ll be safe. You’ll be safe. You don’t have to worry about Val. If we need to be cautious of anyone, it’s Saul.’

‘Saul who?’ He asks.

‘Caputo,’ I tell him, shrinking away, knowing that he’s going to blow his top.

In true Frankie fashion, he throws his hands in the air. ‘Are you fucking kidding me? How the hell are you caught between two of the most dangerous men in this city?’

‘Shh.’ I pump my hands toward him. ‘Calm down and lower your voice.’

‘Oh shit. This place is bugged, isn’t it?’ He looks around with paranoia replacing fear.

‘It shouldn’t be. You’re a gay go-go dancer who lives on the Lower East Side. I don’t think you’re going to be identified as an associate of the mob.’

‘You lower your voice. They could be listening to us right now.’ He insists and starts moving objects around the room as if he’d be able to spot any listening devices.

‘Frankie, no one’s listening to us. I have to go.’

‘Go where? You just got here.’ His voice pitches an octave higher than normal. It reminds me of when we were kids. He used to throw fits and tantrums when he didn’t get his way with me, but Nonna would have none of it. Frankie rambles, trying to get me to hang around. ‘You can’t glaze over this piping hot tea you served and then dip out of here because your boyfriend left.’

‘He’s not my boyfriend.’

Frankie scoffs, ‘Right. The purchaser of your virginity.’

‘My time, Frankie, he bought my time.’

He sighs. ‘You’re starting to sound like him. Give me the best parts in less than a minute and I’ll let you go.’

I laugh, shaking my head. ‘This isn’t some short internet video. This is my life. There’s no way I can get through it all in less than a minute.’

‘Try,’ he says, folding his arms across his chest.

‘Fine. The parents are in debt to Caputo. I sold my time to get out of that debt. I lost my virginity to Don Barrone, which I’m sure pissed off his rival, Don Caputo.’

‘For fuck’s sake, Lia.’ He puts his hand delicately over his mouth. ‘Well, you can stay here as long as you like. As a matter of fact, I think it’s a great idea. If you’re here, we’re guaranteed protection from your billionaire boyfriend.’

‘Frankie,’ I tell him in exasperation. ‘He is not my boyfriend.’

‘That man is consumed by you. He broke laws to figure out where you were because he thought you were in the arms of another man. Men like that don’t take rejection well. Let him be your man so he can protect us.’

‘I’ll come back as soon as I talk to my parents and meet with this lawyer woman.’

‘Lawyer? What is going on, Lia?’

I pout and stare at him a moment. ‘Frankie, honestly, if I knew, I probably still couldn’t put it into words. I’m sorry to bring croissants and leave, but I have to go.’

Frankie finally lets me walk out of his apartment without asking another question. It takes me a while to get a hold of my parents. Once I do, I’m only able to get my father to sit still for a moment in the trailer at the Saint Bartholomew’s construction site.

‘Dad, just listen to me, please,’ I beg him. ‘I don’t want to spy on Valentino for Don Caputo. I think we should speak to this attorney Valentino recommended.’

Dad doesn’t want to hear anything other than me agreeing to this absurd idea to spy on Valentino. He refuses to listen to reason. ‘I didn’t know you preferred me in prison, Lia.’

I sigh. ‘You know that’s not what I want, but it’s better than selling our souls to Don Caputo. I didn’t ask for any of this, but I’m the one bearing the burden.’

‘You? Do you have any idea what your mother is dealing with? She killed a man,’ he stammers but immediately lowers his voice with his eyes glancing at the door to the office trailer. ‘I’m not doing this with you, Lia. Just do as you’re fucking told. Date the guy, okay? You don’t have to do anything else. If nothing comes out of it, then we’ll talk to Saul about adjusting your role in this. How does that sound?’

‘That sounds like bullshit.’

‘Language, Lia. Don’t talk to me like that. I’m your father and as head of this family, I’m doing everything I can to keep us out of Saul Caputo’s line of fire. Your loyalty is to us first, yeah?’

I sigh, turning away from him. ‘Yeah. Of course, it is, Pop.’

‘Good. Go out with the handsome Don Barrone. Have a good time, and if he mentions anything about business, just make a note of it and pass it along to me. You don’t have to talk to Saul anymore. That’s a good compromise, right?’

‘What if Valentino, I mean, Don Barrone, can help us out of this without you or Ma having to go to jail? Would you consider it?’

He sighs. ‘You think he can, I mean, without Don Caputo finding out? I’ll be honest, Lia. If Don Caputo gets wind we’re trying to snake him⁠—’

I interrupt. ‘Snake him? He’s the one blackmailing our family. Let’s talk to this lawyer.’

‘Fine, call them, and let’s see what this lawyer has to say.’