{TRIGGER WARNING! EXPLICIT CONTENT! DO NOT READ IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT, THANK YOU! Otherwise, enjoy!}



I try to understand what Alex is saying, but I can't focus on anything else but Valentina right now.

The shit she said before I left the room. Maybe that's exactly what I want...

Fucking hell... 'So, Curzio? Do we have a deal?' Fuck.

I didn't catch anything apart from the fact that he wants to meet up soon. 'Send the information to Marco Barsetti, I'll see what I can do.'

Alex nods and looks at his companion, before commanding something in Russian.

The guy rushes out of the screen and Alex turns back to me. 'I'll see you in a few weeks.' A few weeks?

'I'll see you.' I say, before ending the call and shutting my laptop.

I barely have a few seconds of silence, before Marco bursts through the door, looking a lot more troubled than he should be if he has only been focussing on the tasks I gave him.

'We have some problems.' Certo. I watch as he takes a seat in the chair across from me and wait for him to continue. 'You asked me to send some guys to England to see if we finished the business, so I sent in Lucas and Joseph to check it out.'

'Any news from them yet?' 'They went off the radar after telling me they saw Martin Steel at the hospital four days ago.' He continues, going through his phone to show me something. 'I sent Winston and Nora to get a hold of them, but they never came back with new info.'

Fucking hell...

'Get to the point Barsetti.' He nods and throws his phone on the desk. 'Two days ago, Vincenzo got these at the base in Rome.'

I stare at his phone, a picture of four different rings on display, and frown. He nods at my confusion and swipes to the left. 'This morning I got this from Vincenzo.' I stare at another picture and see the heads of all the people he named not so long ago.

Lucas, Joseph, Winston, and Nora.

All dead. Beheaded.

Simply because they were in England, trying to spy on the remaining Steel for us.

'I sent word to Vincenzo to send two more guys over, just to check if it's an actual thing or just a coincidence, but... We both know it's not.' They're onto us...

'It was just Martin Steel in the hospital right?' I ask, feeling my heartbeat quicken by the second. 'They think it was only him, but they couldn't really see much since they were being followed.'

'And how come you're only sending two at a time?' I ask curiously.

He knows we have enough people to go to England, yet he's only sending two at a time.

'I've been busy with other shit as well.' He mutters, making me frown even deeper. 'Other shit?'

He nods, ashamed that he's even doing it, and looks into my eyes. 'Isabelle-' 'I don't give a fuck about that girl right now.'

Marco keeps his eyes on mine, something like anger flashing through his eyes, but he doesn't say a word.

'When I tell you to handle shit, you handle it. You don't go wasting our time because you care about some girl.'

'I don't care about her.' He says stubbornly. 'Then why are you letting her get in the way of the job I gave you?'

'She's not.' He repeats as if that makes it any better. Because she clearly is.

'Listen up, Barsetti.' I take one more look at his phone, seeing the bloody heads on there, and sigh deeply. 'These people died for no reason and you know it.'

'I'll handle it.' He says as he jumps to his feet, ready to clean up the mess he made. 'You better.'

Marco heads to the door and I stop him by saying, 'Send their family flowers and my condolences, and make sure to get rid of Martin before you get too cozy with that Norman girl.'

I can tell he wants to respond, to fight back, but he knows better and swallows his words, bottling it all up as he heads through the door.

The room goes silent, finally allowing me some peace and quiet.

And I take it all in.

The silence, everything going through my mind, Valentina being back again, the deal I'm supposed to take. All of it.

It still feels surreal. As if it's all a dream and we didn't actually get her back.

A knock on the door makes me stop thinking too much about if all of this is real or not.

'Come in.' The door slowly opens and Valentina steps into the room, making me grin a little. Because she's the only one that knocks anymore.

'What did you tell Marco?' I look up into her eyes and frown. 'Don't give me that look and just tell me what you said.'

'Who said I said anything?' She looks me up and down, before walking closer to my desk.

I just wish she would get on this side of the desk and stay close enough for me to touch her, but she doesn't.

'He walked out of here pretty annoyed if you ask me, so you must've done or said something to piss him off?'

Something flips in my mind and I can't help but remember what Marco told me when she was with Steel. They kissed.

'Why does it matter?' The question slips my mouth before I can even think about it, making her sigh deeply. 'Because Marco's my friend and you obviously did something to annoy him.'

'He's your friend?' She tilts her head a little, trying to pry her way into my head again. 'Yes, he is.'

'Just your friend?' 'What the fuck is up with you?' She asks, taking a step forward. 'I know about your kiss.'

Her face stays neutral. She's not denying it, so that means it actually happened. 'What does that have to do with any of this?'

'A lot.' I mutter, trying to contain my anger.

If I want her to forgive me, if I want her to stay, I'll have to be on my best behavior. Especially with her.

'Are you jealous about a stupid kiss?' A stupid kiss? I shake my head and look into her golden eyes, wishing that I wouldn't have brought it up at all. 'You are, aren't you?'

'I'm not.' She grins to herself, leaning over my desk to look deep into my eyes. Into my soul.

'You are.' 'I'm not jealous.' She leans back a little, making me lean forward to stay close to her for some reason. 'Then what is this?' She asks, accusingly pointing her finger at me.

'This isn't jealousy, this is annoyance.' I say as I keep my eyes on hers while she smiles at me. 'And why are you annoyed?'

'Because you used Marco to get back at me.' Again. The words slip my mind before I can even process them. That is what happens when she's around me and it's going to be the death of me.

She's going to be the death of me.

'You think I kissed Marco to get back at you?' I stay silent, not moving an inch as anger takes over in her eyes. 'Answer the question.' 'I don't know why you did it.'

'Maybe because Marco is a decent person and he actually cares.'

'Are you saying that I don't?' It's a stupid question, but she answers it nonetheless. 'I don't know if you care now, but you certainly didn't care back then.'

I get up, making her stumble back, and sigh deeply. 'Valentina-' 'You fucked Molly to get back at me, but unlike you, I don't use people to get back at others.'

'I didn't use her to-' Wait... 'So you wanted to fuck her?' I shake my head and rush over to her, grabbing her before she escapes again, but she's quicker and makes her way to the door, ready to run away from me.

'I didn't use her entirely, I just needed to get you out of my system.' I feel like I'm digging myself a deeper grave here, but I don't want to lie to her.

Even if it will make her st- No. I can't lie to her.

'And that makes it okay?' She asks with disgust evident in her voice. 'It doesn't and I'm sorry.'

I hate that I'm apologizing a lot more these days, but I need to. If I want her to stay, I need to. And I want her to stop bringing it up. I want her to stop being in pain when she thinks about me.

'And I know sorry doesn't make up for it, but I'm truly sorry.'

She simply looks me in the eyes and shakes her head. 'Fuck you.'

I can't even process her words before she walks out of the office, leaving me with the silence like before.

But it's different.

So fucking different.

Suffocatingly different.

And I hate it.

That's why I'm glad that, when I drop into the chair again, someone opens the door and enters.

It doesn't even bother me that it's Leonardo, even though he looks like he hasn't slept in days.

'I just wanted to ask some questions.' He creaks, his throat sounding dryer than the Sahara desert. 'About?'

'You can design the basement for Leya.' What? 'So pick some colors and make sure you have-' 'What the fuck are you talking about?'

He sighs deeply, rubbing his temples for a few seconds. 'Doesn't matter, I shouldn't have bothered you anyway.' He mutters as he climbs out of the chair again.

'Leonardo.' I say, making him turn to me slowly. 'Sit down and tell me what the fuck is going on with you.'

I can't forget what he did, but I'm willing to forgive and move on.

Because my mother was right about one thing. He is my family and family sticks together.

'Did you know Neveah got raped?' Fucking hell... The images of that night are trying to creep their way into my head again, but I shake them off and look at my cousin sitting across from me. 'She told you?'

'How long have you known?' He asks, barely looking at me. 'Since it happened.' 'And you didn't tell me?'

'It wasn't my place to tell.' He chuckles unamused and shakes his head, 'And when has that ever stopped you before?'

We used to tell each other everything. Even if it had nothing to do with any of us, we told each other anyways.

But not with this.

Because it didn't feel right to tell him.

He deserved to know, I know that, but it wasn't my place to tell him.

I knew she was going to tell him at some point. Either that or she kept it to herself for the rest of her life.

'This is different.' I answer honestly because it was, 'But you know now, so what's the point?'

'The point is that you knew and asked me to do everything I can to make sure she stays.' Wait-

'I told you to make sure she stays, I never told you to fuck her if she didn't want to.'

'Except she thought she did, but she didn't, and maybe if I knew what happened, shit would be different right now.' He says, his emotions rising by the second. 'I feel like...'

'Like what?' It's weird seeing him like this.

Sure, he was always talking about North before and always knew what he had to say to make sure that everyone knew about his love for her.

But this is different.

It's like he doesn't even know what to say. Or do.

'She didn't want to and I didn't realize it.' He says, vividly staring at the desk between us. 'I feel like I... hurt her in the worst way possible and I don't know what to do.'

Fucking hell...

I hate when he comes to me with this bullshit, especially about North, because I have no clue what he expects from me.

I don't fucking know anything about any of this shit, yet he comes to me for advice.

'Just talk to her.' I mutter, hoping that he'll take the hint. He has to either talk to her or ask someone else for better advice because I have no fucking idea what to do here.

'It's not that simple.'

'Why not?' He looks up and I bite my tongue when I see the tears forming in his eyes. Don't fucking cry...

I always hated it when he would cry, even when we were little. It always felt like it was my fault in some way.

Because I was the oldest. I felt responsible for him, I was his protector and in some ways, he was mine.

I remember him crying one day because he fell down the stairs when he was four or something, and he had to stay in all day.

Everyone told me to go outside, so I did. But I quickly came back in because I felt bad. He was in pain and I didn't like that he was crying because of it.

It just felt wrong. And it still does.

I hate to see him in pain, more than I hate him for doing what he did. And that's what makes all of this, all of me, fucked up.

'Because I can't-' He chokes on his words and inhales sharply, a tear escaping his eye before he wipes it away, probably wishing that I didn't see, 'I can't even fucking look at her, Adriano.'

That's exactly why she didn't want to tell you...

'And it's not because I- It's just... I hurt her without knowing and I feel like I should've noticed something, anything, but I didn't.' He says, wiping his face again as the tears start to stream down his face, 'I can't be in the same room as her and I hate the way she looks at me, because it's obvious she's scared of me now and I don't know what to fucking do anymore.'

'You can't be in the same room as her?' I ask, feeling my throat burn with the question.

He shakes his head and looks at the desk again. 'Why not?'

I feel like North right now, asking a bunch of questions to get into someone's head. But I'm not doing it because I want to hurt him, I want to know why.

'I can't trust myself around her anymore.' What? 'I'm afraid I'll trigger her again and again and then she'll stay in that cycle for the rest of her life, all because I couldn't keep it in my fucking pants for longer than forty-eight fucking hours.'

'Leonardo, what you two did was consensual.' I remind him, making him look into my eyes again. 'Was it?'

I frown at him, confused why he thinks it wasn't when she said it was. 'She wasn't ready and I should've noticed.'

'You haven't seen each other in months and you've both changed.'

'Still. I should've done something different, I should've realized something, I should've listened to that stupid voice in my head that told me that something was up and... I feel like you should've told me so I could've been more careful.'

'It wasn't my place to tell.' I repeat, watching as he takes a shaky breath and wipes his face one more time.

Because the tears finally stopped.

'I can't stay, Adriano.' He says while keeping his eyes on mine. 'What do you mean?'

'I can't stay while she's still here, suffering, because of what happened.' I wonder if she even told him the whole story. By his reaction, I can tell she kept it as unspecific as possible.

Because if he knows why and how it happened, he would've shouted at me or hurt me, but here he is, crying at my desk.

And I honestly think I would've preferred the other reaction.

'So what? You want to leave?' He nods and looks at the desk again, 'You know she's planning on leaving right?'

'And until she does, I'll go and stay somewhere else.' What the fuck? 'Leonardo, I don't think-' 'I'm asking you for permission to go and work on stuff in Italy while you guys go to Spain.'

Things have been kind of rocky lately and because I won't be having that much time focusing on the mafia stuff any time soon, it would be nice to have someone to keep everything under control while I'm fixing my shit with Valentina.

But what about North?

I doubt she'll be any better when Leon just leaves when she might need him the most.

But then again, he can't handle it and I can't force him to stay.

'I'll give you permission to leave,' He nods and gets up from his seat, 'but I suggest you talk to her and see what's best for the both of you before you leave.'

'Adriano-' 'If you still want to leave, I won't stop you. But you'll regret it if you don't talk to her first.' I say, making him look at me again.

He knows I'm right and nods, before heading to the door and walking out of my office.

I truly hope he's going to talk to her about it, because they have to figure their shit out.

I told Valentina I would do anything to get her to stay, and I know that North will play a big part in all of this when it comes to getting what I want.

Because I want Valentina to stay. And North too.

It's what's best for both of them because everyone knows they matter to us by now.

I get up from my chair and walk back to my bedroom, suddenly feeling a little sad when I don't see Valentina in our room.

For some reason, I thought she would be waiting for me to continue our conversation from earlier. But she's not here.

I head to the bathroom and undress before getting in the shower room to take a quick shower.

Because I feel dirty for some reason.

As if talking about what happened made me filthy.

I step underneath the shower and let the water caress my skin, washing away the imaginary dirt.

I still have to talk to North... Because Valentina told me to apologize for what I did and I know I should.

I just don't know how to and some of it is her own fault.

There's so much I have to do... And I have no idea where to start.

Especially now that I have to make Valentina like me again...

I can hear the bedroom door open and wait for someone to call my name.

'Rio, are you showering?' Valentina asks, making me smile a little.

I take a deep breath and grab the soap to quickly get this over with. 'Can't you hear the shower running?'

'Well, it could've been someone else.' She answers, moving around the bedroom a little. 'Why would someone use the bathroom that goes with this room?'

The bathroom door opens and I look at the door leading to the shower, waiting for her to step inside, but she doesn't.

'I don't fucking know.' She mutters, moving around in the bathroom as well.

When she stops moving, I turn back around and let the water run over my face. 'You take hot showers.'

I don't turn around when I hear her behind me, wondering if she's even wearing clothes.

But she moves closer, the water splashing as she places both feet into the shower room.

'What are you doing?' I ask when I feel her cold hands on my back.

She doesn't respond and simply moves closer, slowly pressing her lips on my back as well. 'Valentina?'

I want to turn around, I want to look at her and never look away again, but I want to see what she's up to.

I want to see how far her mind can go in moments like these.

'Mhm?' For some reason, I can't stop smiling. 'What are you doing?' I ask again, feeling her soft lips against my back. God...

'I have no idea.' She whispers against my skin, 'But I honestly don't care.'

I feel her body press against mine, instantly turning around to face her, and look down into her eyes.

She continues to kiss my chest, pushing me against the wall as the water drips onto her head and my chest.

'You don't?' She shakes her head as she moves her lips lower and lower, until she's at my waist. 'I don't.' She whispers, looking up at me while she slowly gets on her knees in front of me.

Fuck... The sight of her, on her knees in front of me, is driving me insane.

'I truly don't.' She mutters as she takes my dick in her hand and places kisses on my waist.

She slowly drags her lips further down my waist, until she reaches my dick, and I lean against the cold wall.

'But I do know what I want to do.' She says, her lips brushing against my shaft in the process. Fuck. 'And what's that?'

She looks up at me, her mouth open for me, and smiles a little while water runs down her face. 'Let me show you.'

I don't dare close my eyes as she takes me in her mouth, making me inhale sharply.

She knows exactly what she's doing as she places her hand on my stomach, presses me against the wall, and sucks the living soul out of me. Fuck..

I don't ever want her to stop and grab the back of her head, shoving myself deeper inside of her.

And she doesn't fucking gag at all.

I push my hips forward, trying to get even deeper down her throat, but she pushes me back and leans back, smiling at me as she kisses down my shaft. 'What are you-'

Her lips tease my tip and I can't help but shudder at the way her lips feel. 'Fuck.'

She groans as she takes me in her mouth again, sucking on every part she can fucking take.

She's not drunk. I know she's not. She's definitely not high either.

So this is her? Truly her?

She wants this. She wants me.

Just as I reach the edge, she stops again, smiling at me. I look at her and watch as her lips tease the shit out of me again, waiting for her to continue.

'Don't you fucking dare.' I thrust my hips forward, forcing myself into her parted mouth, and roll my head back a little.

When she tries to stop again, I place my hand on her head and keep her place, groaning when she continues to suck.

She pulls away with all she has and gasps for air when she's finally able to breathe again.

I pull her head back and force her head up, so she has to look at me. 'Don't you want me to show you?'

'I think I already know enough.' She shakes her head and slowly gets back up, placing one hand on my chest, while the other goes around my dick again. 'You have no idea.'

I know she needs time to figure out what she's going to do, but I can't help but wish that she's going to pick me.

Because I want her to pick me. More than anything in the world.

And I want to make sure she knows that too.

I pull her closer, making her squeeze my dick a little by the sudden movement, and groan against her lips. 'You're playing games with me, aren't you?'

She stares at my lips for a second before leaning back far enough to look into my eyes.

'Maybe I am, maybe I'm not.' She gets on her toes and gently brushes her lips on mine, driving me insane because her hand moves up and down my shaft so painfully slow. 'What are you going to do about it.'

I pull her against me, ignoring everything going through my head and just enjoying the moment while I can.

Because this will never happen again if she decides to leave.

I lift her up and make sure her legs wrap around my waist as I flip us around, pressing her against the tiles.

She groans when her back meets the cold and wet wall behind her, making me shiver a little.

I love those sounds. I love her skin. I love her taste.

'You'll see.' I angle myself and push myself into her, making her moan out of pleasure as our bodies become one again.

I thrust my hips onto hers, making sure she feels every inch of me while she digs her nails into my back.

'Not-' I take her nipple between my lips and suck as hard as I can, making her groan and press her harder against the wall when she tries to move away, 'Fuck!' She moans into the air, her sweet sounds echoing through the bathroom.

'Not what?' I ask as I start marking her chest again, leaving red spots everywhere. 'I hate you.'

I force her face to meet mine, feeling her milk my dick harder than before. Meaning she's close.

And I can't help but keep her face towards me. Because I want to see her explode. I want to see her enter the most heavenly state knowing that I'm the one causing her this feeling.

This feeling of euphoria and warmth.

All the good things that come with me, reasons to stay.

'Come with me, Rafael.' She moans, pulling me closer by wrapping her legs around me even tighter.

I look into her eyes and notice the familiar haze as I continue to thrust myself into her harder and harder, getting close myself.

'Come with me.' She repeats desperately, throwing her arms around me as she burst into a billion pieces against my chest, her body shaking as I continue to thrust and release myself inside of her.

She trembles with each thrust I make, but wines her hips nonetheless until I stop and press my head onto her chest. 'Fuck.' She groans, her hand going through my hair again.

I keep her close, not ready to let go of her yet. Plus, she's still shaking too much, so if I put her down right now, she'll fall.

'Again?' She looks me dead in the eyes and tries to shove me away so that I have to put her down, but I take the pushes and stay close, letting her lean against my body as I slowly put her down. 'You joke around too much.'

I look into her eyes and wish that I could keep her this close forever.

'I'm the one joking around?' She nods, trying to push me away again.

She sure got stronger. A lot stronger.

But not strong enough to push me away just yet.

I grab her wrists and pin her hands above her head, pressing my knee between her legs just a little.

She moans and looks up at me, making me grin because she's so short.

'Let go of-' 'Not happening.' I switch the shower and take it off the wall, adjusting every setting until the water comes out hard and fast, great for massages. But also for something else.

'What are you doing?' She asks while she looks at the showerhead in my hand. 'You'll see.'

Before she can move away from me, I take the showerhead down to her clit and angle it the right way for it to make her melt all over again. 'Fuck-' She lifts her head, moving up on my leg to allow me more access with the showerhead.

With her arms still pinned above her head, she has to rely on me to stay up. And she's not holding back at all.

'Rafael.' Fuck... The way she says my name makes it sound like a prayer. Prayer for release. And that's exactly what she wants. 'Mhm?' I groan as I wait for her to look at me. But she's too busy, too high with pleasure to look at me.

'What are-' She mutters, the water getting to her head, 'What are you doing?'

'I'm just going to clean you up.' I reply, waiting for her to explode again and again and again until she can't anymore.

She groans and wiggles a little, making me smile and press her harder against the wall. 'Wait-' 'Do you want me to stop?'

She shakes her head and tries to hold on to my hand holding her wrists together, while she lifts her hips a little. 'Do you?'

I pull the showerhead away, making her groan out of annoyance and desperation. 'No!'

She looks into my eyes, desire and anticipation swirling in her gold-brown eyes. 'Don't fucking stop.'

I nod and lean down to her neck, sucking on her skin there as well, while angling the showerhead the right way again.

She trembles because of the water and spreads her legs a little wider. 'Rafael!'

I lean back and watch as she explodes all over again, her legs shaking once again, and catch her when she slumps down against my body.

I let go of her wrists and lift her up, feeling her arms drape around my neck as I turn the shower off and carry her out of the shower room. 'Not so tough now, huh?'

She mutters something, but I can't understand because her head's pressed against my shoulder.

I gently place her on the counter, the one where I fucked her not so long ago, and step back to grab some towels.

When I turn back around, she's sitting on the edge, trying to jump off without tumbling down and hurting herself, but she's still shaking too much.

'Don't ever do that again.' She tries to act like she didn't enjoy the living hell out of it, and glares at me. 'You seemed to enjoy it though?'

'Fuck you.' 'Again? I don't mind.' Her eyes widen as I take the last step, placing the towels on her right as I step between her legs and press myself against her.

'But I don't think you're ready for another round, Valentina?' Just as I'm about to step back, just as I'm allowing her space to dry herself, she wraps her legs around my waist and pulls me closer, making me enter her in the best way possible.

Moans fill the room and we look at each other.

'Valentina.' I say warningly, feeling her warm pussy all over my dick. 'We don't have to-' 'Fuck me again.'

She's not begging or requesting or asking.

She's demanding. Making my heart go up in flames when I see the look in her eyes as she looks up at me. 'Fuck me again.' She repeats, making my body do exactly what she wants.

I know I should probably take a break, especially if she's not fully recovered from her last orgasm yet, but I can't help it.

She's too good at this, too addicting, too desirable for me to stop.

I listen to her moans and the way our skin smacks against each other with each thrust, unable to keep myself quiet when I look at her.

She's gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.

And all mine. I hope...

At least right now she is. And I'll take it. I'll take it as long as I can.

'Rio!' I press my hand on Valentina's mouth when I hear Marco's voice beaming from a distance.

He's clearly not in the bedroom yet, and I would love to keep it that way.

A door opens and I hold my breath for just a second.

'I have some files for you!' Shit. He sounds a lot closer now.

I look at Valentina and keep my hand on her mouth while fucking her a little slower now that Marco's close. 'Leave them on the bed.'

'Don't you want to-' 'Leave them on the fucking bed.' I repeat, trying to keep myself from moaning when Valentina wines her hips a little.

'Jesus fucking Christ.' He mutters before I hear the door close again.

I wait just a few more seconds, before removing my hand from her mouth, and watch as she gasps for air.

Her hands go around my neck and she pulls me down, pressing her lips against mine as I go hard again.

She moans against my lips and keeps her arms wrapped around my neck.

The sounds she's making, the way she looks, the way she tastes... She's driving me insane.

It doesn't take long for both of us to get to the edge again, looking deep into each other's eyes as we come together, our orgasms intenser than ever before.

After coming down from the pleasure, I notice that she's leaning against the mirror and can barely sit up straight.

I pull out and grab the towel, before drying her off and carrying her to the bedroom.

She groans when I put her down on the bed and buries her face into the pillows. I cover her body before my body goes crazy again, and smile when I see her tilting her head my way.

'You're exhausted.' 'Shut up.' She groans as she rolls over and pulls the covers with her, revealing her gorgeous back.

I have to turn around to keep myself from jumping in bed and taking her again, and take a deep breath.

Are you fucking kidding me? I've never gotten hard because of someone's back before. Fucking hell...

I look at the folder Marco left on my nightstand and quickly head to the closet and grab some clothes to wear, before heading back to the bathroom.

Valentina is still laying with her back towards me, breathing very slowly. She's sleeping.

I smile as I take a seat next to her and grab the file.

Pills... Guns... A-listers... Police... A lot of shit we're behind on again.

And the numbers don't look too good either... Maybe it's a good thing if Leonardo goes and fixes this shit...

I turn to Valentina when she flinches, and keep my eyes on her.

She groans and starts twisting and turning on her side of the bed. She does that a lot in her sleep.

Especially last night. It was like someone was haunting her in her sleep.

'Valentina...' I whisper, placing my hand on her back to calm her down. But just like every other night, it doesn't work. 'Please-' She whispers, shaking her head a little, 'Please don't.'

'Valentina.' I repeat, shaking her a little. She looked so peaceful before.

But right now she looks pained. And I don't want her to be in pain. 'Valentina, wake up.' I pull her closer, shaking her a little harder now. 'Please.' Tears stream down her face and I pinch her arm, making her eyes open wide and look at me.

She gasps for air and looks around the room, panicking for some reason, before looking into my eyes.

For a split second, I can see the fear in her eyes. Just a short second though, because she pushes me away and jumps out of bed, quickly covering herself with the sheets that were draped around her body not so long ago.

'Valentina-' 'It's nothing.' She says as she stumbles into the closet. I put the file back onto the nightstand and look at the door leading to the closet, waiting for her to get back in bed.

'What was it about?' I want to know what makes her have these nightmares and I want it to stop more than anything in the world. Because I hate seeing her like this.

'Doesn't matter.' Her voice is trembling and all over the place, making my heart fill with darkness and some kind of indescribable pain. 'It does to me.'

'Why?' She asks as she throws the door open, wearing a big shirt that looks more like a dress on her. 'Are you going to kill the people that scared the shit out of me?'

I knew it... Something happened. And I bet it's Hunter fucking Steels fault she's going through this right now.

But I want her to let me in.

'No.' I say, slowly getting up and walking over to her. 'I wouldn't kill them.'

She frowns and angles her head so she can keep eye contact, making my heart race like crazy with each step I take.

'I would hunt them down, one by one,' I say, taking her hand into mine and lifting it to my lips, because I need to touch her. I need to feel her soft skin against mine for as long as I can, 'and I would put them all in a line for you, even if it's just one.'

'What?' She breathes, trying to understand what I'm trying to say. She's too tired to understand. 'I would let you do as you please. Even if it meant burning them alive, drowning them, fucking driving over them, or shooting them a million times through the head.'

There's a short silence where she reaches her hand to my jaw, stroking it with her small thumb. 'So tell me what happened so I can make that stupid line.'

A chuckle escapes her lips and I take a step back, feeling something creep up my spine.

I don't know why I said that just now, but it felt right. It came from the heart. And I meant every word.

'Hunter heard you killed his family and he tried to... Well, I don't know what he tried to do because he stopped before he did anything, but... I don't know.'

My heart starts racing at all the possible things she could say, and it's making my blood boil. 'If he fucking-' 'He killed Jade because Martin told him that it would either be me or her...' She says, tears filling her eyes again.

I hate Hunter with all my being and it will be my life goal to make sure every Steel left alive will suffer for creating a monster like him.

'I had to act like I didn't care and I was so scared, Rafael.' She takes a step back, shaking her head a little, 'It was like I was trapped and I had nowhere to go because I dug myself in too deep. I thought- maybe it was just all a dream and I would just wake up again, but it wasn't.'

'Valentina-' 'I'm afraid that this is all a dream because you would never do shit like this before. You didn't care and it all feels too good to be true right now, so I am scared that I'll wake up and end up back with them and just-' I wrap my arms around her and pull her onto my chest, feeling the urge to lock the doors and never let her go again grow in my chest.

I get what she's saying because all of this indeed feels like a dream. But it can't be. Because the Steels are dead. Most of them are. And she's here, with me. She has been for the past nine days.

'It's real.' I say, holding onto her still, 'All of it is real.'

She takes a deep breath and pushes me away from her, staring at me with tears in her eyes.

'When are we leaving?' What?

I just told her everything, we just had a moment, and this is what she asks.

'Valentina-' 'I want to see my mom. I want to make sure that she's okay since she moved to Spain and I haven't spoken to her in a while. Plus, you promised me you would take me to Spain as soon as the week was over.' She says as she starts pacing around the room.

'I did, and you will get to your mom, you just have to wait a little longer.'

'That's what Hunter said as well and I'm not falling for that again.' Falling for that-

'Quit comparing me to him.' She stops and turns towards me, anger forming in her eyes.

'Stop giving me reasons to.'

Fucking hell...

'You can call or text her.' She shakes her head and takes a step closer towards me. 'I want to see her in real life.'

'Well, you will have to wait, Valentina.' I state, taking the last step forward, making her stumble back a little.

'My mother suddenly got a job in Spain and I have not seen her in months!' She shouts, pointing her finger at me, 'You will take me to Spain right now, Rafael.'

'She didn't suddenly get that job, I made sure she got transferred and settled with her family.'

Her eyes widen before she frowns at me in confusion. 'You... You got her transferred?'

'Yes, so don't worry about her safety.' She rolls her eyes and takes a step back again. 'Why?'

'Why what?' She takes a deep breath and starts pacing around again, 'Why would you do that?'

'Because she means a lot to you and North said she really wanted to live in Spain again.'

'You know you didn't have to.' She whispers, stopping with her back towards me. 'It's not that big of a deal-' 'I saw the mansion she lives in now...' She slowly turns around again, looking into my eyes, 'It's not nothing, Rafael.'

'Valentina, it's the least I could do.' She shakes her head and takes another step back, reaching for the door. 'You can take me to her right now.' Fucking hell...

'And take back the mansion and the car and all the other shit you bought for her, it's too much.' She says before leaving the room, not even turning back to face me for less than a second.

----

A/N: Still no decision... But Rio is getting close to saying the ACTUAL WORDS to Leya... Will he say them? And what will happen with Leon and Veah?

MARCO AND ISABELLE HUH... WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? SHIP OR NO?

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I just wanted to thank you all for the love and support, even though I almost ended a couple of lives with the first forty chapters of this book...

JUST KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU AND THAT I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS STILL LOVE AND TRUST ME ENOUGH TO CONTINUE THIS STORY!!!

I hope to see you guys in the next chapter!!! AND I HOPE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING DAY/NIGHT!!!!!