VALENTINO ~~~~~~~~♧♧♧♧♧♧“Note to self. Question the credibility of Anthony’s information before jumping into action,” I said to myself. “It was just this one time. I helped you find that Sawyer dude, and I helped Ravenna find the man that tried to kill her,” Anthony said with a grin. “It’s not my fault we’re trapped in this...” He trailed off likely because he didn’t know where we were. “Basement?” He asked. “You were the one that made me drop my guns. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you.” “I didn’t ask you to!” “We’re in this situation all because of you.” Backtrack to five hours ago. We had arrived at the island, and Anthony had taken us to his villa. An hour after that, he had suggested we go meet the jeweler. When I set my eyes on him, I knew there had been something off. Especially when he’d asked us to drop our weapons. I was strongly against it, but stupid Anthony had dropped his and waltzed right into the house wher
RAVENNA~~~~~~~♤♤♤♤♤“Have you checked out the flash drive Eloise gave you?” Valentino asked, running his brush through his hair. I stopped mid rubbing sunscreen on my thighs. “I believe someone said not to trust the information because it could be a trap.” He cocked his head to the side so he could look at me. “And I believe a certain someone told you not to trust him and you agreed not to.” “And I believe that said someone has done nothing to make me not trust him.” “Raven- “ “I don’t even see why this is turning into an argument. Besides, I thought you were going to get your father.” “I didn’t say the information wasn’t worth checking out. Sometimes, you take my words seriously, and other times you don’t.” “You can’t exactly fault my decision. You know who Lucian was.” Lucian had been strongly against me when he was alive, and I wouldn’t put it past Fiore to do something as fucked up as using Eloise to execute a plan after her husband
VALENTINO ~~~~~~~~♧♧♧♧♧♧She loved me? I couldn’t believe that. It was probably the orgasm talking. It wasn’t new knowledge that people formed an attachment with people they were fucking and often confuse the hormones coursing through their system for love. “Let’s see if you say that when the hormones wear off in a couple of hours. Come on. Let’s go get you cleaned up.” “Why did you decide to get your cock pierced?” Ravenna asked out of the blue as I patted her body dry after the shower. It was such a random question that it pulled a chuckle out of me. “Fantasizing about my cock again?” She reached between us, stroke my hardening cock in her hand. “What can I say? It’s a magnificent cock.” I shook my head at her, pulling her hand away from me. “You’re insatiable.” We dried up in silence, then climbed under the covers in silence with her sprawled over my chest. “You still haven’t answered my question,” she reminded me. “Ciro made me
RAVENNA~~~~~~~♤♤♤♤♤“It’s rare for things to be calm around here. It feels so strange,” Ravenna said. “That’s so true,” Zypher agreed. “The break was needed, and who knows? Maybe Fiore is dead. It’s been weeks since we returned from the Bahamas and he has done nothing.” “Nobody ask me anything. Just ignore me and act like you can’t see me,” Alaina said as she popped out of nowhere, taking a seat on a pool lounge chair. “I’m not sure that’s gonna be possible. Your tantrum is begging for attention. Now, I’m just gonna keep quiet and back away,” Zypher said, swimming backward so she was away from Alaina, who looked a second away from jumping her. “What happened to you?” I asked, from where I was positioned on the gigantic pizza pool float. “By the way, your idea to get this pool float is amazing.” Alaina cracked a smile. “Thanks. I had to promise Jacob and Andrea my first-born child just so they could help me get them home. My arms were loaded with cl
ZYPHER~~~~~~◇◇◇◇“What the hell is this bullshit, Anna? Why the fuck am I in here like some caged animal, and where the hell is my mom?” Anna shook her head at me, making clicking noises with her tongue. “So many questions. I’ll have you know that this was a collective decision the group made, so don’t try to make me feel bad.” “What the hell is going on?” I was having a bad feeling about this. Especially with my mother absent from the mansion. What did they have planned that involved me being held captive in a cage? “You’ll find out soon enough. You’ll have to know it was never my intention. See you in a couple of hours.” She left and a few minutes later, I heard the basement door open and footsteps as they approached me. Chloe came into view, and I sighed in relief. I really wasn’t in the mood for another chat with Anna. “What’s going on Chloe? What’s so urgent that I had to come here only for me to get thrown into a cell?” “I really
VALENTINO ~~~~~~~~♧♧♧♧♧♧“I did the nice thing by leaving you for almost two months. Now we can have that talk. I hope you’ve thought out where your loyalties lie now,” I said, sitting across from the boy I’d captured the night I’d shot Fiore. “Are you going to leave me if I tell you the truth?” He asked, placing his forearms on the table between us. With a smile, I shook my head. “Oh, make no mistake. You’re gonna die today. Your reply determines how quickly and what method I use.” “Then I ain’t telling you shit. I’m a dead man anyway, so what’s the point?” He spat. Carlo chuckled at the boy’s answer. “That’s what they all say until he finally breaks them.” “I must say, I admire your false bravado. Why did you choose to work for Fiore? You have a pregnant girlfriend who was kicked out by her parents when they found out she was dating a man like you. You’re just nineteen. You have a lot to live for. Even if it’s not for your sake, do it for your fa
RAVENNA ~~~~~~~♤♤♤♤♤“What a surprise to see you here. Are you here to apologize to Zypher?” I asked, leaning back in my chair with my feet propped on the desk. We were in the study, which I rarely used because Gina wanted privacy. “Apologize for what? Zypher got herself into this mess.” “But it would’ve been better if she had her mother firmly by her side.” Gina shook her head, her lips curling up in a wise smile. “You don’t understand. Zypher knew the implications for getting involved with Anthony, and she still did. At that point, I wasn’t a mother. I was a leader. The mother in me cried, but I had to be the leader for the people that took orders from me.” “So, what if you’re a leader? Your daughter comes first.” “You can choose what type of woman you want to be. A leader or a lover. You can’t be one and also be the other simultaneously. When love or any emotion at all affects the decisions of a woman, those decisions become selfish. “That’s
RAVENNA~~~~~~~♤♤♤♤♤“No.” A sob broke out of me as I took a seat on the chair next to the bed. “I’m fine, Ravenna,” Nana tried to reassure me, but I could see even smiling hurt her. “What happened? What did they say they wanted from you?” I asked, my vision blurry from the tears that threatened to fall out of them. “Nothing. I think they meant to scare me. I’m just glad that you weren’t around when this happened.” The tears I’d been trying to hold back broke free. Here she was with bruises covering her body and several broken ribs, but she was still worried about my safety. “I’m sorry this happened to you because of me.” “It’s not your fault.” “She’s right,” Uncle Leo said from the doorway. “Instead of crying, why not go out there and find the people who did this? Your tears won’t change anything.” He handed me a handkerchief to wipe my tears. “You two need to leave. I don’t want any more of this touching you two. Get someone to man