And soon, I'll have to watch her walk down the aisle to another man.
The thought is enough to make me want to burn this whole fucking city to the ground.
I check my watch for the hundredth time today.
My shift should have ended two hours ago, but I volunteered to stay.
What else would I do?
Go home to my empty apartment and stare at the ceiling, thinking about her?
No, I’m staying here and doing the job Alessandro asked me to do.
Keep Valentina safe.
Alessandro may think he's making the pragmatic choice, preserving peace through this unholy alliance.
But men like Maksim don't respect concessions.
They see them as a weakness to exploit.
The Bratva will never be satisfied with Valentina. Once they have her, they'll want more.
More territory, more control, more blood.
If Lorenzo were still alive, he'd sooner burn his empire to the ground than give his daughter to that animal after that ambush.
Alessandro might wear the ring now, but he's forgotten what made the Dante family strong in the first place.
It wasn't just ruthlessness or cunning.
It was knowing which principles you don't compromise.
And you never, ever sacrifice family.
I make my final round, and now I can’t find an excuse to stay any longer.
Not without drawing attention. I prepare to head home.
As I go to my car, I glance toward Valentina’s room.
She’s standing on her balcony, her expression forlorn. I feel like such a failure.
In a split instant, I make a dangerous decision.
Fuck Alessandro's rules.
Fuck duty.
Fuck everything but her.
I slip quietly around to the east wing where Valentina's balcony sits.
She’s returned inside and I second-guess my decision.
But only for a moment.
In the next second, I’m moving forward full-throttle.