Chapter 29

Mafia Kings: Valentino: Chapter 29 I was crying in bed when I heard a light knock on the door.

“Go away,” I sniffled.

“Caterina, it’s me,” Alessandra’s muffled voice said. “Please let me in.”

I still loved Alessandra just as much as the first day she walked into my kitchen...

But the fact that she was now my boss’s wife kind of complicated our friendship.

I thought about telling her again to go away...

But I gave in, dragged myself out of bed, and unlocked the door.

Then I collapsed back onto my bed and buried my face in my pillow.

Alessandra closed the door, sat at the foot of the bed, and put a consoling hand on my leg.

“...you listened in, didn’t you,” she asked sadly.

I didn’t look at her. I couldn’t. I was too humiliated by what Don Rosolini had said.

“How much did you hear?” Alessandra asked.

“Enough,” I said miserably.

“Caterina, listen to me: you have to go to Sicily.”

Of all the things I’d been expecting her to say, that had not been one of them.

I looked up from the pillow in shock. “What?!”

“You have to go to Sicily.”

“Why?!”

“To get him back!”

I looked at her like she was crazy. “Your husband gave Valentino a choice between me and an arranged marriage... and he chose the arranged marriage.”

“Dario didn’t want to marry me at first,” Alessandra said. “He didn’t change his mind until he almost lost me.”

“That was different,” I protested.

“How was it so different? Two brothers – one sleeping with a café waitress, the other with a kitchen worker – ”

“You’re a freakin’ long-lost mafia princess,” I grumbled.

“We didn’t find that out until after Dario kicked me out of the house.”

I squinted. “Didn’t you ask him to leave?”

“You’re missing the point,” Alessandra said impatiently. “Dario wasn’t going to marry me until he almost lost me for good. That’s what changed his mind. If I know Valentino, he’s probably cursing himself right now for not taking the deal. By the way, it was all Niccolo’s idea – did you know that?”

“Yeah... that’s what Valentino said, more or less.”

“Well, if I know Niccolo, he laid it on pretty thick. He probably told Valentino how this was all about the FAMILY,” she said in a pompous voice, “and how it was necessary for everyone’s survival and blah blah blah.”

I chuckled in spite of myself. It wasn’t the best imitation of Niccolo ever, but Alessandra had captured his self-importance pretty well.

“And I’ll bet you a million dollars that Niccolo brought up Dario spending four years in prison – for the FAMILY,” Alessandra said darkly. “Niccolo’s a master manipulator. I’m sure he guilted Valentino into thinking he had to do it.”

“But your husband gave him a choice, and he said he didn’t want to marry me!”

Alessandra smiled like she knew something I didn’t. “I’m guessing you didn’t stick around long enough to hear when Dario said the two of you had to get married.”

I frowned. “No – when?”

“Today.”

I stared at her. “WHAT?!”

“Exactly!” Alessandra crowed. “If I asked you, ‘Caterina, do you want to marry Valentino NOW – RIGHT NOW, in the next 15 minutes’ – would you do it?”

“I...”

“Well?!” Alessandra tapped her elegant gold wristwatch for comic effect. “Tell me now! Time’s running out! YOU HAVE TO TELL ME NOW!”

I realized she was trying to drive home how much pressure Valentino must have been under...

But even without the theatrics, I recognized how insane the choice was.

If she’d asked me three hours ago in the kitchen – back before I knew anything about the arranged marriage – I would have laughed in her face.

Girl, are you crazy?! We’re just having a good time!

Now that Valentino had broken my heart, the question about marrying him was even more complicated.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to entrust my heart to him a second time.

And if I had been the one Don Rosolini had asked...

If my decision could have called off the arranged marriage...

I still wasn’t sure.

I mean... it was a lot.

“That’s a big step,” I said lamely.

“It’s a HUGE step! Now imagine having to take that step with two brothers pressuring you to do your duty to the family, and one of them went to prison so you didn’t have to!”

She didn’t mention the part I knew we were both thinking:

Two brothers in the mafia.

But... still...

“What if he really doesn’t want to marry me?” I asked miserably.

“There’s only one way to find out. Go fight for him.”

My stomach clenched in fear. “I can’t do that!”

“Do you want him?”

I paused –

Then realized that no matter how much he had hurt me...

Hell YES I want him.

“Yes,” I said.

“How much?”

It was scary to say it – but I said it anyway. “More than anything.”

“Then go and claim him. Fight for him.”

“He’s in an arranged marriage – by the mafia!” I said, whispering the last word frantically.

Alessandra made a humorous face. “I didn’t say it would be easy.”

“You’re going against your husband by even suggesting this!” This time, I whispered the entire sentence.

Alessandra got a dangerous look in her eye. “Dario should have never agreed to this in the first place.”

Blessed Virgin...

I was glad Don Rosolini wasn’t around to hear her talk like that...

“I’ve never even been to Sicily!” I protested.

“I hadn’t even been out of Tuscany when Dario brought me here,” Alessandra said.

“Even if I could go to Sicily, I’m not rich! I have to work this job to survive – because I don’t have any money!”

Alessandra gave me a mischievous grin. “That’s not going to be a problem.”

She bent over and got her purse off the floor, which I didn’t know she had with her. My head had been buried in my pillow when she walked in.

She undid the clasp, pulled out a huge roll of cash with a rubber band around it –

And held it out to me.

I stared at her in shock. “I can’t take your money!”

“Of course you can!” she said as she pressed it into my hand. “Dario took away your happiness. The very least I can do is try to help you get it back.”

I stared at her for another few seconds in shock –

Then burst into tears.

“Thank you,” I sobbed as I hugged her.

She laughed as she hugged me back.

Oh shit...

I’m going to Sicily!

But then I realized something.

Sicily was a very big island... the same size as a lot of smaller countries.

And I had no idea where to go.

“Where is Valentino, exactly?” I asked.

Alessandra stared at me in shock. “Um... that’s a good question.”

“You don’t know?”

“No... but I know how to find out.”

Panic slammed into me all at once. “You can’t ask Don Rosolini, or Niccolo, or any of them – they’ll know something’s up!”

“Don’t worry,” Alessandra said slyly as she pulled out a cellphone, “I wasn’t going to.”

She went into her contacts on her phone, then tapped the screen and held it up to her ear.

After a second, someone answered.

“Hello, Nonna!” Alessandra said happily. “Yes – I’ve been meaning to call you, too! But I have a favor to ask you, and no one –

not even my husband – can know about it.”

I froze in fear.

Alessandra was talking to her grandmother, who she hadn’t even known about until a few months ago.

Signora Oldani...

A member of the Oldani family...

Who belonged to the Cosa Nostra.

Alessandra was calling in a favor from the mafia on my behalf...

And not only that, she was keeping Don Rosolini in the dark about it.

I waved my hands and tried to tell her No!

Alessandra said, “Hold on one second, Nonna,” and muted the phone.

“You can’t do this!” I whispered frantically.

“Do you want Valentino back?”

“...yes...”

“Then this is how we do it.”

“Couldn’t you just call him?” I asked. “Valentino, I mean?”

“The first thing Dario did when he brought me here was take away my phone,” Alessandra said. “Even if the Sicilian mafia don is letting Valentino keep his, I’ll bet you they’ll be monitoring his calls and listening in somehow. No... this is the only way.”

As she went back to the phone call, I sat there trembling on the bed.

This is a bad, BAD idea...