Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Since I’ve always seen that side of our business as clinically neutral as the rest, I went along with his plan. Given that I hadn’t met Valentina yet, I told my father he could select my wife-to-be, as is custom with arranged marriages. I had only one term. No feelings. If there are no feelings, there’s no mess. It’s just business.
Valeria accepted my father’s proposal because it aligned with goals she had for herself. We’ve known each other for years, and neither of us wants more than the arrangement that would see our families’ dynasties reaching legendary status.
Seeing Valentina again has made it impossible for me to proceed with my father’s plans. I want to grant him his dying wish, which would honor him and the legacy he built, but not this way. Not at the expense of my happiness.
Valeria is a beautiful, intelligent woman. She’ll make a perfect Cosa Nostra bride. But there’s no fire or spark between us. We’re business partners, not lovers. She wants security, and I want the freedom to run my family’s business without guilt. It is destined to fail within months of my father’s passing.
The intensely hot sparks I felt while chasing Valentina through the streets of Palermo, however, could provide me with the best of both worlds.
I could have it all.
A fresh surge of adrenaline spasms through me. It thickens my cock and makes me impatient. “Go to the clinic and request that they cancel Valeria’s procedure.”
“Sir…” the driver murmurs again, his shock too high not to revert to English. “You want me to do what?”
“Tell them to cancel the procedure,” I repeat, slower this time. “I’ll send another car for you and Valeria.”
The driver hesitates as a mask of confusion slips over his face. “But, signor, Ms. Valeria—”
“I’ll send another car!” I shout with a finality that brooks no argument. I’m not requesting he do this. I am demanding he do it.
He scrambles to obey. While fumbling for his phone, he inches back from the car. I slam the driver’s door shut, then flatten my foot on the gas pedal. The driver’s face blurs when I tear out of the parking spot with my tires screeching and my heart pounding.
I’m no longer chasing a train or a woman.
I am pursuing a legacy that could validate decades of dedication.
As I race toward the highway, I force the high-horsepower motor to its limit. The train will reach Carlisle in a little over an hour. If I push it, I can be there before Valentina’s shoe even graces the platform.
Rain slicks the streets of Palermo, but my speed remains unchecked as I hit the call button on the dashboard. Nico answers my call two rings later.
“I got it handled. The shipment cleared customs without any issues.”
After feigning surprise, I get to the point of my call. “Can you do me a favor?” Confident he’ll comply with my request, I continue without pause. “There’s an IVF clinic in Palermo. It’s on the corner of—”
“The clinic you were taking Valeria to today?”
Again, I hum. “She’s there with one of our drivers. Can you send a car for them?” Guilt is responsible for my following words. “Make sure they look after Valeria. I canceled the procedure, but she may still be a little… tender.”
There’s a pause, then a low whistle. “You sure about this, Vanni? Dad won’t like it. He’s been telling everyone about your upcoming events.”
“The plan is still on… It just won’t be Valeria’s ass heating the driver’s seat.” My last sentence is a whisper.
A grunt of shock follows another pause. “You found her?”
I don’t answer him. I don’t need to. Nico understands me better than anyone, so he already knows I’m on the hunt.
“Consider it done, but I’m leaving the cleanup to you. This is above my pay grade.”
Laughing, I let him know I’ll take care of it, disconnect our call, and then focus on the road. The city falls away behind me as I speed down the open highway. The rain has lessened, but the air is thick with humidity and the smell of wet earth and diesel.
As I drive, my thoughts drift back to the morning I spotted Valentina. Something shifted inside me that day, and I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since.
Since the highway is clear, I test the capabilities the salesman promoted while directing me toward this SUV. The speedometer climbs to an unsafe speed remarkably fast, and the motor shows the steady semblance of power my family will forever strive for.
My brothers would call chasing a woman I hardly know madness. My enemies would call it weakness. I don’t give a fuck what either of them says.
I’m doing this for me.
Fingers crossed Valentina feels the same pull, because if she doesn’t, I’m not opposed to showing her how the Carusos survived so many wars.