Page 16 of Die for You (Kiss or Kill #2)

PRESENT DAY

“I’ m so-sorry…”

I peer down at my Rolex, disgusted at this grown man slobbering all over himself.

Donkey looks just as bored. “I’m going to ask you again, where is she?”

“I-I can’t—”

“Kill him,” I cut him off, done with this conversation about ten minutes ago.

Donkey does as I order and shoots one of Gianna’s minions in the forehead.

He collapses on his side, blood trickling from the wound.

“Take out the trash.”

Donkey nods and gets to work while I walk toward my black SUV, desensitized to this entire event. That’s because this is just another day for me. The faces of the men I’ve killed are a blur. Their names? I couldn’t even tell you one.

They’re all nameless, faceless pests who stand in my way.

Over the past five years, my empire has grown. At the beginning, my leadership was tested by some, but when they and their families were made an example of, the men bowed to me.

I am ruthless.

And I don’t give a fuck.

That’s because I have nothing left to lose.

Everything I ever cared for is gone, myself included, because I am a stranger in familiar skin.

Lewis is now Gianna’s most loyal lapdog. He jumped ship when she promised him every drug in the world, and in return, he was to be her inside man. Because what better way to reach the drug users than by a junkie himself?

The only reason he isn’t dead is because Gianna keeps him safe, saving him for a rainy day, so to speak. But his day will come. And when it does, I will have no qualms about shooting him, just as I have done to the hundreds before him.

Blood or not, he is nothing to me.

Although Bria is my wife, our love is transactional.

It made sense to marry her.

We fight on the same side.

And I trust her.

I don’t trust many, but Bria, for the most part, is someone I do.

And she trusts me because she loves me.

She had hoped that when we got married, we would be the perfect Mafia king and queen and live happily ever after.

But she was wrong.

I love her, but am I in love with her?

No, I am not.

And that leaves me with the only woman I have ever loved.

Valentina.

I lost her the minute I left Italy.

I knew it.

She knew it.

I thought that perhaps over the years, things might change. But with money comes power and respect, and both things were ingrained into us from childhood. It’s hard to change a life lesson when it’s the only thing that brings you joy.

I have seen Valentina over the years, us fighting to conquer the other. But when push comes to shove, neither of us seems to be able to be the one to “do it.”

End it—once and for all.

Gianna got what she wanted—Valentina and I on opposing sides.

My hunt for Gianna has never stopped, but Valentina and I have come to an unspoken truce.

She keeps to her side.

And I keep to mine.

Gianna attempts to challenge me every so often. And I remind her that she cannot win by slaying every single man she sends my way.

I don’t know what happened between her and Valentina.

It was radio silence for over a year, and then one day, it was war.

Valentina sent man after man, under the orders of Gianna, but she never succeeded. My men are loyal as I have proven to be a fruitful leader, and our empire is strong, stronger than Aldo’s.

But it’s because of him that I am the leader I am today.

Then Gianna backed down, as she knew she couldn’t win against me.

Things were quiet—for a while.

But I knew it was the calm before the storm, and Valentina’s arrival three days ago confirms this.

“I am here because I need you to give up. Gianna is planning a takedown so large, Lennon, you will not survive it.”

She’s lying. This has nothing to do with Gianna. Something bigger is on the horizon. Valentina is simply using Gianna as an excuse. She is pretending to do Gianna’s bidding to get to me for a reason, and that reason has nothing to do with Gianna.

The question now is, what does she want?

I have no doubt Gianna has asked Valentina to come here, but something else is going on.

My phone ringing over my car Bluetooth snaps me back to reality.

“Hello, darling.”

“Hi, babe. Don’t forget to pick up a bottle of red on your way home.”

“I didn’t forget.” I totally did, but Bria doesn’t need to know that.

As I said, I do trust Bria, for the most part.

I trust that her love for me is real, so real that she’s the reason Aldo’s computer was wiped clear of any evidence that he had gathered on Valentina. I went to Italy armed with the truth to show Valentina who Gianna really is.

But when I arrived in Italy, the evidence was gone, thanks to Bria, who deleted every single file.

I had nothing to show. Therefore, I knew Valentina would never believe me.

I came back to America, ready to rip off Bria’s head. But what I came home to was Bria taking control and defending her father’s legacy to the death.

While I was away being a lovesick fool, she was here protecting her name and ensuring our kingdom didn’t crumble.

She showed resilience and strength.

When I confronted her about what I suspected, she owned up and didn’t hold back. She told me to grow up and stop chasing someone who doesn’t want to be caught. She gave me an ultimatum—Valentina or her father’s legacy.

At first, I was enraged and told her that I won’t be forced or blackmailed into making a choice. She replied she was doing neither.

I was either all in.

Or I wasn’t.

This wasn’t a game.

She wouldn’t allow her father’s death to be in vain. She would get her revenge with or without me.

And deleting the evidence from Aldo’s computer was the first step in her destruction of Valentina. Valentina didn’t deserve happiness. She didn’t deserve to know the truth because she was the enemy. It was because of Valentina’s actions that her father was dead.

So again, she told me to choose.

My goal was to destroy Gianna, not Valentina. But Valentina was so far gone, I chose option number three—I chose myself.

I gave up the notion of saving Valentina because Bria was right. Valentina didn’t want to be saved, and I was naive to think I could change her mind.

I had really fucking tried. So I gave up and focused on something I could change—and that was Gianna’s power.

I lived and breathed to ruin her and her empire, and succeeded. I overthrew her. I stole her men. But she always remained two steps ahead, where I could never catch her. Somehow, she always knew I was coming.

Eventually, she faded away, but I knew she was laying low and licking her wounds and waiting for me to fuck up.

She sent Valentina in hopes I would crumble.

But we were both different people.

Time had passed, and we had grown.

Her loyalty hadn’t shifted from Gianna, but her motives had changed. It seemed she fought because she had to, not because she wanted to.

If we wanted each other dead, we would be. But instead, we’ve played this game of cat and mouse for years. I thought nostalgia held us back.

But I was wrong.

And this is why what’s-his-face was shot in the head because he made the fatal mistake of mentioning Valentina’s name, claiming he knew where she was because Gianna had told him. I called bullshit, but thought I’d give him the benefit of the doubt.

But as always, I can only rely on myself.

I pick up Bria’s favorite bottle of red on the way home. Apparently, we’re having a business meeting with a new investor. This is Bria’s project, so I’m interested to see who has sparked her interest since she usually is a little more cautious than this.

But if she believes this person to be beneficial to us, then I am happy to hear their pitch.

I pull in front of our steel gates, nodding at Rodney, our gate guard. “Evening, Mr. Shepherd.”

After the gates open, I drive up the winding driveway, and when my home comes into view, a sense of fulfillment overwhelms me because I built this from the ground up. This is on the back of the sacrifices I made.

But something is always missing…just how it always is.

The white mansion displays wealth, but is tasteful. The many arched windows give it a Gone with the Wind feel. The upper level, which houses Bria’s and my bedroom, features beautiful ornate doors that open to a wraparound balcony.

The Roman pillars supporting the peaked roof of the balcony only add to the rustic charm.

The gardens are manicured, but I’ve ensured there are no places for an intruder to conceal themselves. So everything is kept short.

My home is exquisite, but as I have learned over the years, beauty is nothing if there is ugliness within. And regardless of this beauty, horror resides because of the darkness within me, which only grows every single day.

I pull into the large garage and park the car among the many others I have.

I don’t forget the wine and enter the house through the garage door. I hear Bria chuckling. It seems our guests have arrived.

They’re in the kitchen, and who I see sitting at the counter has me stopping dead in my tracks because he looks familiar—I just don’t know how.

“Darling,” Bria says, rushing over and kissing my cheek.

I stand frozen, eyeing the distinguished older gentleman. “Who are you?”

“Lenny,” Bria gently warns, reading my apprehension immediately. “This is Francesco, an old friend of my father’s.”

And that is why he looks familiar—Aldo suspected him to be Valentina’s father.

Bria read the files. Has she connected the dots that this is potentially Valentina’s kin?

Instantly, I retrieve the gun from the small of my back and point it at Francesco. “You have three seconds to tell me why you’re really here.”

“Lenny!” Bria exclaims, attempting to lower my arm. It seems she’s forgotten her father’s findings.

But I don’t budge.

Francesco isn’t troubled by a gun in his face as he stands slowly. “It’s all right, Bria.”

Bria looks between us, confused.

“Leave us,” I order, never taking my eyes or gun off Francesco.

“I will no—”

“Don’t make me ask you twice.”

I don’t have time for Bria’s antics.

She hesitates, then storms off with a huff, taking the bottle of red with her.

“Talk,” I say when Bria is gone.