"Bullshit," I growl. "Tell him it's about Valentina. Tell him she's in danger."
The guard shoves me back. "You need to leave. Now."
My fist clenches, rage and fear building. I didn't drive fourteen hours to be turned away by some fucking doorman.
"You have thirty seconds to convince me not to break your neck," a voice says from behind me.
I turn to find Luca Dante.
He’s younger than Alessandro, but in some ways he seems older, harder, darker.
The man has a reputation for unpredictable violence.
If I play it wrong, I’m dead.
Valentina said she’d reach out to him, but it appears she wasn’t able to.
So I need to tread carefully or I’ll die right here, right now.
“Valentina is being forced to marry Maksim Vasiliev in a matter of days.”
A muscle twitches in Luca's jaw, but otherwise, his expression remains impassive. “I’m aware of my sister’s situation.”
“Then why aren’t you stopping it? I’m told you care for her? She believes you care for her.”
One brow arches and several of his men step back. “Who are you to tell me about my sister?”
“Maksim will kill her. You have to know that.”
He sucks in a breath and then nods toward a door. "Inside."
His office is spartanly decorated, function over form, which is different from New York. Lorenzo, Luca and Alessandro’s father, liked surrounding himself with signs of money, gold, art.
He leans against his desk, arms crossed. "I spoke to Valentina yesterday. She said nothing about being in danger."
"You know Maksim," I counter, desperation growing in my voice. "You've seen what he does to people who cross him. Now imagine what he'll do to a wife who is the sister of his nemesis.”
“Bonetti, right?”
I nod. “Yes, sir.”
Luca studies me, eyes narrowing. "My sister made a plea for me to take you in. Said you'd been exiled for protecting her honor."
I nod again, not wanting to say more than whatever Valentina wanted him to know, unless necessary to get Luca on board.
"She failed to mention you were fucking her." His voice drops dangerously low. "That complicates things."
"I take offense to that," I growl, stepping forward. "I didn'tfuckyour sister. I love her." It's the first time I've said it aloud to anyone but Valentina. I wonder if he’ll care.
Luca's expression doesn't soften. "If that's true, why are you here instead of helping her? Seems convenient that you've run to Chicago while she faces Maksim alone."
My temper flares.
After everything I've risked, after driving through the night, after putting my life on the line repeatedly, this arrogant bastard questions my commitment?
“Why aren’t you!” Okay, so now I’m a dead man, confronting a Don with a raised voice. “You know better than anyone that Alessandro is willing to sacrifice her. And you know how Maksim is.”
I step closer, too angry to care about the danger. "Valentina has no power in this. She's being forced to marry that psychopath, and when Alessandro discovered us together, the only reason I'm still breathing is because I agreed to leave New York forever. Your sister begged for my life."