Soulless Devil (Sons of Valentino #3)(58)

“Okay, I gotta go.”

“Talk to you at halftime,” I say, cutting the call and walking back into the room with the weight of the fucking world on my shoulders.





Romeo walks back into the room, and straightaway I can tell something’s wrong. My eyes follow him to the wet bar, watching as he downs a glass of whiskey.

“I’ll be back.” I excuse myself from Holly, who has to be the world’s best mother-in-law. I mean, I haven’t had any others and never plan to, but to say I’m a little in love with Holly Valentino is an understatement. “Everything okay? And don’t try to lie to me and tell me it is.”

Romeo turns to look at me, his arm wraps around the back of my shoulders, and he pulls me into my favorite place in the whole world. His arms. My face rests against his chest. “Luca is nervous that something’s wrong,” he says.

“Okay, what do you think?” I ask him.

“I thought it was just his pregame nerves. But what if something is wrong? What if I’ve brought you and Matilda here and it’s not safe?” His words are softly spoken into my ear.

“Look around, Romeo. We’re surrounded by your family. We couldn’t be safer.”

“You could be at home,” he says.

“Romeo, you and Luca really need to get your shit together. You can’t stop Matilda from entering the world. I hate to break it to you, but she will grow up. She will have friends. She’ll even go to sleepovers at other people’s places. She’s a kid, so let her be one.”

“She’s a fucking princess. And, as for sleepovers, that’s never fucking happening. Ever,” he grunts.

I laugh. I love that he’s protective. He just goes a little overboard sometimes. “Look, if something happens, I have faith that you, your brothers, and your dad will handle it and get us all out in one piece.”

Romeo inhales and exhales before he releases me from his arms. “You’re right.”

“Haven’t you heard?” I ask him.

“What?”

“I’m always right.” I smile.

Romeo laughs and tugs me towards where his brothers are crowded at the window. His dad is still cuddling with Matilda over on the sofa with Holly, who’s trying to get another turn at holding her grandbaby.

“Game’s about to start,” Romeo hollers out to everyone. The whole family stands against the window, watching the game below. We all cheer and roar as Luca runs onto the field. I’m so freaking proud of him. He set out to achieve this dream and he did it.

“Wait, Kat Star is singing the anthem?” Savannah squeals in excitement.

“No way!” I say, shoving my face closer to the window.

“Why didn’t anyone tell us?” Maddie asks.

“Ah, because you’re all fucking crazy.” This comes from Uncle Neo. My father-in-law reaches out and slaps him across the head. “Ow, what the fuck, T?”

“Don’t call my daughters crazy,” he grunts.

“If the shoe fits…” Neo says, sidestepping another slap.

“Okay, shhh, she’s about to start singing,” I tell them.





Something’s not right. I know Romeo insists it’s just my usual pregame jitters, but that’s not it. I know what pregame jitters are. This feeling in the pit of my stomach is not nerves. It’s dread. Something is going to go down. I just fucking wish I knew what it was.

Standing here, in line with my teammates for my first professional game, I should be pumped. Instead, I’m scanning the field, the crowd, the makeshift platform stage right in front of me. That’s when I see it. A red beam in the center of the singer’s chest. Without thought, I charge forward. It takes me three seconds to reach the girl and tackle her to the ground. I cover her body with my own. Ten more seconds, and we’re surrounded by security while people yell and pull at me.

My gaze is locked on the caramel-honey eyes belonging to the woman currently beneath my much larger frame. She has me in some sort of trance. I can’t tear my focus away. Until a sharp pain radiates through my side when two big security guards roll me off her.

I’ve been shot. It’s not the first time I’ve had a bullet rip through my body—fucking hurts like a motherfucker though. However, when my head drops to the side and I see her face, I know it was worth it. “In case I die today, you should know you’re really fucking beautiful,” I tell her.

“Thank you, but you’re not dying. I can’t live with that kind of guilt, so you’ll just have to suck it up and live.” She smiles.





I run. The second I see Luca race from his spot on the field, I ran out the door.

“Neo, get the girls out of here,” I yell as I exit the room. I can hear footsteps following me, I don’t look back though. I feel it. The moment my brother is hit, I get a sharp pain in the right side of my body. “Fuck, he’s been shot!” I say, turning around to see my dad, Theo, and Matteo all crowded behind me.

I run faster. I need to get to him. He’s fucking out there alone. He should never be alone. I push through the throngs of people who are rushing for the exit. We’re the only ones running towards the field. It’s utter chaos. I get to the stage just as Luca is being pulled up on a stretcher.