Hush: Family Secrets Read online

  “How wrong you are,” I mutter to her back.

  “You know Giovanni Giordano made an official request for his son, Raphael,” Vincent Caprisi says as he watches me watch his daughter walk away.

  “She is mine,” I say simply and walk away from the two men without another word or thought.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Who was that,” Shannon whispers in my ear with wide eyes as she looks over in Uri’s direction.

  I give my sister the side eye and press my lips. She is still so innocent. I envy that about her. She still believes in love, flowers and roses. I know those things don’t really exist. Happy Ever After’s only happen in movies, books and for people that pretend they exist.

  I watch the stars in her eyes as she peeks over at Luca who is making his way over to Uri. She may not be happy about the arrangement but I can clearly tell she is attracted to the man she is going to be marrying.

  I decide she doesn’t need the truth, so I’ll give her a painted version of it. Shannon has no idea of the things I have done and am capable of doing. I keep a pretty tight lid on my shit. I give Uri one more glance as I think about the things I’ve heard him capable of.

  Secretly I’ve always wanted to meet the man they call Hush. I still can’t believe I didn’t pick up on the name right away. I’m still processing how my father would consider such a notorious man a match for me.

  It makes me think that I have lost my soul somewhere I will never be able to find it again. I’ve noticed over the years how cautious my father has become with me. Uncle Valentine is the one who has really raised me. He is also the one that requests my services when needed.

  “Oh my God, Valentina who is he. He is looking right at you,” Shannon gushes squeezing my arm, pulling me from my reverie.

  “He is no one,” I start but Shannon gives me an icy glare from her big blue eyes. “Fine! That is Uri Donati. Papa is considering a match between us.”

  That is the most she needs to know. Shannon’s eyes grow wide and her mouth falls open. “That is so not fair. He is hotter than Luca,” she teases playfully.

  “Really, that is the first thing you think,” I laugh at her. My sister is the only person that can genuinely get me to laugh.

  “Well yeah, he looks to be older but he is hot. Look at how he looks at you,” Shannon sighs. “Luca gave me a once over then grunted.”

  I don’t miss the disappointment in her voice. No one treats my little sister badly. I narrow my eyes in the direction of Luca. We may just have to have a little talk. Shannon is too good for him to treat like crap, even if this is just some arrangement.

  “You know you don’t have to do this,” I say to my sister with a small smile.

  “You and I both know that is not true,” Shannon says sadly. Suddenly her eyes light up, a huge smile spreads across her face. “Wait, at least now we know that the Donati family didn’t pass you over because you are black.”

  Once again something only Shannon can do. She means no harm by the comment and it is what I led her to believe when her engagement was announced before mine. Honestly, for a little while I had believed that that was the reason as well.

  “Yup,” I reply retrieving a glass from a passing tray.

  “Come on Val, this could be exciting. If daddy agrees to a marriage between you and Uri then we could both move to New York. I won’t be alone,” Shannon says hopefully.

  “We don’t even know if he lives in New York. From what I know he lives in Europe somewhere,” I tell her.

  Shannon’s face falls again. “Oh,” she whispers.

  “Hey, it is going to be okay. I hear Luca spends plenty of time in Chicago. We will see each other,” I reassure her.

  “Not if you move to Europe,” Shannon gives me those sad big blue eyes. I wrap my sister in a hug.

  “Anytime you need me, I will always be one phone call away. Always! And if he doesn’t treat you right then you pick that phone up right away, Capisce,” I cup her heart shaped face in my hand.

  “Capisco,” Shannon nods her pretty head. “Now back to this Uri. You two looked pretty comfy in that embrace. Oh God, you should have seen Raphael watching you two, he looked pissed.”

  We both laugh at that. I hadn’t seen anything but Uri, but I’m sure the look on Raphael’s face was priceless. Raphael couldn’t spark half of the electricity Uri sent through my body.

  “It doesn’t matter. I don’t plan to marry either of them,” I huff and cross my arms. Shannon lifts her brow at me. “What?”

  “You won’t date and you won’t agree to anyone Papa wants for you. You are so beautiful Val, you deserve love too,” Shannon says.

  “You think this,” I point between her and Luca. “Adds up to love?”

  I feel like trash right away for the words that have fallen out of my mouth. Shannon is so sensitive and to prove it she blinks back tears and turns from me. I hate that I have upset her.

  “Sorry Shannon, I’m sure things will work out for you and Luca,” I say gently.

  “It isn’t the way I dreamed of finding a husband but I believe I can make the best of it,” Shannon sniffles.

  “And you will,” I assure her.

  She turns back to me with a small smile. “If I hate him I could always come stay with you in Europe,” she giggles.

  I frown at her. “I am not going to Europe,” I huff at her.

  “You don’t see the way he is watching you,” Shannon laughs louder.

  I may not be able to see him but I can feel him. I have to fight not to look at him again. He is wearing the hell out of that suit. It is tailored to perfection and that red tie adds something sexy and sinister to his appeal. He was handsome in his suit and open collar shirt in the store earlier, but this tonight has me thinking thoughts I just don’t recognize.

  Yeah, I feel him in more ways than one.

  ~B~

  “Who was that?” Luca asks as he stands by my side.

  “No one you should be concerned with,” I reply.

  “Oh come on. I see the way you are looking at her. Who is she? She is damn beautiful,” Luca says with a wide grin.

  I roll my eyes and take a sip of the drink I happily managed to get my hands on. It is the only thing keeping me from flying across this room to smash in the skull of Raphael Giordano. His eyes haven’t left Valentina. I have had my eyes on her and him this whole time.

  Knowing he believe she will ever belong to him is setting fire to my blood. I have no idea where this jealousy is coming from. I am not a jealous man, but the thought of any man just thinking about touching Valentina is making me twitchy.

  “If you must know that is your future sister in law,” I reply dryly.

  Luca furrows his brows and looks across the room at Shannon and Valentina standing together. Even from here it is easy to see the resemblance. Luca’s eyes grow large as the confusion starts to clear.

  “No way, why the fuck did I get the shy one?” Luca growls.

  “Because Valentina belongs to me,” I growl back.

  Luca lifts a brow, tilting his head at me. “Since when? By the way where is Genève?”

  “I sent that whiny brat back to New York where she belongs. I don’t know what your father was thinking trying to bind me to that,” I shake my head in disgust. “I’m too old for her shit.”

  “Oh please you act as if you are an old man,” Luca chuckles. “Clearly this one is younger than Genève, a lot younger.”

  “It’s not the same,” I grunt.

  “Why not because this one happens to be a whole lot hotter,” Luca teases.

  “You should be keeping your eyes on your fiancée,” I warn.

  “She is no Pamela,” Luca grunts this time.

  “Don’t start this again. That ship has sailed. You haven’t even given this girl a chance,” I say pointedly.

  Luca sighs and gets that lost look on his face that he tends to get these days when he thinks of Pamela. “I really fucked up. I didn’t mean to hurt her. Despite
what you think I did love her. I still do. I’m just not like you. I can’t just walk away from what I have known my whole life.

  “I see Shannon, she is beautiful, but what if I fuck up my marriage the way I did what I had with Pamela. She doesn’t look half a strong as Pamela. I don’t want the responsibility of another heart,” Luca pauses in thought for a moment. “Honestly Uri, I don’t think I can take watching another woman move on so quickly without me when I’m still torn to shit.”

  “Luca,” I deadpan. “Your bed hasn’t been empty since we arrived in Chicago.”

  “I was faithful to Pamela, Uri. You have to know that. I never once cheated on her,” Luca says with pain in his face.

  “Well now you can be faithful to Shannon as your wife,” I pat his shoulder.

  Luca grunts grabbing my drink from my hand and finishing it. “I would have preferred the sister,” he says with a cheeky smile on his lips.

  “I could end your life you know,” I growl at him but the slight smile I give him takes the heat out of my words.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  My Uncle is up to something. I know it the moment he calls me to his study. I am on my way for my daily visit with Valentina when he has one of his men stop me and tell me he wants to see me.

  He knows I don’t take kindly to this so the fact that he has summons me means he has something important to say. My thoughts travel to Valentina. She is driving me crazy, but I can’t stay away.

  For three weeks I have been going to spend time with her. She can fight me all she wants I will not be going away. She had tried the silent treatment, even going as far as ignoring me completely.

  I see that I am breaking down her walls. I just wish I had an idea of what makes her tick. Shannon has been quite forthcoming with information on her stubborn sister.

  I’ve learned that I shouldn’t take offence to Valentina’s aversion to spending time with me. According to Shannon, Valentina doesn’t date at all, not that she doesn’t have men vying for her attention. Shannon also shared that she thinks her sister is very attracted to me, which I didn’t need her to tell me.

  I can see it in Valentina’s body’s reaction to me. She lights up whenever I am in the room, even when she is trying to pretend I am not there. The little minx has to know she gets the same reaction from me. It is taking more restraint than I knew myself capable of to keep my hands off of her.

  Valentina has secrets I need to get to the bottom of before I can take things further. I see the way she runs from me when I start to look too closely or when I start to break down her walls.

  She is very intelligent. I forget she is so young at times. Then there is my fascination with the fact that she moves like a trained assassin and it is hot as hell. I love watching her. She is quickly becoming my obsession.

  So what my uncle wants at this moment better be bloody fucking important. I woke with a raging hard on this morning after dreaming about Valentina’s hot little body. Getting to her has been the only thing on my mind since.

  It is time that we move pass this game we are playing. I plan to confront her on what is really holding her back from being in my arms. She belongs to me. There is no doubt about that. That punk Raphael has been sending her flowers and expensive gifts that she won’t accept.

  I see the mere thought of the man puts her on edge and makes her cringe. How her father could ever have considered him a match for her is beyond me. The entire Giordano family puts a bad taste in my mouth. I have seen some of their underhanded dealings. They have just never had the balls to test the Donati family with such foolishness. Giovanni Giordano is a fat slob and a coward. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree his son is just a slimmer, entitled version of him.

  I will put up with these gifts he insists on sending for but so much longer. Within the families he is well within his rights to do so until an official engagement is announced. I just don’t see things the same way. Once I say something is mine it is mine.

  “Ah, here you are,” Uncle Nicholas’s voice booms jovially when I enter the room. “Come sit Uri.”

  “What is this about,” I ask not bothering to sit.

  My uncle shakes his head and sighs. “Must you be stubborn about everything?”

  “No, but I was on my way out,” I shrug. I have only chosen to stay here at my uncle’s manor because it gives me access to Luca and his movements. While he owns a private apartment in the city Luca prefers to stay here with in town.

  “This happens to be about the Caprisi family. You have questions I have answers,” my uncle’s face is now all business and I know I just may need that seat he was offering me.

  “You’re right I do have questions and if I remember well enough you and Don Vincent were close as boys. So tell me, how does a man like Don Vincent allow his daughter to become, for lack of a better word, an assassin?” I ask with narrowed eyes.

  My uncle nods retrieving a cigar from the box on his desk and offering one to me. I accept, clipping the end and lighting it. My uncle does the same before answering my question. I’m not sure my patience will hold up today.

  “Valentina was the sweetest little girl you would ever want to know. Very bright and she loved her mama and papa. She had a light in her eyes I never saw in a child so small. But that light was stolen.

  “Valentina was only four when she watched her mother and older sister brutally murdered. She watched her sister being violated for hours before being shot to death. She sat hidden in the closet the entire time,” My uncle pauses to take a poof at his cigar while his words are left in the air to sink in.

  I begin to replay a conversation Valentina and I had at the engagement party over in my head. I knew something happened in her past but this was not what I was expecting. Memories assault me and I remember Don Caprisi’s first wife. She was just a little lighter than Valentina with light eyes.

  I had only met her once around my early teens. It was one of my few visits to my uncle during the time I lived with my hateful grandfather. Those were bitter years for me and I have suppressed many memories from that time but I remember her and the small child in her arms the day I met her. Valentina.

  “How,” I demand.

  “It was a hit meant for Don Caprisi only some bad intel brought the hired maniac to Vincent’s home where Khayla and the children were. To this day we don’t know what happened to the men that were supposed to be guarding the house. We believe they were all paid to look the other way and disappeared with their new wealth.

  “Those that remained loyal were slaughtered. Corrade Ferro was a monster that needed to be put down way before that tragic day. Whoever sent him knew what he was capable of. It almost broke Vincent to find Valentina had watched the whole thing but it did break her,” My Uncle frowns at his own thoughts.

  “This Corrade Ferro, where is he,” I lift a brow.

  My uncle looks me in the eyes knowing I already know the answer but I need to hear it from his lips. “In hell, where he belongs,” he snorts. “He was Valentina’s gift for her eighteenth birthday. Valentine saved him for her. Vincent didn’t agree with it, but Valentine thought it was what she needed.

  “She went two years without speaking to anyone. She would draw pictures and have nightmares. Vincent didn’t know what to do. It was her Uncle Valentine that finally got her to speak. He promised her that if she spoke he would teach her everything she needed to know to get the bad man in the pictures she drew,” My uncle shakes his head.

  “If he only trained her for this purpose why didn’t it stop there?” I snap. I can’t believe they so carelessly turned her into a killer.

  I know it is what I am, but if given the choice all over again this would not be my life. At least that is what I tell myself. I want to believe that the bloodlust was forced on me but the small voice in the back of my mind keeps whispering that I know better.

  My uncle raises a brow as if to confirm my own nagging thoughts. “She was just that good at it. You know the score. When the family needs to
send a message, messy and hard is not always the way to hit. You and Val have a skill in common. You make the message clear and make the problems go away with a certain finesse,” my uncle shrugs.

  “Besides,” he tilts his head in thought. “Don Vincent doesn’t like it. He just tolerates it because it is when she shows any real emotion. She has changed a lot from the happy little girl.”

  I sit in silence. To think of the turmoil that must live in her head. My first instinct is to protect this woman from falling any further into the darkness of what our life brings. I want to find the woman I see inside her eyes that flickers at me with hope. I’ve seen it, the woman that wants to be freed.

  My mind turns back to my uncle’s request for my presence. Telling me all this is not why he has summoned me. I look him in the eyes and he nods without me having to ask my next question.

  “We have known for years that the hit was ordered without sanction. We have had suspicions of one of the families and a couple other individuals. New information has surfaced confirming our suspicions.

  “I want you to give one of these individuals a visit. Let’s call it a wedding gift to Don Caprisi. An eye for an eye, Valentina has seen what can never be erased so I think it is time to erase what this piece of shit sees,” my uncle snarls.

  “Done,” I won’t point out right now that I have never said a thing about marrying Valentina. Yes, I said she is mine. However, I still have no intention of going along with being forced into an arranged marriage. “What of these others that were involved?”

  “In time,” is all he says with a huge grin.

  There is more going on here but for now I will allow my uncle this.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Come here,” he commands in that sexy accent.

  I hesitate for a moment unsure. Uri’s eyes swallow me whole as a look of impatience grows in his eyes. I’m entranced by his naked rock hard body. His tanned olive skin makes the light dusting of blonde hair on his body stand out. His abs are rock hard and flex under my gaze.