CHAPTER Two
I look around this room and I can smell their fear rolling off of them. They hate that I am here in this room. My father and uncle are the only ones here that are man enough to look me in the eyes. The rest of them are afraid of what they will see. They don’t want to see the demons that live in the depths of my stare.
They don’t want to confirm that the rumors are true. No one here knows the truth except for my father and Uncle. The rest suspect the truth enough to fear what a wrong move would create.
I was not meant to be this way. This was never what my father wanted. I was once his sweet Valentina, his Tina, but she died the day my mother and big sister took their last breath. So to these men in this room I have become Val. That’s who the rumors have made me. I have heard whispers that I have been dubbed Black Death or Morte Nera in our native tongue.
What makes these men fear me so much, that the tension is thick in this room just from my presence, is that my soul is as black as their hearts. I lost all innocence when I was only four years old. I still have nightmares of the day that would change me forever.
My mother had run into my room while I was playing with my dolls. Lisette my older sister had gone to get us popsicles. Mama was frantic as she rushed to me and pulled me up from the floor.
“Valentina, I need you to get in the closet and hide. I need you to promise mommy that no matter what you hear, no matter what you see you will not make a sound and you will not come out of hiding,” my mother said to me with wild eyes.
“Okay mama,” I nodded becoming scared.
“Hurry go now and remember not a sound,” she whispered.
No sooner than I rushed into the closet and closed the door finding my hiding place the room door burst open. I quietly moved closer to peek through the gaps in the closet doors. A large man appeared with Lissete tucked under his arm like a ragdoll.
She was crying and screaming, struggling to be free of his hold. He released her, dropping her to the floor like garbage. My mother tried to rush forward to get to my sister but the big man blocked her way and slapped her across the face.
He hit her so hard she flew back nearly falling to the ground. She was just able to stumble to her feet before falling over on her butt. She immediately lunged for my sister again as she cried out and curled away from the man.
It happened so fast that if I hadn’t been watching so closely in utter shock and fear I would have missed it. The big man pulled a knife from what seemed to my small eyes like thin air. As my mother lunged forward he plunged the knife into her stomach.
My mother cried out and dropped to the floor in a helpless heap. I watched as my mother tried to drag her bloody body to my sister. The man laughed and kicked her in the ribs.
I now know why my mother made me promise not to move no matter what. She knows me. All I want right now is to run out and bite this stupid man that hit my mama. I’m a fighter, I would help my mother and sister, but mama made me promise to stay put.
What happened after that no dying mother should have to witness. I can still to this day hear my mother’s gurgled screams and pleas for him to stop. Lisette was only sixteen, but that pig did not care. He violated my sister for hours as the life left from my mother’s body.
Soon Lisette’s cries even grew more and more quiet. I wouldn’t have believed she was still alive if not for the few whimpers every now and then. When the pig was finally done he pulled away from Lisette’s battered body and pulled a gun to pump two shots into my mother’s lifeless body before turning his gun onto Lisette.
I covered my mouth with my small hands to keep from making a sound. My eyes were glued to the man that had just stolen my family from me. I took in every detail of the big man before me. His dark hair, his black eyes, the tattoo on his neck, the creepy scar on his face, it was all seared into my little brain.
He left the room but I still didn’t move not wanting to break my promise to my mama. Papa had been away on business so I had no idea when he would be back to help us. In my little brain Papa could still come and fix it all. If I stay in the closet like a good little girl he would fix it.
The sun had set and risen again before I heard my papa’s voice roaring through the house. My tummy was hurting and I was tired but I stayed right where I promised. As Papa burst into the room a roar left his chest as he dropped to his knees by Lisette’s broken body.
Papa looked like he wanted to fix her but didn’t know where to start. He kept reaching for her but stopping just short of touching her. He turned to see mama’s body and roared in agony again. This time he did move to Mama’s body and cradled her bloody body to him.
“My Beautiful love,” he sobbed in Italian.
Daddy’s men rushed in the room along with Uncle Valentine. They all looked like they were going to be sick. Uncle Valentine looked around the room. He locked eyes back on my father.
“I haven’t found Valentina,” my uncle seethed.
“Find her,” my father barked.
Something told me it was time to come out of hiding. I stood onto my little legs shakily. Slowly I made my way out of the closet. At the sound of my movement all the men drew their guns. When they saw it was me they quickly put them away.
I saw the moment my father and uncle realized I had witnessed the whole thing. Uncle Valentine’s face took on a look of rage. My father shook in agony.
“No,” he bellowed. “No!”
I will never forget that day. It changed everything. My father didn’t know what to do with me. At times he would keep his distance, other times he would smother me. Uncle Valentine, who I was named after, was the one who saw what I needed. He saw me for who I had become.
When I turned ten Uncle Valentine began my training. He taught me everything he knew about dealing death. He taught me how to be like him, a family enforcer, a hitter. Uncle Valentine fixed problems, but he saved my problem for me to fix.
I was eighteen when I reached the point of no return. I knew from experience that sick bastard had a thing for young girls. So I wasn’t surprised to find him at a bath house that provided young girls to their clients.
Uncle Valentine took care of getting me inside. The rest was on me. I stripped to my panties and bra and entered the private bathing room where Corrade Ferro sat awaiting some poor young girl. His eyes lit up at the sight of my young body. He was entranced as I swayed my hips stepping down into the water.
I gave him a smile that promised pleasure but I was there to deliver anything but. When I finally stood before him I licked my lips tasting his death in the air. I sank under the water watching his eyes as I went.
His hungry gaze stayed locked on mine. His chest began to heave as the big fuck thought I was going to suck his disgusting cock. If he had been paying attention he would have seen me coming. I pulled the hunting knife from the back of my panties and sliced his dirty dick right off.
I popped up from the water to hear his bellowing screams of pain just before I slit his throat. “That was for my mama and my sister you pig,” I screamed before spitting on him.
I made my way out of the bloody water and never looked back. I slipped from the bath house without a trace. Uncle Valentine flew me to Florence for the rest of that summer were he trained me some more. From that day he started to send me on jobs to handle the family’s problems.
Rumors quickly surfaced of Val, from the Caprisi family. It took sometime before they realize that it was me, Don Carpisi’s little princess that had become a swifter dealer of death than my Uncle Valentine. Although I knew my father was livid he never said so to me. I think overtime he began to fear me too, but for different reasons.
So here I sit in this room with my father Don Vincent Caprisi and the head of the Giordano family. I know I am making him nervous. I haven’t stopped staring him in his eyes. I don’t like this man. I hate his son even more, which is why I am so hostile toward the men in this room that are not my family.
My father chose a Donati for my little sister Shannon, but he thinks he is going to arrange a marriage for me into this family of slime balls. Raphael Giordano couldn’t lick the bottom of my shoe. I’d never marry him.
The thought makes me finally break eye contact with Gio Giordano’s fat ass for a moment to look down at my heels. They are the silver ones I tried on earlier. I felt that sex God watching me the whole time I tried them on. I had purposely put on a show for him. I didn’t like his girlfriend she was rude and whiny.
When I felt his eyes on me I wanted to show her the world didn’t revolve around her. The bitch had actually growled at me to get her a pair of shoes she wanted to try. Trust me I didn’t look anything like I worked in the store. The whiny heifer probably only took in my skin color.
Well I have news for her. My daddy is probably whiter than hers and I am three parts Italian. While my father is full blooded Italian, my mother’s father was Italian and her mother was half African American, half Malaysian.
I thought for an older man he was very attractive from a distance but up close he was absolutely gorgeous. Oh God, that accent. My panties were wet the moment he spoke to me. It’s an odd accent, as if he spent a lot of time between somewhere in Italy and somewhere with a British tongue. It’s hot! I mean really hot.
Sue me, but I have a thing for hot Italian men and he was beyond hot. That dark blonde hair, those icy blue eyes, oh, that well-trimmed beard. My nipples tingled at the thought of him brushing his face against them. When he pulled me close I felt weak in the knees as his cologne wrapped me in a cocoon of mountain rain, musk and man.
If I wanted a man he would be the prototype. My panties are moist even now thinking of him. Phew… that was a lot of cock poking me in my belly. I shake away my lusty thoughts as the weasel, Raphael speaks up.
“I think Valentina and I will make a great match,” the weasel drools as his hungry eyes roam over my form fitting purple and silver dress.
The dress is strapless with a sweetheart neckline. The top of the dress is silver and fades into a rich purple as the fabric flares mid-thigh. After shoe shopping I went to have my hair swept up into a waterfall ponytail. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have visions of a certain blue eyes stud pulling at my ponytail. This is so not like me, but that man did something to me this afternoon.
I snort in disgust at Raphael but I won’t disrespect father in front of these men. Visions of slitting Raphael’s throat in his sleep makes the grin grow wider on my face. The creep licks his lips at me and my skin crawls. He is too fucking stupid to fear me like he should.
This is why I make his father nervous. Gio doesn’t really want this union. He wanted Shannon for Raphael. He wants the connection with the Caprisi name just not the black sheep. I guess Don Donati felt the same way. I should be relieved my father passed over me for Shannon, but I’ve been insulted since he announced her engagement a year ago.
Believe me I want nothing to do with an arrange marriage and the only reason I am sitting in this room entertaining this foolishness is because Uncle Valentine asked me to be here. He doesn’t trust this family any more than I do.
I turn to Uncle Valentine and he winks at me. I roll my eyes but wink back. He knows he owes me for this one. Maybe I can talk him into finding blue eyes for me. Not that I plan to see him again. I just want to know who he is.
I don’t think there is a man alive that can handle all the fucked up in my head. That is why I don’t date, but that man. I would love to just sit and watch him for a while.
“I don’t think we should rush this,” My father’s voice rasps breaking me from my thoughts once again. “If I agree to this arrangement I want Valentina’s happiness. Raphael, I have seen your brash way of approaching my daughter. I’m not so sure that is in either of your best interests.”
I almost burst into laughter. What my father is really saying is that I will kill Raphael before we make it to the honeymoon. The idiot thinks he holds some type of power I should bend to. I’m not even attracted to him. He is five eight with a stocky build. His green eyes are cold and dead. I hate his thin pink lips and someone really should have fixed his teeth when he was little. They’re not terrible, but they’re not straight either.
“I would at least like to know you are serious in your consideration of my son,” Gio says with a pinched face.
“Actually, I have another offer on the table,” my father informs.
My head whips in his direction. This is the first I am hearing of this. Raphael has been in hot pursuit of me for years now. He has always been so confident that we would end up together. I can’t even begin to name all the times he has shown up at an event to stalk me.
My father looks unfazed by delivering this news, but Gio and Raphael both look pissed. Raphael’s ears have turned bright red. I swear I can see him foaming at the mouth.
However, it is his father that is first to speak. “Who,” he asks simply.
“Uri Donati,” my father says with indifference.
I play the name in my head. It should mean something to me. I have heard it before. I’m a bit puzzled because I was sure the Donati family didn’t want me.