Page 16 of Ruthless King

I cock my head at my executive assistant. “I’m perfectly honest with every woman I meet, Clara. Whentheyapproach me, as is most often the case, I am very direct with what to expect. I’m not tricking these women into my bed. They know very well I’m not interested in dating or relationships.”

She claps her hand over her chest and sighs dramatically. “What a waste of perfect genes. Who will continue the Valentino bloodline?”

“There’s still Dante, don’t forget.”

Clara rolls her eyes. “Che peccato, the Valentinos are doomed.” I’m not the only one who thinks my brother is an idiot. It’s the reason why I sit atop the throne of the Kings empire instead of him. WhenPapàdied, everyone assumed Dante would take the role, but he never stepped up. So, I did what I had to.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” The woman is a total drama queen but she’s smart as a fox. “With all the shit going on in this world today, bringing another life into it would only be selfish.”

“Maybe, you’re right, Luca. But it wouldn’t hurt to have an intelligent, attractive woman at your side when you attend all these important galas.”

“And it would keep all the other hungry ladies off you,” Tony adds.

Hmm. They’re not wrong. Perhaps I’ll look into a high-end escort service, just for the company, not the sex. If it’s all business, it would keep things simple.

“Speaking of hungry ….” Clara hands me the manila folder tucked to her chest. “Sister Margarita just called from the orphanage. They’re in desperate need of a new roof. It would be a good tax write off for the company.”

“How much is that going to be?” Tony blurts.

My assistant’s brows knit as she stares at the figures from over my shoulder. “About eighteen grand.”

Tony lets out a low whistle.

“Take some of the money from the gambling boat project and siphon it over,” I reply as I hand her the folder.

“You’re kidding me, Luca,” my friend barks. “We need that money to pay off the state’s gaming commission.”

“Get it from somewhere else.”

“But—”

I throw my hand up cutting him off. “Get. It. Somewhere. Else.” I punctuate each word with ice. “Those kids deserve a decent place to live. End of story.”

Clara throws me a beaming smile, and my frosty heart thaws. There’s so much bad in this world, hell, I’ve done so many bad things, when I get the chance to do some good, I’ve got to take it. I have to tip the balance on the scales in my direction at least a little, right?

I reach for the textbook on the corner of my desk and rise. “I’m going to Little Italy. I’ll be back later.”

Tony rushes behind me. “You sure you don’t want me to come?”

“No. I need that cruise project back on schedule. Go take care of the commissioner first, and we’ll meet up later.”

“Got it,capo.”

I’m going to do my own digging about the first woman that has truly intrigued me in years, and I need to go alone.

CHAPTER9

AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

Luca

“I want him out of the picture, Mario,” I growl into my phone at the small table I’ve commandeered in front ofNonna Maria’s Pasticceria.

A waitress drops a plate of cannoli in front of me with a clatter. I glance up and meet a barely discernible face covered in a white cap and dark oversized sunglasses, wisps of raven hair spilling from beneath the hat. Her pretty pink lips are curved into a capital O, likely at my outburst on the phone. I clear my throat and amend my tone as I continue the conversation, and she sets the small cup of espresso beside the plate.

“Sorry,” I mouth.

She nods, keeping her head down. My eyes lift to the bright red nametag.Stella. A whisper of a childhood memory flickers to the surface. That name seems to be following me everywhere lately.