The Mafia and His Obsession: Part 1 (Tainted Hearts 4)

Valerie caressed my cheeks, taking me away from my thoughts. Her lips parted as if to speak, but then she broke off with a cough. She rubbed her throat and tried again.

“What…are…you thinking…about?” she asked slowly and almost too quietly. But I didn’t miss it. I couldn’t miss her voice, her fucking sweet voice and the small slur in her speech that made her even more perfect.

I was still reeling from the fact that she could speak. Relieved that she could and pride that I was the one she chose to speak for.

She definitely mind-fucked me last night, and damn it, if my dick didn’t like the sound of her voice. And her fucking whimpers. And those dangerous sexy moans.

“…Viktor?”

Ah, fuck there we go again. My heart doing that fluttering shit and squeezing until it was hard to breathe.

Every time I heard her voice—every fucking time—she stole my breath away.

Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I looked at her face. Her eyes were serious, but she hadn’t lost her smile. I knew she could tell I had a lot on my mind—all the mess I had to figure out. All the games I still had to play.

Her fingers smoothed over my lips gently. Unconsciously, I kissed her fingertips and her smile widened.

“Show me…your soul, and I will…show you mine,” she whispered.

A small chuckle vibrated through my chest. “Valerie, my soul has some really dark places. You won’t be able to see them…you’ll run away at first sight. You should never visit them because my soul is no place for you to live in, baby.”

Her smile turned into a frown, but she stayed silent. Our stares never wavered, and I could tell she wanted to say something; it was right at the tip of her tongue.

The moment was broken when my phone vibrated on my nightstand, our eyes breaking away and our bodies pulling apart.

“I should be going,” I muttered, quickly getting off the bed. “It’s morning already. If someone sees me coming out of your room…”

I left the sentence hanging, but Valerie understood and nodded. Her eyes clouded over, her eyebrows pinching together as if she were in pain. She sat up and pulled the sheets up to her neck, covering her nakedness.

Grabbing my clothes from the floor, I made my way to the bathroom, but not without casting her one last glance to see her gaze moving to her lap, looking almost sorrowful.

After freshening up and fully clothed, I walked out to see Valerie in the same position. I saw her fidgeting with the bedsheet as I walked closer. With a knee on the bed, I leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

She leaned more into me, her hands now gripping my shirt. But I couldn’t bear that lost look in her eyes.

So I kissed her.

I kissed her deep and hard until she gasped for breath. When we pulled apart, her eyes were hazy, her lips swollen and pink—and there it was, that smile I was looking for. A tiny shy smile graced her eyes, accenting her glorious beauty even more.

“I have to go, Valerie. But I promise, I’ll come for you tonight.”

“Okay,” she murmured with a slight slur. I found it endearing, the way she spoke. Fuck, I found myself fascinated with every piece of her.

Shaking my head, I continued. “But before I go, I need to tell you something about me.”

Valerie cocked her head to the side, waiting. Curiosity was about to kill the cat.

“I saw the way you looked at Alessio,” I started. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then quickly snapped it shut with a slight shiver of fear.

Ah, little innocent myshka.

“He isn’t the bad guy, baby.” I paused, and then shook my head with a laugh. “Well, he is. But not really.”

Valerie looked confused, but she waited patiently for me to continue. “My name isn’t Konstantin Solonik, like everyone seems to call me. You know that I am Valentin’s nephew. But baby, I belong to the Ivanshov family. My real name is Viktor Konstantin Ivanshov.”

Her eyebrows furrowed together, and she cleared her throat before speaking. “You mean…you aren’t…the heir…”

“No. I am Valentin’s heir. But I am also one of Alessio’s men. His second in command. Valentin hates the Ivanhovs, but I don’t. They are my family, Valerie. Alessio is my fucking brother.”

The crinkling between her forehead deepened, and she looked at me like I had grown two heads and was doing the Macarena.

“But…how…I don’t…understand,” she spoke quietly.

Nudging the tip of her nose with mine, I gave her a small smile. “It’s okay. You will understand more later…when shit will go down. All you need to know is that Alessio is on our side, myshka. All I need to do is…make sure Valentin is ten feet under the ground. Soon.”