Valentina turns to me and I feel cold from the glare of her ice-blue eyes, “What did you say?” I clear my throat, heat spreading up my cheeks at how flippant I had been, I lick my lips nervously, and my eyes fly to Eva beside me, she is quiet, I don’t think she has moved once since we started. Trying to be as polite as I can, I look to Valentina so she knows I didn’t mean to offend. “I don’t have anything against the name Valentina or even Isadora, I quite like it, nice name, I have a younger cousin who goes by that name, we call her Dora.” Fuck, I’m rambling, I look up from my glass, trying for a smile “But we can add that to the list for any future babies,” Thea included, not Tomasa though. She looks at me for a moment then turns back to Niko “Names have meaning, a good name from our line, one with good meaning not some coined version” She makes a face as though she tasted something foul. “Change it” That didn’t seem like a suggestion anymore, it was an order. Still, I hold o

The door opens a head with brown curls peakes in before he enters the room fully, followed by a low whistle” Was this you Eva? Damn” Tommy eyes the destruction with keen appreciation. His long legs eat up the space easily and before I know it he is lowering down to the couch beside me. I take note that Eva and Matteo are no longer touching. “Are you all planning on how to get back at Nonna? Why did nobody call me?” at my surprised look je pushes his hair from his eyes with a careless shrug, “She wants to take my girl, that’s more than enough offense in my book” “We aren’t planning to get back at Valentina, I was just telling Lola to avoid her, you will do the same” “But why…” he practically whined, throwing his large arms around my shoulders in a hug. “I don’t think that’s necessary, Niko said no so we should be golden” “It's cute that you think that’s enough to stop Valentina,” Tommy says with a pat on my head. "Pretty sure she sacrifices virgins every night and drinks their b

“Hm-not much” I stammered, my eyes jumping around nervously, I wondered what he would do if I made a swift escape, in his current mood, probably chase me. His head tilts to the side in silent challenge. “We didn’t get to the gun part-" I decide to add "But he said to shoot to kill” Niko nods in agreement, walking around me, he says, “He’s right about that, don’t pull your gun unless you have every intention to use it.” I follow him with my eyes, my feet still rooted to a spot. Whenever he gets like this, anyone with the right sense will find a place to hide. “And if you do, aim to kill” Now behind me. “What else did your friend teach you” I winced at the way he gritted the word friend. My... I really fucked up. I didn't plan any of it, the thought of learning how to shoot came to me this morning and the more I thought of it, the more it seemed like a smart idea. The mansion is guarded like Fort Knox, but like I told Miguel, one day I might be the only thing standing between my

When most women upset their husbands, as punishment their credit cards get taken away, some other of their favorite things, or he can new mistress brought to the house to show the woman her place and that she isn’t irreplaceable. My husband fucks me into oblivion. A strange feeling wakes me, I turn my head, trying to get a sense of myself, was it the kids, did I hear a sound? Breathing deeply, my lashes flutter, and with sleepy eyes, I notice a dark form just beside me on the bed, watchingas a large hand glides up my thigh.“Niko…?” I swallow, blinking away the fog of sleep from my mind, my eyes travel around the room, behind him, and it's dark in the room, only a soft glow from a bulb at the far end of the room. When he remains quiet, “Did something happen?” he looks fine, excluding his silent demeanor. I wasn't expecting him after he left me in bed this afternoon. “Are you hurt?” He pushes off his jacket and crawls onto the bed and over me throwing off the blankets as he goes.

My lips stretch into a smile. “I have to disarm your men” his voice is low, challenging. I hummed, waving my hand for him to have at it, I moved to step forward but Ivan held out his arm in front of me. I clear my throat, my polite smile dropping flat, the look I shoot him has him putting his arm down quickly. Valentina’s man, Maxim, steps to the side, letting me walk through, Ivan and Rico coming in behind me. Tilting my chin up, I follow where the sound of the voice came from, my heels clicking on the marble floors. Valentine is sitting on her patio at the side of her house, overlooking a small garden. I step through the wide double doors, smoothing a hand over my hair, pulled back into a low ponytail, the ends of my hair sweeping over my spine as I walk. I wonder where her other men are, seeing none of them around, this will be easier than I thought. She is dressed in a soft blue sweater and a long cream coloured skirt, pearls at her throat and ears, and her ever pre