Can you blame me ~~~~

Rafael POV

Something told me she was going to run. I knew the wedding dress, combined with whatever Valentina saw in the dungeon, would overwhelm her and force her hand. I was looking forward to the challenge, actually. She had no chance of escaping, but it would be fun to see how she tried. I kept working late into the night. As usual, guards patrolled outside and two men monitored the security feeds. There was a complex system of tunnels that connected the castello to hideouts in the surrounding mountains, and if she found them she would be able to get deep into the forest. While she wouldn’t get away, it would take us some time to find her.

She was unaware of that option, thankfully, and I meant to see it stayed that way. Dimitri had returned an hour ago. Valentina would wait until she assumed everyone was asleep before making her attempt. Which meant any minute now….

I was checking over a contract we had secured for a government building when I heard the creak of the floor above me. Ah, yes. The monella was on the move. My lips curved into a smile. It was so satisfying to be proven right. I flicked off the light in my office, just in case she came down this corridor. More likely she would go the other way, through the kitchen to gather supplies, then out the back door, but I wanted to be cautious.

When I didn’t hear her footsteps, I assumed she had gone toward the kitchen, so I followed. My feet were silent on the old floors as I approached. The refrigerator door opened and closed, and I waited out of sight as she rifled through the cabinets. Looking for food, no doubt. Packages rustled, then her steps took her toward the back door.

I didn’t try to stop her. The best way to break her was to give her a tiny sliver of hope and then crush it. Prove to her there really was no escape. The latch on the back door clicked shut, ever so quietly. A second later, my phone buzzed in my pocket. As I moved into the kitchen to peer out the window, I swiped to answer. “Pronto.”

“Don Rafael , the girl has left.” It was Benito.

“What do you want us to do? Should we grab her?”

“No,” I said immediately. “I need to teach her a lesson. Let her go.”

“She is headed toward the front. Out toward the road.” Even better. If she’d gone through the estate, she could have hidden in a dozen places and caused more aggravation. The road was a true waste of her time.

“Call our friends at the carabinieri,” I said, letting the local police be of some use. “Have someone pick her up and hold her there on the road.”

“Okay,” Benito said and hung up. I strode back to my office. There was nothing to do now but wait. Part of me admired her for running. She was strong willed, which would be good for Dimitri . When I died, my son would need a formidable partner, a woman who could handle the risks of life in the mafia. In fact, many women were running ’ndrine nowadays, as their husbands sat in jail.

My father had been arrested once, but released within hours. The witnesses had recanted their testimony and moved away, up to some Scandinavian country where the food was shit. Then my father made certain to infiltrate every level of government, including the police and the judicial system, as insurance against future arrests. That foresight meant I hadn’t been charged with any crime to date because most everyone was on my payroll. There were rumblings about a crackdown on a bigger scale, but I had yet to see it.

So Valentina ’s bravery was actually beneficial to the family. I merely needed to prove to her that my power superseded anything she might ever plan. Benito called twenty minutes later. “They have her. It’s about a half mile along the road to the east.”

“Excellent.” No doubt she was spitting mad.

“Come, you’ll drive me.” He paused for a half-second. “Should we call Marco? He won’t like it if you leave the estate without him.”

I considered this. Leaving was a risk, but a slight one. The road was close to the castello, well within the area my men routinely patrolled. Also, I couldn’t wait to see the look on Valentina ’s face when I arrived. Decision made, I said, “We’ll be fine. We aren’t going far.”

“I’ll meet you out front.” I disconnected and grabbed one of the pistols I kept in my office. I I didn't expect trouble but it didn’t hurt to have extra firepower. As I went through the castello, I briefly considered waking Dimitri . She was his fiancée, after all. But I quickly discarded the idea. Right or wrong, I wanted to handle this. Whatever punishment she received would come from me.

Benito waited in the heavily fortified SUV I used when I left the estate. I got in the back and we drove off. Speaking of punishment, what would I to her? I knew what I wanted to do, but it was impossible. I wanted to spank her ass red until she cried and begged me to stop. But that would ignite the attraction simmering in my belly for her, the precise reaction I was trying to prevent.

No, it was better if I didn’t touch her. When we approached, the lights of the carabiniere’s Land Rover were flashing. I could see a lone figure in the rear of the dark vehicle, while the carabiniere stood outside, leaning against the driver’s side door. I recognized him, so this would be easy.

“Buona sera, Paoletti,” I greeted when I got out. “I hope we did not trouble you.” Walking over, I handed him two hundred Euros.

“Never trouble for you, Signore Ravazzani. She put up quite a fight, though. Said she had been kidnapped.” I grinned and slapped him on the shoulder.

“Women. You don’t give them enough diamonds and they cry big crocodile tears.” Paoletti laughed, as I knew he would, and then I thanked him. “I’ll take her with me now.”

“Of course, signore. A moment, per favore.” He disappeared into the back seat to uncuff Valentina . I met her angry gaze as she was pulled from the Land Rover. Surprisingly, she didn’t speak, just continued to burn holes in my skin with her eyes. I tried not to grin as Paoletti marched her toward me.

“Here you are, signore.” Now that she was closer, I could see the tear tracks, evidence of where she’d been crying. I squashed any guilt I might have felt. Taking Valentina ’s arm, I kept a tight grip on her even as she tried to pull away. I said, “Grazie, Paoletti. My best to your wife and daughters.”

“Arrivederci, Signore Ravazzani.” I led her to the SUV and Benito opened the rear door. She tossed her head back, long wheat-coloured strands of hair whipping over her shoulder, to stare at me. Her expression was a mixture of stubbornness and defeat, like a person who knew they’d lost but could not stand to admit it. “Let me go, Ravazzani.”

“Never. Get in the fucking car, Valentina .” Muttering to herself, she did as she was told. I followed and sat directly beside her, so close that our thighs touched. I wanted her to be uncomfortable.

She shoved at me. “Do you mind? Move over.”

“Is it wise to order me around after you tried to escape tonight?”

“Can you blame me? You kidnap and intimidate me, you are forcing me to marry someone I hardly know, and you killed two men in cold blood tonight. I would be insane not to try to escape from you.”

Benito started the engine and we headed back to the estate. The car was silent, and I thought about what she’d said. She believed I killed those two boys tonight, which meant she hadn’t been watching but listening in the dungeon. So she didn’t know that while I had shot them, they were both very much alive. I decided not to correct her. Better she think of me as a monster, a killer, and be afraid to cross me.