Chapter 8: Tony & Tory
1478 Words
Vincenzo POV
Alpha Dominic was making this far more difficult than it needed to be.
Every answer I gave was questioned.
Every statement was examined.
Every promise was weighed as if he were trying to determine whether I was a man or a loaded weapon waiting to go off.
The worst part?
I couldn’t even blame him.
If I had a daughter, I would probably be doing the exact same thing.
That didn’t make it any less irritating.
Because this meeting wasn’t just important.
It was critical.
Failure wasn’t an option.
Not for me.
Not for Ariel.
Not if I wanted any control over my own future.
My father had given me a mission.
A simple one.
Secure the bond.
Earn the trust of the Valor family.
Prove that I was capable of handling the responsibilities waiting for me.
And if I failed?
Then Ariel would become someone else’s problem.
Someone else’s opportunity.
Someone else’s future.
Specifically, my half-brother’s.
The thought alone made my blood boil.
The i***t couldn’t manage his own life.
The last thing he needed was a mate like Ariel.
Which was precisely why I intended to succeed.
No matter how many questions Dominic asked.
No matter how many contracts he shoved in front of us.
No matter how many warnings he delivered.
Taking a slow breath, I spoke again.
Carefully.
Measured.
Choosing each word the same way I would choose a weapon.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ariel suddenly focus on something she had been reading.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Still, I continued.
“That is why I am speaking truthfully.”
My eyes returned to Dominic.
“To the best of my ability, I am explaining that I have no desire for anyone to view my future as a threat.”
I paused.
“Except myself, if it ever comes to that.”
The room remained quiet.
Good.
That meant they were listening.
“Alpha Valor, I understand that what my family does is not for everyone.”
That was probably the understatement of the century.
“I respect that.”
And surprisingly, I meant it.
“However, I am not in a position where I can gamble my feelings because they make others uncomfortable.”
My gaze briefly shifted toward Ariel before returning to Dominic.
“Nor am I willing to allow members of my family to make decisions regarding my mate.”
That part was directed at several people.
Not just Dominic.
Not just Ariel.
Everyone.
“Despite the risks that come with my family, we both know there are advantages as well.”
Dominic’s expression hardened slightly.
I pressed forward anyway.
“The resources my family possesses are not easily found elsewhere.”
That finally got his attention.
A real reaction.
Not annoyance.
Not skepticism.
Consideration.
The Alpha leaned back in his chair and released a slow breath.
And for the first time since entering the room, I felt like the conversation had actually begun.
Alpha Dominic finally spoke once I finished.
“Those words are more than truthful. Your family is a double-edged sword at best, but I cannot deny that your help could bring many things together.”
His gaze shifted briefly toward Ariel.
“And in the future, create a much stronger union.”
The way he looked at her caught my attention.
Not because it was unusual.
Because it wasn’t.
It was the look of a father.
Protective.
Proud.
Worried.
The kind of look I had spent my entire life watching other people receive.
Even though my own father never gave a damn about me, that didn’t mean I couldn’t recognize what love looked like.
What protection looked like.
What family looked like.
The Valor family wasn’t perfect.
Far from it.
But sitting here, watching them interact, I could understand why Ariel fought so hard to stay close to them.
Why she feared leaving them behind.
Why she looked at me as if I were trying to steal something precious.
Because in her eyes, I probably was.
“You do realize,” Alpha Dominic continued, “that if we agree to this, you will also be agreeing to these contracts.”
His hand tapped the stack of paperwork resting on the desk.
“You will uphold every clause just as we will uphold yours.”
Then another voice spoke.
The older woman.
Ariel’s grandmother.
The woman who somehow looked frighteningly similar to the three brothers despite her age.
“Are you truly confident we won’t be fooled?”
The room became quiet.
Everyone waiting.
Everyone watching.
It wasn’t an accusation.
It was a test.
One I had expected.
Turning toward her, I nodded respectfully.
“That is a good rule for any family.”
And I meant it.
“In my family, failure is not taken lightly.”
That was putting it mildly.
“Contracts are taken very seriously.”
Even among ourselves.
Especially among ourselves.
A signed agreement wasn’t just paper.
It was law.
It was obligation.
It was survival.
Break one and consequences followed.
Sometimes financial.
Sometimes political.
Sometimes far worse.
Of course, there were exceptions.
There always were.
But that wasn’t information anyone in this room needed to hear.
Not today.
Not while I was trying to earn their trust.
Because despite everything, despite Ariel’s resistance, despite Dominic’s warnings, despite the mountain of paperwork sitting between us…
This family was still giving me something most people never would.
A chance.
And for Ariel?
I intended to take it.
She never looked away from me.
Not once.
The older woman continued studying me as if she could somehow see every lie I had ever told.
Honestly?
That wasn’t entirely impossible.
So I decided to remove every doubt I could.
“At this moment, all I can offer are my words,” I said calmly. “Soon enough, I intend to prove them through my actions.”
The second the sentence left my mouth, my phone vibrated.
Normally I would have ignored it.
Normally.
But tonight had already become far from normal.
Glancing down, I unlocked the screen.
Unknown Number| Boss, we have a mole.
My entire body went still.
A mole?
Inside my organization?
That wasn’t a problem.
That was a disaster.
A hundred possibilities immediately ran through my head.
Who?
How long?
What information had been compromised?
And more importantly—
What had they already done?
Before I could answer, Ariel spoke.
“You’re in the mafia?”
Every eye in the room shifted toward me.
I looked directly at her.
There was no point lying now.
Not about this.
“Yes.”
The room remained silent.
“Yes, I am.”
Ariel’s expression hardened.
I continued anyway.
“And I am not simply involved in it.”
There was no reason to soften the truth.
“I’m one of the most important people within my family.”
That earned several reactions.
Most of them exactly what I expected.
Fear.
Concern.
Suspicion.
Ariel looked annoyed.
That one was expected too.
“But none of that changes what you are to me.”
I held her gaze.
“You are my mate.”
For a brief second, neither of us looked away.
“I will protect you with my life if necessary.”
The words came easier than I expected.
Because they were true.
“You are my other half.”
Ariel immediately looked away.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Unfortunately, there were bigger problems.
I turned toward Alpha Dominic.
“However, there is something more important we need to discuss.”
My hand tightened slightly around the phone.
“The warnings regarding possible kidnappings.”
The room instantly became serious.
Good.
They understood the gravity of the situation.
“Have there been any recent attempts to kidnap someone here?”
Alpha Dominic immediately shook his head.
“No.”
Before anyone could continue, Ariel suddenly spoke.
“Tony and Tory.”
The room froze.
“I heard someone talking about kidnapping them.”
Now everyone was looking at her.
Not me.
Not Dominic.
Her.
Ariel swallowed hard before continuing.
“One of Vincenzo’s men was talking on the phone.”
My pulse immediately accelerated.
“Ariel,” Dominic said carefully, “what exactly did you hear?”
“Ariel said she overheard someone discussing the twins.”
The older woman behind Dominic growled.
A protective sound.
The kind only family made.
“No one is getting near your brothers,” she snapped. “I already told you not to worry about that.”
Ariel looked unconvinced.
Honestly?
So was I.
Because while everyone else was trying to calm her down…
I was staring at the message still glowing on my phone.
Boss, we have a mole.
And suddenly Ariel’s story sounded a lot less like paranoia.
And a lot more like a warning.
One that might have arrived too late.
- Writer
