Seductive Salvation (Book One of The Mafia Heiress Series)

Chapter Fifteen

I walked out of the bedroom, dressed in a pale pink sundress and nude heels. Giovanni was standing there waiting for me, "You look breathtaking, Valeria." He reached out his hand and I hesitated for a few minutes. "I'm not going to hurt you, Valeria. I'm just going to escort you to your grandfather's study. He'll be pleased to meet you after all of this time. He really is a very nice man, I assure you." I took his hand and we walked towards a set of large doors. The sun was shining through every window and warmed my skin. We stopped and Giovanni knocked lightly. The doors opened and he guided me inside.

"Giovanni, thank you for escorting Valeria. You are dismissed to see to it that the Russian is paid the reward. Please extend our thanks and give him a copy of the peace agreement." Giovanni bowed and stepped out of the room, never turning his back to the man in the chair. I felt his eyes on me as he stood up. "I've been waiting a very long time for this, Valeria, too long. When we found out that you weren't killed like your father had led us to believe, it brought great joy into my old and wounded heart. Your mother was my greatest joy and most prized child. She was taken too early from this world. May her soul rest eternally in peace." He motioned towards a set of two large chairs, assuming he wanted me to sit. I silently walked over and sat down, smoothing the top of my dress.

"Please, don't be afraid of being here. We're your family, mio caro." He sat down opposite of me, unbuttoning his suit jacket.

"I don't have a family," I spoke curtly. It wasn't a lie because I truly never belonged anywhere.

"You do. The way you grew up is a shame but we are your family and we have never stopped searching for you, please believe that. If I had known that your father sold you, we would have gotten you back and you would have never known the pain and sorrow that life brought you."

"If you had wanted to find me then you would have. I know enough of the business to know what resources you have. I wasn't hard to find when I came into your country multiple times on assignment. You watched from a far, I know that for a fact or else you wouldn't have known the pain and suffering I went through. You can claim to be my family but you are no better than the Russian's. You watched and waited until you saw the perfect opportunity to step in. You waited until it was convenient for you and then you decided to do something about it. Don't try to play the hurt and broken family card because it won't work. I don't belong anywhere or to anyone."

His eyes widened, "You're mother would be ashamed of how you turned out to be." He stood up and pointed towards the door, "You can get out. Maybe this was a mistake. You'll learn with time that I am not your enemy. I am very disappointed in you, Valeria Bianchi."

"You know nothing about me so you can't be disappointed. My mother was the reason I fought to protect myself. I did everything I could to survive. You think I care what you think about me? You are just as bad as Ivan and Sergei. You torture people for your own reasons but I have never wanted to be a part of this life. You can call me whatever you want but I will never be more than the Russian Assassin who killed your closest friends, allies, and family members. I am the monster that you tell your children about. I am the silent killer who watches and waits for the right moment. I am a product of terror, torture, and rape. You know nothing of who I am or what I am capable of. For the record, my name is Valeria Petrov." I walked out of the room and never looked back. I locked myself in the room I had woken up in and planned to never leave. 

There was a knock on the door and the door handles moved, someone had a key, of course. Giovanni walked in with a tray of food. "You need to eat, Val. It does no good to deny yourself food and water." I just stared at the wall as he spoke to me. He was one of them and was no better than any of the men I had met. I was wrong when I thought he was different. His phone started to ring, "Yes, sir. Right away, sir. I'll see that it's taken care of, Don." He sat the tray of food on the bed next to me and then sat down in the chair across the room. "I'm not leaving until you eat, Val. I'm on direct orders. I'm not enjoying this in the slightest so please eat."

"I have no interest in eating food that complete strangers made. You could have poisoned it for all I know. Plus, I only eat certain foods."

"You were very cruel to your grandfather. He truly didn't know that you were alive. None of us knew until I met you and started digging. You owe that man an apology. He's never done anything but mourn for you and your mother. He thought his heir was dead and then to find out that she's been in Russian hands this entire time? He's tortured himself over all of the pain and suffering you went through so cut him some slack."

"You can defend his words all you want but it doesn't make mine any less true. If he had truly wanted to find me then he could have. I have never been one of you and I never will be. I don't belong anywhere or to anyone. It's pointless for you all to just keep me here like I'm some prisoner that you never intend to let free. I know this place like the back of my hand and if I wanted to get out of here I could. I was brought here under the impression that it was safer for me here than in Russia or even in the States and drugged against my will."

"Val, please stop. This is a safe place for any Italian and even more so for the heiress of the entire family. I wasn't discounting your experiences or the horrors you had endured. He has suffered too and I watched it my entire life. I watched him mourn for his daughter and his grandson. I watched him mourn for his granddaughter. I watched him pray to every saint in the skies for you to be safe and at peace somehow. He did go to your father, many times over the years but you were never found so he gave up hope and made a headstone for you right next to your mother and brother. I watched a terrified girl that I had brought into my bed, leave my car and disappear without a trace. I've seen your bruises. I've seen your scars. I've seen you scared beyond belief. You don't have to hide from me, Valeria, because I see right through this tough act. So eat the damn food, V. If we wanted you dead then why in the hell would we feed you in the first place?"