Valentina's povThere was something degrading in the way I stood naked before him, even though I still had my panties on. It all seemed too raw, too intimate, and his filthy words made me press my thighs together to ease the emotion building up down there.I had no problem stripping for a bunch of sex-hungry rich men down at the club but I wasn't used to performing shows for just one viewer and it seemed wrong, to the very last letter.My breasts suddenly jiggled, unintentionally I must add. And he stared at them, hard, as though there was a movie playing somewhere in the valley between my breasts.I was only trying to free myself from the knot he had tied at my ankles and my entire body seemed to respond even to the slightest movement. I felt ashamed to stand that way before him. But with the way his eyes dragged lazily down my body, I could tell he liked what he saw, and it gave me a slight confidence boost.I could feel the cold blunt edge of the pen knife sliding up my right arm
Russo's pov.People screamed. Tables were turning over. Glasses crashed to the floor.I sprang up from my chair and was at Bianchi’s side in seconds. His eyes were still wide open and Romigi, his personal bodyguard was already trying to take off his bloodied suit. I could hear my father shouting for an ambulance to be called and all the doors locked until they found the shooter.With a few calls, I gave out orders to my men to surround the area immediately and comb the entire place.“Where were you?!” I shouted at Romigi so he could hear me amid the chaos. “You're supposed to be alert at all times. You should have seen this coming!”“I was attending to Madam Bianchi that second. They must have seen I was distracted and attacked,” he explained as he pressed a handkerchief to the hole in Bianchi’s chest.“Fucking unbelievable!” I cursed and turned to look at Bianchi’s wife, his third one after two failed marriages. She looked lost and pale and there was another expression I couldn't qui
Russo POVThe silence in my office was quite suffocating, the only sound I could hear was the ticking of the wall clock on the far right of the room. It's surprising that I have never paid attention to that sound from the clock before, I guess it needs a pin drop silence to be heard.I sat at my desk, placing my hands beneath my chin. I stared at the glass of whiskey on the table before me. I poured that whiskey a while ago but I have not had the stomach to take it yet. I leaned my head to the right taking a closer look at the glass, I could see flashes of the chandelier lights above through the liquid.Don Bianchi’s assassination was more than just a loss, it was an insult to me and my world, not that any man can't die.Don Bianchi wasn't just any man he was a beacon to admire in the mafia world and also a close ally, the audacity at which the assassination was carried out, at a very secure place, was challenging my authority also, it makes me look weak. Whoever orchestrated it did
Valentina's Pov"Beautiful, dangerous, innocent. That's exactly what I want." His tone lowered like stone dipped in water. His voice wrapped around me like a cloak.He wrapped a hand around my neck before yanking me closer to him. His hot breath sent thrills through my body.His grip got tighter as the string I was wearing was doing very little to cover me up. My chest heaved and I knew he liked it."She's one of our best strippers bosses. You can have her for as long as you want. My hand tried to release the grip he had on his neck.He looked down, with a very dangerous smirk on his face. I shrunk under his gaze."I...I have to perform soon. I'm...I'm next..." I stuttered while he leaned in closer."Oh no sweetheart, you're serving me tonight." I yelped when he lifted me so I was hung over his shoulder."Mr Russo." I struggled against him. "Please let me go. If you don't I might lose my job." I complained. I heard a loud smack that stilled me. "You just...""Behave." He warned. The
VALENTINA'S POV"Mr. Leonardo. I sincerely admire your paintings." Mark started shaking Mr. Leo's hand with a firm grip. "It's truly an honor to finally meet you in person."I stood behind him, sipping my champagne, totally uninterested as I recalled Russo's words from yesterday.'Work with me, and I'll give you everything you ask for.'Work with him? He never mentioned what for. Now I am currently with my boyfriend.Besides, he didn't bother introducing me. It was as though I was non-existent to him.I rolled my eyes and looked around, sighting all the gentlemen and women laughing amongst themselves with elegance.I mentally mocked myself. I could never be one of these high classes. I was just too unsophisticated. A professional stripper raised in the hoods."And who is this beautiful lady?" Mr. Leonardo asked, catching my attention."Oh, this is my fiancee." Mark finally introduced. I nearly rolled my eyes again, but instead forced a professional smile.A smile that seemed real aft
VALENTINA'S POVHe pushed me against the bed."Mark, do not do this." I warned while he went ahead to take off his clothes."How long am I supposed to wait?" "You know I'm not ready yet." I said while he removed his belt."Then when will you ever be?" He was frustrated. "I really wish you could be more like her.""Like who?" I questioned with furrowed brows ."Kaitlyn!" He yelled.This wasn't the first time he'd mention that to me though."If you loved her that much, you should have never left her." I said and his face twisted to something terrifying."What did you just say?" He questioned.I was sick and tired of him thinking he could boss me about."I have somewhere to be Mark. I really don't have time for this." I said, about to leave when he thrust me back onto the bed."You're going to your stripper's lodge again aren't you. To sleep with men again isn't it?""I told you I'm sleeping with nobody. It's to make money. And you know it's the money I get out of it that I use to susta
VALENTINA'S POVThe footsteps got closer and louder, and I could see his shadow...a man holding a gun.My heart thumped with trepidation as I stumbled back, eyes traveling around the room, as I tried to find where to hide. I looked towards the corner and saw a refrigerator.I gagged, nearly spilling the content in my stomach as I opened the fridge. It was filled with so much dust and rotten foods and cobwebs. I didn't have a choice and hurried into it before closing it against myself.The footsteps finally echoed in the room."Where is she?" The growl sent shivers down my spine but why didn't it sound like him? "I...I don't know where she is." Her voice trembled.My heart jumped into my throat. They'd come for me. Seeing I wasn't at the strip club today. I was in trouble."I'll advise you to tell the truth. If not..." I heard a gasp."I...I was here the whole time, unconscious until I heard footsteps. Pl...please... spare me." She sobbed.She was really covering up for me?"Then I g
VALENTINA'S POV"How is she?" I was hearing voices."You can rest assured. There are no severe damages. She just needs to rest and in a couple days will be up on her feet.""Matteo." I heard the authoritative tone of a man's call. "Yes, Don.""What about him?" The don, as I heard he was called, questioned."He has been locked up in the confinement room for now." Matteo said, and from the voice I could tell it was the man from before. "What about her?""She's good. Just waiting for her to wake up." The don said.I was too weak to open my eyes, even though I was fully awake."I'll leave the boy to you. Don't kill him, yet." The don stated before I heard footsteps distancing. Then a breeze of masculine cologne wafted into my nostrils, I had to hold myself from moaning. "I guess, I didn't warn you enough, if you refused to run at the first hint." He said, and his voice, like stone dipped into water. That was how low and gruff it was. It sent shivers down my spine that I nearly shivered
Russo POVThe silence in my office was quite suffocating, the only sound I could hear was the ticking of the wall clock on the far right of the room. It's surprising that I have never paid attention to that sound from the clock before, I guess it needs a pin drop silence to be heard.I sat at my desk, placing my hands beneath my chin. I stared at the glass of whiskey on the table before me. I poured that whiskey a while ago but I have not had the stomach to take it yet. I leaned my head to the right taking a closer look at the glass, I could see flashes of the chandelier lights above through the liquid.Don Bianchi’s assassination was more than just a loss, it was an insult to me and my world, not that any man can't die.Don Bianchi wasn't just any man he was a beacon to admire in the mafia world and also a close ally, the audacity at which the assassination was carried out, at a very secure place, was challenging my authority also, it makes me look weak. Whoever orchestrated it did
Russo's pov.People screamed. Tables were turning over. Glasses crashed to the floor.I sprang up from my chair and was at Bianchi’s side in seconds. His eyes were still wide open and Romigi, his personal bodyguard was already trying to take off his bloodied suit. I could hear my father shouting for an ambulance to be called and all the doors locked until they found the shooter.With a few calls, I gave out orders to my men to surround the area immediately and comb the entire place.“Where were you?!” I shouted at Romigi so he could hear me amid the chaos. “You're supposed to be alert at all times. You should have seen this coming!”“I was attending to Madam Bianchi that second. They must have seen I was distracted and attacked,” he explained as he pressed a handkerchief to the hole in Bianchi’s chest.“Fucking unbelievable!” I cursed and turned to look at Bianchi’s wife, his third one after two failed marriages. She looked lost and pale and there was another expression I couldn't qui
Valentina's povThere was something degrading in the way I stood naked before him, even though I still had my panties on. It all seemed too raw, too intimate, and his filthy words made me press my thighs together to ease the emotion building up down there.I had no problem stripping for a bunch of sex-hungry rich men down at the club but I wasn't used to performing shows for just one viewer and it seemed wrong, to the very last letter.My breasts suddenly jiggled, unintentionally I must add. And he stared at them, hard, as though there was a movie playing somewhere in the valley between my breasts.I was only trying to free myself from the knot he had tied at my ankles and my entire body seemed to respond even to the slightest movement. I felt ashamed to stand that way before him. But with the way his eyes dragged lazily down my body, I could tell he liked what he saw, and it gave me a slight confidence boost.I could feel the cold blunt edge of the pen knife sliding up my right arm
Russo's povShe hadn't still learned her lesson, had she?My brows were furrowed with annoyance as I approached the room.“I don't know who the hell trained that girl, but she needs some discipline!” Marcus growled, squinting at me with blood red eyes. I could almost smell the dislike in his voice.“Where is she now?” I asked the guards.“In one of your special rooms, Don,” a dutiful guard answered and I followed his lead.Valentina was panting heavily when I walked into the room; a room that had been arranged majorly for the purpose of satisfying my sexual urges, a room where I brought in my best strippers on some nights to give me a special show, a room that held nothing but sexual images in my head. And she was here.I shut the door behind me, leaving only the both of us present.“You know, dear Polema, I don't like when my patience is tested,” I began as softly as I could muster. “And you have decided to egg me on in ways that no one has ever dared to.”She was staring up at me fr
Valentina's povI didn't cower or move my face from his.My chest heaved with strong feelings of anger and pain from seeing my boyfriend being shot to death, despite the terrible things he had done.We stared at each other for what seemed like minutes, and Don Russo did not look like he would be giving up anytime soon.I clenched my chin as his words repeated in my head. “Death? Or a life of hell with me?”I wanted neither! I wanted to get the hell away from here and return to my mother.“I need a glass of whiskey,” I managed to say through my parched throat.He seemed taken aback by my response but he eventually straightened up, eyes still fixed on me, and then gestured to one of the guards with his fingers to get what I asked for.“Now can you let go of my arm,” I said to the guards still holding me down and watched as they all looked to Don Russo for his permission.“Take her away from here,” he finally turned away from me. “And clean up this mess.”The guards pulled me up and led
Russo’s povMark was yelling the same thing he had been blabbing about for the past 6 minutes. “Leave Valentina out of this.”“For the dude who had a bitch locked up in his house and partnered with the mafia, you sure are the hope mankind needs.” I said with an eye roll.Marcus, too, joined him in narrating the same thing to me. “Sir, Don Bianchi is about to begin. Your father needs you in the upper room.” “Tell them I'll attend the party on my own time.” I dragged my hand through my hair. Why was everyone frustrating me?There was a loud bang on the door and a guard entered, his face all flushed as he caught his breath.“Sir, we have Mark’s associate.” the guard said and Mark struggled with the chains holding him back.“I told you lying to me was useless, boy.” I flashed Mark a grin.Mark was offended by my nickname for him. He growled at me, baring his teeth like the dog he was. “Don’t call me boy, you piece of - -”I grabbed his jaws and squeezed hard, stopping him from speaking.
Russo's povThe whiskey left a burning sensation in my throat and I inhaled softly. Tonight was Sir Bianchi’s birthday and everyone will be at the club.“Don…” came a quiet knock on the door.“Have you retrieved the phone?” I asked without receiving who was behind the door.“Not yet, sir, but I have a development.” The guard said.“Enter.” I said, not taking my eyes off the view of the city.“Good evening, Don,” the guards bowed his heads. I gave him a languid wave of my hand. “Get to the point.”“I did not find Mark's phone but I know who has it.” I instantly knew who he was talking about. “Valentina.”“Yes, sir. But that's not all.”“There's more?”“Yes, sir. Apparently, one of Mark's associates has his eyes on the phone and contacts Mark for it. I managed to apprehend him and had him make an arrangement for the phone. Tonight at the club by 8.”“Valentina will be here with the phone in person?”“Yes, sir.”I thought hard for a second. I don't want Valentina to be involved in my w
Valentina's povAs I walked back to mom’s house, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being watched. I slipped into a dark alley and cupped my hand over my mouth. Just then, a dark hooded man walked past me. Christ, I was right. I was being followed. Quietly, I leaned closer to take a peek. He was nowhere in sight. After waiting a heartbeat or so, I stepped out of my hiding place and broke into a sprint. I didn't look back till I got to the house. “You’re home early,” she said with a small smile. Her smile fell when I slammed the door behind me. “Are you alright?”“Yeah.” I held out my hand and she took it. “Why did you run?” She put her hand on my forehead.“I…uh…need to use the bathroom.” I ran past her.She stifled a laugh. “This is why I’ve always told you to never hold your pee. Why do you do that?”“I’m clumsy, remember?” I reply with a nervous chuckle running my way up the stairs. I got to my room and bolted the door just on time for Mark's phone to ring. The calle
Valentina's povI watched mom pass me a cup of coffee with a look of concern etched on her face. “Are you alright, baby?”I put the mug to my lips and took a sip to avoid her question. I've been avoiding this question all morning and she goes asking it again. “Val,” she reached out to touch my arm. “What's wrong?”Looking at her made me feel more guilty. For as long as I can remember, I've always brought trouble to her door step. Was it when I cussed at dad and ran away from home? Or when I got into a fight with the neighbor's kid? Or when I first stole with my first ever boyfriend. I have always been trouble to me and she'd always welcome me with open arms. Was it because she was the one that gave birth to me or was this just a side effect of divorce? “Val?” She called again and I snapped from my train of thoughts. I cradled the mug in my hand, staring at the brown ripple I made when I moved the mug. With a light exhale, I lean back in the dining chair. “Do you remember how you f