Fight Me Little Pearl

Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

VALENTINO

I meet Vinny two hours later in a modern cafe in town. He refused to meet me at any of my clubs so I’d let him choose the location since that was what made him feel safe. I’m not scared of Vinny and I walk into the cafe alone, but Roberto, Dutch, and Vance have eyes on me. If I die, I’m taking him down to hell with me.

Vinny looks like an ugly reptile. Pale with a long neck, a thin face, and a hooked nose. He’s painfully thin and dresses terribly in cheap badly cut suits, but I am sure he does that on purpose so no one will guess at his true wealth or will underestimate his ferocity. He should not be underestimated under any circumstances. He didn’t rise to become the Head of his clan by being harmless.

He rises to greet me and waits until I’m seated before lowering himself into the seat across from me.

“What is this fucking place?” I ask, disgusted with the ambiance and general outlook.

“Because of the nature of our discussion I thought it would be perfect,” he says, his black eyes glittering like a rat’s. “A friend owns this place.”

“I can tell.”

He leans back against the fake leather seat and smiles. “It’s funny. Who would have thought that you would marry Barbieri’s daughter.”

“You’re telling me what I already know,” I snap.

He laughs, an ugly sound. “Hey, relax. I’m on your side now.” He leans forward. “And I’m about to give you information that is vital to you. Take it as a sign of my goodwill towards this alliance.

I narrow my eyes. I know that every intel is important, even if it’s given by a madman.

“Sal is going after Francesca. He knows that’s your weak spot.”

It’s been years since I felt fear, but I feel it now, thick in my veins and hot in my belly. I’m not afraid of being hunted down by anyone. It’s the thought of a life where Francesca isn’t in it that scares me. I picture Sal and Vinny’s heads on spikes for a second. The image gives me great satisfaction. I keep my expression blank.

“Well, too fucking bad for Sal. If he kills her, he will be doing me a favor. I married that girl to get the land, and now that it is mine, I don’t give a damn what happens to her.”

His eyes flare, and I’m relieved that I’ve managed to convince him that Terra de Barbieri is more important to me than Francesca. In our world, your enemies don’t come for you; they come for your weakness. They study the things you hold in high esteem and try to pull out your wings by snatching them away from you.

Showing weakness for Francesca in front of Vinny is the fastest way to have a bounty on her. If they believe I don’t care about her, there is a good chance she’ll be left alone.

“Can we talk about my proposal now?” I ask. “Or are you not done speaking about things that don't matter to me?”

He nods. “The proposal.”

“You and I are going to fly over to Terra de Barbieri,” I explain. “News about that will spread, and Sal will reach out to you.”

Vinny laughs. “So basically, I’m the scapegoat.”

“Don’t act innocent with me Vinny. Sal will snap your neck as easily as I will sit down to dinner tonight. This association between us benefits you more than me, and you know it.”

“And so what happens when Sal reaches out to me?”

“You let me know. If he knows what is good for him he’ll come in on the deal with us, or I’ll organize his takedown.” I rise to my feet. “I’ll take my leave now.”

Vinny smiles. “I hope this is the start of more business ventures together.”

I walk out without replying.

During the drive back home, I am restless and angry. It feels like the journey is taking forever, and I keep checking my watch every few minutes. As soon as we pull into the driveway, I bolt out of the vehicle and run into the house.

Francesca is awake, but when the door swings open she jumps, then visibly relaxes when she sees me walk in.

“Valentino?”

I climb onto the bed and loom over her body. Then I wrap my arms around her tightly. Fuck Terra de Barbieri. I’d give up a thousand Terra de Barbieris for this woman.

Taking Sal down won’t be easy, but it’s a war I’m willing to take on.

“Are you okay?” she asks softly, sinking her fingers into my hair.

“I’m fine.” My brain wants me to alert her to the dangers lurking around her, but my heart wants me to offer her complete protection, and that means keeping her in blissful ignorance.

“You’re shaking,” she whispers.

“No, I’m not,” I deny, forcing my body to freeze. “Can you shoot?” I ask.

“What?”

I raise my head, meeting her gaze. “Were you taught to shoot?”

“In theory,” she says. “But my father never let me practice.”

Every time she mentions her fucking father, I hate the man even more. I didn’t think it was possible to hate someone that much. He is the reason Sal wants Francesca dead. He thinks the land deed will revert back to Franco, but it is time I told Sal the real situation. The sooner the better. The land is already mine and he can never have it.

“I want you to become proficient at using a gun.”

“Excellent. Yes. I’ve always wanted to be a badass heroine in a movie,” she says. “But I didn’t want to bring it up because I thought you would refuse.”

“You’re a badass heroine in my movie.”

“Really?” She perks up. “I have one request.”

“The answer is no.”

She bursts into laughter. “You didn’t even ask what it is.”

“Because I can see you’re about to set me up. So, no.”

“Wuss.”

“Who you calling wuss?” I slip my hand between her thighs, and her fingers tighten around the strands of my hair.

Slowly, my fingers crawl up her leg until I reach her folds. She’s already wet and ready for me. I flick her clit gently, and she purrs, her eyes slowly drifting close. I spread her legs apart and sink one finger into her, groaning when she whimpers, her mouth parting as my name falls sweetly from her lips.

“Valentino,” she begs. “Please.”

I’m tempted to undress and sink into her, but once that happens, we will not leave the room today. To make it better, I bury my head between her legs and suck her clit into my mouth. She screams, tugging my hair so hard it hurts.

Her juices run down my chin, and I run my tongue across her folds, sucking as much of her as I can into my mouth. She tastes divine, and I can feast on her every day for the rest of my life. I enjoy the way she writhes beneath me, and her little moans are like little shots of concentrated pleasure, going straight into my head and intoxicating me until my single purpose is to bring her maximum pleasure.

When I reach up to tweak her nipples through the silk fabric of her nightdress, she explodes. I lap all of her until there’s nothing left. I kiss the insides of her thigh before pulling myself up to stare at her face. There’s a faint pink flush on her skin, and I want to kiss her everywhere until I’m branded onto her skin, but there’s no time for that.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asks with a giggle.

“Do you have workout wear?” I ask.

She frowns. “Yes. Why?”

“Get up, baby.” I slap her butt. “Your first self-defense class starts right now.”