THE ITALIAN MAFIA'S KARMA

Chapter 87: THE PASSIONATE ART OF WAR

"Stand guard and keep your eyes open. I don’t trust Luciano’s silence," Vittorio whispered to Salvatore."Me neither. I can’t believe he allowed Ross into his turf, and remained silent as he almost hijacked his party."

"He probably has something different planned. But still, let’s keep guard. Do you have your earplugs on?"

Salvatore reached into his pocket. "Now I do," he said.

"Good. We’ll be communicating strictly through it henceforth."

He walked away, but his eyes remained on Luciano even from a distance.

The case was different for Salvatore. He looked for Chris. The man had been unusually silent, as if he was hiding his face.

When he saw him smiling, he shook his head.

Something was off. But for the life of him, he couldn’t quite figure it out.

The party continued, as food arrived, and was being served around the tables.

Luciano couldn’t stand the suspense anymore.

"Hey babe, I’ll be right back," he whispered to Daniela who was now in conversation with her mother.

She nodded, and returned to whispering to her mother.

All eyes instantly went to Luciano the moment he rose to his feet

But it was Giovanni that approached him first.

"What the hell kind of stunt are you trying to pull, Luce?"

"I’ll explain everything to you later. For now, there’s something important I need to do."

He walked away from him, ignoring whatever he had to say in response.

From behind, Ross’ eyes trailed on him.

"What do you think our target has up his sleeves now?" Lorenzo questioned him.

"It’s hard to tell. Let’s wait until the end of the party. Now that we’re going to be in-laws, our bonds can only be strengthened right?"

"Right." He bobbed his head enthusiastically.

However, his eyes returned to Luciano, watching him as he disappeared through a door.

Luciano went straight to the restroom, knowing he would find Valentina there.

On arrival at the entrance door, he found Elio.

"Luce she—"

"Leave," he commanded.

"Luce, please–"

"I said, leave," he commanded through his teeth in a low yet effective voice.

Elio nodded. "Sicarpo."

He waited until Elio left, before he pushed the door open.

There he found Valentina at the big washing hand area, with her head lowered in front of a mirror.

Silently, he walked over and stood behind her.

Valentina had finally returned her breath to normal.

She lifted her head to wash her hands, but instead, her eyes caught a reflection of Luciano through the mirror.

She jolted, and turned around to see he was truly standing there.

It wasn’t just her imagination playing tricks on her.

"Jesus Christ, you scared me!" She clutched her chest that had begun thumping again.

"Great. We’re off to a great start," he said without a trace of warmth in his tone or his eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

"I think the better question we should be asking is what you are doing in general. You really think marrying Ross is freedom?"

"Who the hell is Ross?" She snorted.

Luciano scoffed. "Wonderful! You don’t even know the name of the man you’re marrying? Do you even know him? Or did you just let a man use you as a pawn in the sick game he is playing? Why? To spite me?"

"You overestimate your importance to me, Luciano. And I know him very well. His name is Richard."

His mouth flew open to respond, until it clicked in his head.

Luciano nodded. "I see. Richard Ross Voltron. But you must know he ditched Richard in his name decades ago. That doesn’t even matter. How do you know him?"

"I don’t think I owe you that explanation. Now if you’ll excuse me, my future husband is waiting for me."

She turned to the sink, and rinsed off her hands.

But just as she tried to walk away from him, he stepped into her path.

"Whatever you think you’re looking for, even though it’s freedom, Ross is not the man to give it to you."

"I’ll take my chances. Get out of my way, Luciano."

"No," he shook his head. "You don’t know what you’re doing."

Her head doubled. "How the roles have switched. Why do you even care about any of this? You don’t have to go against your desires and protect me anymore. Shouldn’t you be jumping for joy?"

"No, because Ross is using you."

Valentina laughed. "Pray tell what you were doing when you ordered me to come to your engagement party, knowing fully well everyone was coming? It wasn’t you using me?"

"The difference is I can admit it. You were bait tonight, and it worked."

Valentine’s laughter was brief, and filled with disbelief at his arrogance. "I’m supposed to put my life in the hands of the man whose real intention is to kill me?"

"Sure a part of me wants you dead. It’s only natural. You feel the same way. I don’t think you have any moral grounds to stand on," he answered, still with a straight face.

"Unfortunately, I can’t kill you whilst I’m under your mercy. Do you see why I have to go with someone with perhaps stronger power than you have?"

Luciano hissed through his teeth. "You’re being foolish. Ross never does anything good out of the goodness of his heart. He wants something from you, and you’re too blind to see it!"

"Just like you do, Luciano. You want something from me too!" She fired back.

"But I’m not hiding my intentions. Tonight, I set a trap using you, and now I know everyone I’m supposed to watch out for thanks to you. This is me being completely open and transparent."

"Well you can take your honesty and shove it in your ass, because I am marrying Ross. I am leaving Neravalle. And when the time comes, I am taking down every last one of you that has hurt and caused me everlasting pain. That includes you Mr Luciano. So yes, look at this ring closely, I am marrying him!" She raised her voice, as she waved her finger with the ring in his face.

His anger surged at closer inspection of the ring. "Over my dead body!"

In a snap, he snatched the ring, pulling it out of her fingers.

"Give it back, Luciano!" She screamed at him.

His annoyance clouded every other feeling, as he marched into one of the rooms, and threw the ring into the toilet.

"No!" Valentina screamed out as he flushed it down.

He walked back to her, and in a split second, Valentina lost it.

"How fucking dare you!" She screamed as she began punching his chest furiously.

"You are not going to be marrying another man, Valentina!" He said, allowing her to get her hits in.

"Why? Why do you fucking care?! You are getting married too. Why can’t you mind your fucking business?!" She punched with all her strength, but then hissed in frustration because it felt like her hits were doing no damage to him.

"That’s different. It’s necessary. You’re doing yours out of spite."

"Spite? Spite for who?"

"For me goddamn it!" He roared.

She paused for a second, and looked into his eyes. "I hate you," she whispered.

"Unfortunately for you, I don’t believe you." He pushed her back against the wall.

"Don’t you dare," she whispered breathlessly.

"Let me show you how a real man kisses, Valentina." He claimed her lips, with the ambitions of a man that needed to turn a head.