Chapter 11

Idial Lorenzo’s number. It almost rings out by the time he answers it. “Lil, I’m a little busy at the moment. What’s up?” he asks.

“I need you to come to Nashville. Now. Alessandro is going to do something really stupid,” I tell him.

“What’s he doing?”

“He’s going after a hockey player. You need to get here and stop him.”

“The one I hear you’re shacking up with? Yeah, that’s probably not a good idea. I’d be more inclined to help him get rid of the body, Lil…”

“No, idiot, a different hockey player. Look, just get your ass out here and help me find him,” I hiss.

“It’s at least a two-hour flight. But I’ll be there as soon as I can.” My cousin sighs into the phone.

“Thank you.” I hang up, contemplating if I should call my father next and quickly deciding against it. Because he actually will help Alessandro bury the body. My father has a short fuse when it comes to protecting family. An even shorter one when it comes to me.

I have no idea what that guy said before the game, but I do know it was bad enough for Travis to fight him… and to have my brother looking to spill some blood on his own. Without taking backup.

I glance up at Travis and catch him watching me. “I’m sorry. I have to go find my brother and stop him from killing a freaking professional athlete.” That’s not something we can just cover up. Especially on our own.

“If you’re going, I’m going. Though something tells me your brother can handle himself, Lil.”

“Oh, I know he can. But he’s not thinking straight, and that’s a dangerous position for the other guy to be in. I need to find Alessandro before he does something we can’t undo. I do not want to be visiting my brother in a jail cell.”

“Okay, come on.” Travis wraps his hand around mine and tugs me forward.

I drag my feet to stop him. “You don’t have to come with me. I’m sure you’re tired. You should go back to your hotel.”

“Not without you, I’m not.”

A few quick turns later and we’re walking through the back door of the arena, where there’s an SUV already waiting for me. One of my brother’s friends—and I use the term friends loosely here—opens the back door as I approach.

“Where to, Miss Valentino?” Jupe asks. The guy has worked for us for a few years now. My family trusts him.

“Where’d Alessandro go?”

Jupe’s lips press into a thin line. “I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. Take me wherever he went, Jupe,” I say, my tone more forceful than it was a moment ago.

“Your brother wants me to take you back to the hotel.”

“Well, last I checked, my brother is a long way off from being the boss. But if more authority is what you need, I can call Nonno? Get him to tell you himself?” It’s a bitchy move, using my grandfather as a threat. But I don’t have much of a choice here. It’s for the greater good. The greater good being keeping my brother out of jail.

“Fine, I’ll take you. I’ll probably be dead the second we pull up, but I’ve had a good life,” Jupe says, shaking his head as the door closes behind me. Travis slides in on the other side.

“Don’t worry, Jupe, I’ll tell ?em I held a gun to your head.” I smile at him through the rearview mirror as he starts the engine.

“What gun?” Jupe asks.

I reach under the seat, knowing there are always weapons hidden in these cars. Find what I’m looking for and retrieve it from the holster that’s hooked to the underside. “This one,” I say cocking the gun before aiming it in Jupe’s direction.

“Fuck me,” Travis hisses.

I look over and realize I’m not exactly making the best impression here. Shit. I need to rein it in a bit. So I lower the gun and place it on the empty seat beside me. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. That was fucking hot as shit. But let’s not play with guns, Lil. I don’t want you getting hurt. Or worse,” Travis says, and I watch him swallow. He’s really worried about me.

That doesn’t stop me from rolling my eyes, though. “Because I’m a girl? I’ll have you know I’m a better shot than my brother or any of my cousins—well, maybe not Aurora, but that chick is from another planet. I’m sure of it,” I ramble on without meaning to.

“Not because you’re a girl. Because you’re my girl, and I want to keep you in one fucking piece,” he says.

“Okay, I will only play with guns when it’s really necessary,” I tell him with a smile.

Travis shakes his head and laughs. “Deal.”

The car pulls to a stop and my attention is drawn to the window and the bar just beyond it. “This is where he went?” I ask Jupe.

“Yep.” He nods his head.

“Okay, thanks,” I say as I open the back door and climb out of the car. Travis follows me over to the sidewalk while Jupe turns off the ignition before trailing behind us.

“This is the last place I should be,” Travis whispers into my ear.

I look over my shoulder at him. “Why?”

“It’s Nashville’s bar, Lili. This is where the team comes to celebrate… or commiserate. And tonight, we kicked their ass. They’re not in a good mood,” he says. “And I’m at the top of their shit list right now.”

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head. If anyone tries to start something with you, I’ll shoot them,” I deadpan.

“I actually don’t know if you’re joking or not, Lili… and why the fuck does that turn me on?” He lowers his lips to my ear when he says that last part.

“Because you have issues.” I shrug. “And let’s hope you don’t have to find out if I’m joking or not,” I tell him as my gaze pans over the crowded bar, looking for my brother while knowing if he’s in here, he’s not somewhere he can be easily seen.

I finally spot him in a darkened corner when a stray beam of light from the dance floor briefly illuminates his silhouette. “He’s over here,” I say under my breath as I quicken my steps in my brother’s direction. I drop Travis’s hand and shove against Alessandro’s chest. He doesn’t move an inch. “Are you fucking crazy?” I yell and hit him again.

“What are you doing here, Lil?” he asks.

“Stopping you from doing something beyond stupid,” I hiss in reply.

“Go back to the hotel. This doesn’t concern you.”

“Yes, it does. You concern me, Alessandro. I’m not having my children visit their uncle in a prison cell. Now let’s go,” I tell him.

My brother’s eyes drop to my stomach before landing on my face again. “For the love of God, tell me you’re not pregnant.”

“Of course I’m not. Yet. But I will be, someday, so let’s go.” I tug on his arm.

He remains rooted to his corner. “I can’t let this go, Lil.”

“You can. You just don’t want to.” I peer up at him with my best doe eyes. “Please, Alessandro, take me home.” I know the moment he caves.

His eyes soften and he wraps his arms around me. “I love you, Lil, and I’m not going to let anyone disrespect you. Ever. I don’t give a fuck who they are,” he says into my ear. I sag against his hold, refusing to let go. “Come on, let’s get out of here, before I have to fight off all the fuckers currently lining up to kill your boyfriend.”

“Thank you.” When I turn around again, I see what Alessandro means. He wasn’t being dramatic. There is literally a line of six-foot-something men blocking our path to the exit. None of them look too happy to see us standing here. Or, more accurately, to see Travis standing here.

“Fucking hell,” I grumble before turning back to my brother. “Alessandro, do not let them touch him.” I know Travis can hold his own. I’ve seen him fight. I just don’t want him to have to fight. Especially because of me.

I go to move in front of him, only to be pulled up short. “Let me,” Alessandro says and steps forward. “Is there a problem here?”

“Yeah, your kind ain’t fucking welcome here,” one of the guys spits out.

My brother’s head tips to the side. “My kind?”

“Yeah, your kind. New Yorkers.”

“I don’t think I introduced myself.” My brother holds out a hand. “Alessandro Valentino.”

Travis and I watch on as the fucker pales in front of us while the others take a few small steps in the opposite direction. I roll my eyes for the second time tonight. “Come on, we’re leaving.” I take hold of Travis’s hand and start pushing my way through the crowd. I know Alessandro and Jupe won’t be far behind us.

I stop in my tracks when I see someone staring at me, his face already beaten to hell. Dropping Travis’s hand, I walk up to the guy. “I don’t know what you said on the ice today, but I hope that hurts as much as it looks like it does.” I point to his black eye right as my knee comes up and connects with his balls. “You should thank me for saving your life. Next time, I won’t stop my brother from hanging you from a butcher’s hook,” I whisper into his ear.

I step back with a smile firmly planted on my lips and take hold of Travis’s hand again. I’m really not a violent person. I don’t enjoy hurting other people. And usually I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do it. I am a Valentino after all, and my father made sure I was no wilting flower. He taught me to fight and to kill just as effectively as he taught my brother.