Hush: Family Secrets (10 page)

CHAPTER Fifteen

“Valentina, baby can we please go,” I call up the stairs. I know I have worn her out between last night and this morning. As I laid there thinking about everything she told me I needed to be inside her and show her I meant what I said. I used my body to show her that I am not out to take from her but give.

I believe each time I allowed her to climb on top of me she felt a little more at ease. We made love well into the morning hours. I used our bodies to chase both our demons away. The tragedy that unfolded before her four year old eyes, all the neglect from her father, that bitch step-mum of hers, the things she has done and seen, I worked her body with mine until she rode all the hurt away, even if only for one night.

She slept peacefully after without a nightmare to wake her. That alone gave me my own sense of peace. However, now I want to take her down to the vines but she is not moving half as fast as I would like.

The food I had prepped for us to have a small, but intimate lunch is probably cold by now. This can’t be what life is going to be like now, me waiting on my wife and never getting anywhere on time.

“Valentina,” I roar as I roll my eyes at my watch.

“Che cosa,” she calls down the stairs like I am the one that has the problem.

“Let’s go, that’s what,” I growl.

“Scontroso,” she mumbles. I love that she has fallen into speaking Italian around me so naturally. It was not something she did back home. So for now I will ignore her calling me grumpy.

I look my wife over from head to toe and I know I should just call this whole day off. “No, you will not wear this,” I say in Italian.

Valentina looks down innocently then looks back up at me. I swear I can feel the blood rushing to my head. I have over a dozen men on the side of the vineyard we are going to at any given time. There is no way in bloody hell that my wife is going to parade around in a shear white dress with nothing but a yellow bikini on underneath.

She just finished riding me not even two hours ago and I’m hard as a rock just looking at her. I can only imagine what the work hands’ reaction will be. She is about to have me kill them all.

“What is the problem with my outfit,” she looks up at me with big blue doe eyes.

I move to her and place my arm around her waist. With my other hand I run my fingers down the ponytail she has pulled her thick mass of hair in. “I can see through this dress and this bikini underneath barely covers your tits,” I say through tight lips.

She throws her head back and laughs. The brat actually laughs at me. Lifting her hand to my cheek she looks me in the eyes. “Why Uri Donati, are you jealous?” she coos at me sweetly.

“No, but I am not a man that likes to share. I don’t want anyone looking at my wife half clothed,” I reply.

“Yup, jealous, word it anyway you like Baby, but I see the green eyed monster rearing its ugly head,” she teases. “I want to go for a swim in the pool.” She is pouting at me.

On another woman the gesture would completely annoy me. On Valentina it makes me want to devour her sweet little mouth. I narrow my eyes at her and then down at her skimpy attire.

“No,” I say sharply.

“Uri –,” she starts but I cut her off.

“No,” I repeat.

She puts her hand on her hip and glares at me. The old Valentina is back but I am ready for her. I will not budge on this.

“Uri, I am not changing,” she hisses at me.

“Fine, we have wasted the better part of the day anyhow. You want to swim, there is a pool here at the house,” I shrug and turn for the basket holding our cold lunch.

I don’t turn for a reply from my wife. Valentina will learn soon enough that I will not meet with her demands but she will meet each one of mine. The control I give her will be limited to our intimate time only.

~B~

I am pissed. I know he did not just dismiss me. There is nothing wrong with what I am wearing. Uri is just being pissy and impossible. I stomp my way out to the back door he disappeared through, in my four inch heeled sandals. I had worn this initially with him in mind. Now that he is making a big deal about it I regret the sentiment.

Just as calmly as he does everything else Uri has placed the food from the basket on the table out on the veranda. I won’t admit to him that this pool looks just as beautiful as the one down by the vineyard.

I take a seat as far away from Uri as I can and fold my arms across my chest as I look out at the pool I now refuse to step foot in. Yes, I am being a brat. He is being a jerk so why not?

“Why are you sitting way over there when I have set our lunch on this side of the table?” Uri sighs.

“I’m not hungry,” I reply, but my traitor stomach chooses that very moment to growl.

Uri throws his head back and roars with laughter. My mouth drops open, it is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. It almost makes me forget I am upset with him and crack a smile of my own. I blush when he looks at me with a genuine megawatt smile.
Did my bikini bottom just disintegrate?

The man has perfect teeth and lips that are so full and sexy. I hate him right now for being so damn perfect. Oh and he knows. It is in the smug glint in his eyes.

He holds his hand out to me. “I will not eat alone on my honeymoon. You cannot blame me for knowing that my wife is a very sexy woman and wanting to keep that fact to myself. Come Valentina. Do not fault me for the man that I am,” he says.

I glare at his hand for a few moments but I know I will give into this sex God before he finishes his words. When he calls me his beautiful wife and asks me to come to him again in Italian my resolve melts and I stand giving him my hand.

He pulls me into his chest and kisses me passionately. When he breaks the kiss he kisses my temple. “I am not the enemy, Cara. It does neither of us any good when you fight me. We work together, Sì?”

“Can I think about that,” I say with a tease of a smile. I have found teasing him to be my new favorite pastime.

“No,” he snaps at me then smiles. “I may just go back on a promise for the first time in my life.”

When I furrow my brows at him his smile broadens. “I will not let anyone else hurt you but I may just give you a good spanking myself,” he lifts a brow at me.

I give him a devilish smile. “You do know Uncle Valentine had me trained by a mistress that was a master in her trade. I know my way around a whip and riding crop,” I narrow my eyes at him.

He narrows his eyes back at me. A low growl rumbles in his throat. “I don’t want to know what you have done with that training,” he hisses.

“Fair enough, I just want you to know if you spank me I will seek revenge,” I smile.

“What will I do with you,” he rolls his eyes and groans.

“Already regretting marrying me,” I tease.

“I regret nothing,” he says with all seriousness and confidence.

“We shall see,” I smile just as my stomach speaks up again.

“Yes, you shall. Let me feed you,” he says and plants a kiss to my forehead.

CHAPTER Sixteen

Valentina tired herself out swimming in the pool. I would have joined her but I had calls I could not ignore. I hadn’t planned on taking a vacation and there were things with the club and a few of the other businesses I had to address.

I planned to get some things done this afternoon so that I could give more of my time to Valentina for the next few days. I have not decided when we will return to London or if and when we will just return to the States.

Once I saw Valentina off for some rest I retired to my study. This house once belonged to my grandfather, my father’s father. He left this place to me. The few good memories I hold are centered around this room, so the study is one of the few rooms I have left untouched.

As I sit here at the old mahogany desk that my grandfather and his father as well probably sat at, my thoughts go back to my lunch with Valentina. She’s asked me to tell her about my life in return for all she had told me last night. It was only fair but I am sure that we both regretted it once I dove into my past. Valentina learned just how much we have in common.

I watched the change in her as she listened to my every word. When I would say no more she retreated within herself and dove into the pool pushing her body as she cut back and forth through the water. I left her to process what I shared as I started my calls.

My thoughts drift back to my words to hear my story from Valentina’s point of view. I was only six when my father was gun down in front of me in the middle of the street. I was taken by the men who did it.

I was told that they had me for three days. I had no concept of how long I was there. I was held in a small room. All I remember is that one day the men that brought me food and water didn’t show up. Instead my grandfather, my father’s father showed up and carried me out of the room. He held me tight telling me how brave I was.

I didn’t think I was brave. Something in my little brain told me that I would never see my papa again and I had done nothing to help him. Grandpa Donati brought me here to his home where I stayed until he had a massive heart attack, when I was thirteen. My nonna had promised that my mum was coming to get me, but my mum’s father arrived for me instead.

He took me from everything I had known and brought me to the States. It didn’t take me long to despise the old bastard, yet I still kept quiet about the beatings and verbal abuse. Alfonzo, my grandfather’s butler was the one to treat me like a son, shielding me as best he could from my grandfather. I to this day believe he was the one that told Uncle Nick what was really going on.

Apparently my mum thought she was doing the right thing letting my grandfathers raise me. She has been guilty about it all for years. It took a long time to stop blaming her for what happened, a part of me still does.

I was sixteen by the time my uncle came to get me from my own personal hell. By then I was already the man I have become today, just a smaller version. At nineteen Uncle Nick had thrown up his hands and I was sent to London and set up with my first flat, but not before there was blood on my hands that forced me into hiding in another country.

Being a hitman had given me the discipline that led me to my businesses. The family preferred I have a legitimate front so that their top hitter always had an alibi. Not that I ever get sloppy, but you know how it is. Rumors start and the authorities come knocking.

I have slipped in and out of the States on many needed visits, on family business. However, there is always someone watching to insure I return where I belong. Until now, Uncle Nicholas has been more than gracious about me coming to settle States side. That brings my thoughts to my current situation.

The only reason I left the States in the first place was to take care of Don Caprisi’s problem. It should have been seen as my wedding gift to him. So why would he decide to arrange a marriage between Valentina and that piece of shit Giordano?

I haven’t survived this long by being stupid. My uncle and Vincent have been friends for a very long time. I know Vincent wouldn’t insult my uncle this way after I expressed interest in Valentina. So what are those two really up to?

My cell phone rings on my desk bringing me out of my thoughts. Whatever those two are up to I bet I royally fucked with their plans by marrying Valentina. I smile at the thought of giving my uncle shit as I pick up the call.

“What is it you need now Luca?” I say into the phone.

“It is not me with the problem this time cousin,” he replies tensely.

“I never have a problem I can’t solve. So what is it that needs solving?”

“Don Caprisi is not happy with you and Valentina but that is not the real problem. Giordano is livid. He and his prick son are asking for your head,” Luca says.

I laugh from deep within. “She was never his to begin with. I would like to see who they believe can deliver my head to them,” I chuckle.

“I am glad you are so amused. I see the way you look at her Uri. I hope she is worth it because this is not just going to go away. You could very well have a price on your head from the Caprisi and Giordano family before this ends,” Luca says tightly.

“I have no concern for either. She is my wife now and none of any of their concern,” I say firmly.

“Uri… do you know… is she really…I mean she can’t be.”

“Val,” I say cutting off his stammering. I sigh into the phone. “Yes, the rumors are true and yes she is.”

“Oh fuck, who on earth thought it was a good idea to introduce you two?” Luca groans.

“I for one thought you would be happy. You don’t have just one hitter at your disposal, but two,” I say dryly. 

“Come on Uri. I have been on my best behavior. I’m not that bad,” Luca grumbles.

“One word… Pamela,” I deadpan.

“Fine, but that was different,” Luca growls.

“How so,” I ask amused to hear how he will spin this one. 

“I was in love with her. She belonged to me. It was different,” he huffs into the phone.

“Want some cheese with that whine, dearie,” I chuckle.

“Fuck you Uri,” he bites but after a few minutes he is laughing with me. “Okay, I do sound like a little bitch, don’t I?”

“You said it my friend not I,” I grin into the phone.

“Well since I’m on a roll. Hurry up and clear this shit up so you can come home. I was getting used to the idea of having you here. Dad’s not getting any younger and I like the idea of you having my back when I take over. It felt good to have you here and not across an ocean. You know,” Luca says thoughtfully.

“Yeah, I know.”

I have looked out for Luca for a very long time and I always would. He was one of the brighter places I had in my life during a very dark time. I don’t blame him for being so spoiled. Hell I have had a part in the spoiling.

“Watch your back, Cugino,” his says once again sounding concerned.

“Always.”