Valentino DeLuca

VALENTINO DELUCA SAVAGE BLOODLINE MELVERNA MCFARLANE CONTENTS Author's Note Keep up with Melverna McFarlane Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Epilogue Sneak Peek Other Titles by Melverna McFarlane Sensitive Topics About the Author This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author, Melverna McFarlane. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions. WARNING: Criminal copyright infringement without monetary gain is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $ 250,000. For more information regarding the government’s stance on copyright infringement visit: http://www.fbi.gov/ipr. Copyright © 2023 Melverna McFarlane All rights reserved. AUTHOR'S NOTE This book is intended for a mature audience and deals with sensitive matters. If you prefer to discover them as you read, please proceed and enjoy Valentino, Sloane, and Tácito’s story. For a list of sensitive topics to help you decide if this is the book for you, please click here. KEEP UP WITH MELVERNA MCFARLANE Join Melverna McFarlane’s newsletter to get updates, bonus scenes, and more. Once you’ve finished Valentino DeLuca, click here for your bonus scene. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As always, I’d like to thank my family Craig, Woodrow, Patrece and Rozeann for pushing me to believe in my dream even when I doubted myself; my daily cheerleader and writing buddy Robecca who always provides great critiques and talks me off many a ledge; my weekly sprint group representing the PNW, and Vancouver; Wordmakers community for imparting knowledge and opening me to a network of amazing authors and resources; my Pleasure Seekers newsletter subscribers for hanging with me and allowing me to entertain you; and to everyone reading this who enjoys the journey into my imagination. CHAPTER ONE Valentino Another anxious day ticks by without word from her. I’ve been counting down to this day longer than I’ll admit to anyone. The peace I usually glean from surrounding myself in my study is nowhere to be had. Not even Tácito’s calm presence in the chair facing my empty desk dents the worry and frustration climbing up my spine. “Where the hell is she?” I voice the question aloud for my benefit, to free some of my pent-up unease. I sign the question as well because, although Tácito can read lips in English and his native Spanish, I respect him too much to not make the effort. He’s been by my side since childhood, and if there’s anything I’ve learned since my sperm-donor swooped in on my single mom and me and declared me a DeLuca, it’s loyalty to family. Tácito may not be blood, but he’s more family than Giulio DeLuca has ever been to me. “Cálmate! She’ll come. No job has ever stopped her from sharing this day with us,” Tácito says and signs, mixing his American and Mexican sign languages. “Not true. When she was in the Air Force, she missed at least three anniversaries.” When Giulio arrived at my childhood home and gave my mother the ultimatum that eventually separated us, my best friends and I made a pact. Every year on this day, we would reunite and reforge our bonds in defiance to my father’s decree to not sully my future with my past. Giulio never understood. My best friends were my lifeline. They still are. Our neighborhood was dangerous. Between the rival gangs’ brutal initiation for the unlucky or retributive murders, we were always hyper vigilant. One wrong decision could get us caught up in a life we never wanted, or with an unlucky gunshot wound ending our lives. Because of Giulio, I escaped at thirteen while my best friends continued to survive the best way they could. Although my father reigned over his territory, being Giulio DeLuca’s son protected me from the everyday street-level violence Tácito and Sloane fought hard to avoid. Having him as a buffer helped mold me into a different animal. One who doesn’t blink at getting my hands dirty and ending someone’s life in one breath and attending a cocktail party of the city’s elites in the next. “She’ll come no matter what. We’re still the most important people in her life.” Tácito rises to meet me in the middle of the room. He places a calming hand on my arm. The effect is immediate. For five seconds, his weight centers me. I turn my head to the window overlooking the mayoral mansion’s garden. The darkness outside blocks me from seeing any movement or discerning the varying depths to the shadows. Most of the day is gone, yet she’s sent us nothing. Not even a fucking emoji. I curl my fingers into my palm, hoping the bite will keep the stress at bay. Stress! A state I should be used to after all the years under Giulio’s thumb while I remained powerless to protect what was most important to me. To combat his influence, I’ve made moves of my own. Now my day job involves controlling thousands of livelihoods. Stress on top of stress, yet neither job nor father can defeat me. There are only two people who achieve what my father has failed to do. They can