I had a busy day ahead of me. My Underboss from Detroit was in town and we wanted to discuss his problems with the Bratva.
Later that day, I was on my way to check in on Valentina in the casino. Leo and Raffaele still needed clear instructions from me. Their reluctance to work under a woman was very apparent. My phone rang when I was only a block away. “Enzo, what’s the matter?”
“We have a problem, boss. Valentina’s just left the casino without telling anyone and is meeting with an unknown man.”
Fury followed by startling jealousy washed through me. Valentina was alone with an unknown man?
“I’ll be there in a minute. Wait for me.”
Enzo was already in the parking lot when I pulled up. I didn’t waste any time and followed him to a warehouse next to our casino. Glancing around the corner, I found Valentina talking to an outsider. He definitely wasn’t one of my men. He was barely taller than my wife and had reddish hair. My eyes narrowed as I tried to stifle my jealous rage. This overwhelming sense of possessiveness was new to me. Enzo and I crept closer, keeping close to the building.
The man grabbed Valentina’s arm. “Valentina—”
Suppressing the urge to shoot the man on the spot, I said, “Hands off.”
Valentina whirled around with a startled cry, her eyes wide. The man did the same but then tried to run away. Enzo grabbed him and pulled him into a headlock.
I stalked toward Valentina and gripped her arm. It took a lot of effort not to let my anger out on her. I’d given her lots of freedom, more than most Made Men gave their wives, and she seemed to abuse my trust in her.
I motioned for Enzo to take the man to the warehouse, away from prying eyes, and followed with Valentina. “So this is what you do when I’m not around? Meeting with other men?” I asked in a deadly voice.
Valentina gave me a shocked look. “No! It’s not like you think.”
“He’s been lurking around the house twice now, boss,” Enzo said, then grunted when the man’s knee hit him in the groin.
“Explain,” I snarled, my grip on Valentina’s arm tightening even further, even as she winced.
“It’s Frank.”
I relaxed my hold on Valentina. A flicker of hurt shone in her eyes.
“Antonio’s lover.”
Enzo glanced my way. He’d occasionally met Antonio.
A gunshot rang in the silence and Enzo flinched with a cry. Another bullet collided with the wall above us.
I dragged Valentina to the ground with me, shielding her with my body, my gun pointed in the direction of our attackers. Frank freed himself and ran away. I aimed at him and pulled the trigger at the same time as Valentina shoved my arm. The bullet missed its target. “Valentina!” I growled. Frank disappeared from view before I could shoot again. “What the fuck was that?”
Valentina shook her head, her skin pale. “I don’t know! I thought he was alone. Frank doesn’t even know anyone who can shoot a gun.”
“You should have let me shoot him. Never interfere like that again.”
“He’s innocent. He doesn’t deserve death.”
“Bullshit. That guy laid a trap and you fucking walked into it,” Enzo muttered.
I nodded. This hadn’t been a coincidence. My wife had walked straight into a fucking trap.
Valentina looked at me. “What do you mean?”
She managed to appear sophisticated and well-acquainted with our ways, but ultimately, Valentina knew little of the true danger of mob life. “Haven’t you wondered why he wanted to meet you? Maybe he’s been approached by the Russians and agreed to help them. They’d love to kill you.”
“Frank wouldn’t do that.”
So trusting and naïve! I wouldn’t lose Valentina. I couldn’t.
After the reinforcement arrived and took Enzo to our doctor, I took Valentina home.
“I’m really sorry,” she whispered during the ride to our mansion.
I didn’t say anything, consumed with so many conflicting emotions I had trouble keeping in check. Anger at Valentina for disobeying my command, worry over losing her, and the need to prove to myself that this woman was mine. What I’d felt when I’d seen Valentina with Frank had been more than simple possessiveness, and then the acute terror I’d felt when the bullet missed Valentina’s head by a few inches…
I didn’t want to ponder my emotions, not these emotions, and focused on my anger for my wife.
After our arrival home, I headed straight for our bedroom, needing to get my fury out of my system. “I’m really sorry,” Valentina said as we entered the room, but I had no intention of letting her off easily.
I pushed Valentina against the bedroom door, my chest pressed against her back, for once using my physical strength against my wife, rendering her motionless. My cock was already becoming hard, feeling Valentina’s sexy body against mine.
“Why do you keep disobeying me, Valentina?” I growled. I pushed her skirt up and dug my erection against her ass, showing her what she did to me. She released a shuddering breath, goosebumps rising on her skin.
“I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice shaking.
My anger was overwhelming, only trumped by the fierce hunger consuming my very being.
“That’s the wrong answer.” I found Valentina wet when I touched her pussy and entered her with two fingers, making sure she was ready for the angry fucking that I craved. And fuck, she was. She was turned on by our fight, which angered and turned me on at the same time. Evoking conflicting emotions in me was Valentina’s specialty.
I started fucking her right against the door, not holding back. My anger ran free as I took her roughly, dominating her, not giving her a choice but to yield to my demands, and she did. Her moans spiraled out of control, her pussy slick around my cock and when she came with a cry and threw her head back, I couldn’t resist to kiss her harshly, claiming that beautiful mouth like I claimed her pussy. I kept pumping into her, overcome with hot-burning pleasure I’d never encountered before, and when I came inside of her and pressed a kiss to her neck, I wasn’t sure what I felt anymore.
PART SIX
My anger was the safe option, so I focused on it and ignored Valentina completely the following weeks. It was a harsh punishment, for both of us. Lying beside her at night, with her enticing scent in my nose, with the heat of her gorgeous body beside mine, not fucking her was torture.
Valentina gave me space, and for once I wished she wouldn’t, wished she would try to seduce me like she’d done in the beginning just so I could give in.
Two weeks in, I lost my battle against myself. Valentina and I had just turned off the lights and lay beside each other in bed when the throbbing desire in my cock got too much. I pushed up on my elbow. “Not a word,” I growled.
Valentina sucked in her breath as I climbed down her body, shoved down her panties and licked her slit. She arched against my mouth with a stifled moan. I fucked her with my tongue, so eager for her pussy, my cock twitched against the mattress. She came within a few minutes. I hadn’t taken my time, impatient for more. I stood and slipped down my pajama pants. “Get on your knees, Valentina.”
I heard rustling then she appeared before me and sank down. In the dark of the room, I could only make out schemes. Grabbing her neck, I guided her toward my waiting cock. I didn’t allow her to discover me like usual, not in the mood for the gentle approach tonight. Instead, I began to fuck her mouth, letting my anger fuel my moves. She gagged when I hit the back of her throat but didn’t pull back. Her occasional moan around my cock and the way she shifted restlessly told me she enjoyed it very much.