Mia Regina

Chapter 16

Valentina Gracia

Wearing a sheer top and black leather pants with a belt I check myself in the mirror and nod with approval. I wear some light jewellery and makeup leaving my hair down I add the last detail, my signature red lipstick and smack my lips together.

A box beside a chain comes into my view making me pause I set my lipstick down while closing it and pick the box up slowly and sit down on a chair. My breathing hitches when I see a familiar half-hearted black necklace. It was our first 'couple item' Lorenzo gave me. I remember him saying that being in Mafia doesn't mean that we can't do cute couple-y things. He liked us wearing these couple items so much that the next day he brought those couple shirts, couple coffee mugs and even couple guns which I still have.

I still remember his bright smile when we joined the two broken hearts. He said that I'll always have half of his heart and the other half is for his parents and best friend. I was such a goner that day.

I don't notice the presence of another person until I feel a tug on my belt. I look up to see Javier frowning at me. "Don't be sad, Mamma." He says softly and I nod with a smile and close the box. "Mamma, will we ever go back to home?" He asks me as I pick him up and place him on my lap.

"I don't know bambino. Do you want to go home?" I ask and he nods eagerly.

"Yes Mamma, I miss my friends." He pouts. "But if you don't want to go back we can stay here." He adds making me smile.

"I'm sorry honey, I don't think we can go back home anytime soon. Are you feeling bored?" I ask and he nods.

"I have nothing to do here."

"How about I get you some games when I come back?" I ask making an excited smile come over his face.

"Like the ones on screen?" He asks and I nod. "Thank you, Mamma." He says wrapping his arms around my neck.

"Take care of your sister and abuela, yeah?" [Grandmother] I ask while setting him down. He nods planting a kiss on my cheek as I bend down and point it with my finger. I chuckle and place a kiss on his forehead. "I'm leaving now Javi, take care," I say heading towards the door and seeing my mother and daughter still passed out on the couch.

"Update me every hour about what they are doing," I say to the guard who nods trying to calm his trembling state down. Since the declaration about the war yesterday I was in a complete alert mode.

I reached the mansion ten minutes late but there was no one to question me so I shrug it off and walk towards the meeting room.

Or maybe not.

"You're late." A deep voice startles me as I enter the room. I meet the intense gaze of my ex-husband which activates every inch of my body. His dark brown eyes trail down my body stopping at my chest, I watch as he opens his mouth to lick his lips showing off his piercing.

Did I mention that I was horny?

"Caught up in something," I answer and walk in his direction trying to calm my hormones down. He called you a fucking whore Valentina, what's wrong with you? A voice says in my head says. I would be one for him. Another voice says making me scoff inwardly. Horny bitch.

Shaking the voices inside my head off I take a seat beside him which definitely didn't help since I could smell his intoxicating cologne. 'Christ' I mutter under my breath and cross my legs tightly when I see his large veiny hands with rings tapping on the table. The fact that he's wearing a silk shirt isn't helping me. I love silky clothes on him and love slipping them off even more.

Oh my god tell him to stop being so hot. Biting my lips I look across the room trying not to concentrate on the seducing asshole who's not even trying to be hot. As I look at the others they shuffle uncomfortably in their seats as their gazes go between me and Lorenzo. Fuck did they sense that too?

Lorenzo coughs to get their attention and everyone's head snaps to him. "Let's get this over with hm?" He asks and the others nod.

They start telling their opinions but nothing catches my interest. Those would be too predictable for Leonid. France, Germany, Sweden and Poland were on our side. It's a little bit small force compared to the Russian alleys but the number doesn't matter, it's the strategy and the work you put into it that matters.

I don't want people dying in this mess. I don't want the past to repeat itself. So if we are doing something then I want the collateral damage to be the least which might be impossible but the least we can do is try.

When it was Lorenzo's turn he looks right into my eyes before opening his mouth. "I want everyone to listen to it completely and then think about it before declining it." He says and turns back towards the others. "Firstly we can't do this from Spain. It's too dangerous to stay here considering that there was already a blast, Leonid must already know this place like the back of his hand. We're doing this from Italy, I have a place in mind which no one knows. It's practically non-existent." He says and my breathing hitches as I realise what place he's talking about. Fuck no.

"We need to break their system from inside before attacking them. We also need to have an alliance in Asia, if not at least some sort of help from Kazakhstan. The leader is someone we know very well." He sats turning to me with a slight smirk and I nod my head trying to stop myself from blushing. Arsen, the leader was some sort of our acquaintance and the last time we were invited there the leader saw us in not so decent position which still embarrasses me. The position involved included me tied up with a blindfold.

He continues to tell the plan and I find myself liking it except for the Italy part. The logical part of my mind makes me want to agree to it but it's impossible for me to stay there without having emotional crises. Every corner would remind me of him, every wall would remind me of him, hell even the floor would remind me of him. Am I ready to revisit all those memories? I don't know.

"Reina." A panicked voice interrupts my thoughts and I look at Rafael who is breathing heavily with a scared look. "Los niños." [The kids] he breaths out. "Russian men were spotted earlier heading towards the forest." He completes the sentence making me immediately stand up from my seat.