She drops her head, shame in her eyes. I lift her chin to look at me. “Hiding only makes it worse.” I know. I tried to hide for years and it never helped.
The nurse agrees with me. Posy won’t let go of my hand. She holds onto me like the lifeline she needs. The doctor and nurse leave the room. When Capo and Maria, his wife, enter, I stand back and let them all have a moment. I watch as Capo leans forward and whispers in her ear. He’s more than likely vowing to protect her. Maria has a bag with some clothes. She directs her husband to go get her something to eat and drink, leaving just us women in the room. Posy reaches for my hand again, holding it so tightly I’d fear she’d break it if she weren’t so fragile on her own. She flinches when Maria tries to help her out of the hospital gown. As her body is fully exposed, Posy starts to panic seeing all the bruises and damage done to her. After a moment, I can tell Posy has had enough.
“Go get Nat,” Maria says, and I turn to head out and get him. If he is the only one who can calm her, she will need him.
When I look at Natale, my emotions are too raw and I can’t hide the pain. I watch his body tighten for me along with Posy. But he can’t sympathize for me, it won’t change anything. He goes into the room and helps calm her down. She’s going to need him to show her that not all people are evil.
We make our way out of the hospital with me and a couple other soldiers leading the way. Domino sticks by too after Nat lost it when we found out Posy’s father and the man responsible for hurting her have both disappeared. We exit and the feeling of being watched hits me again, but I need to focus on Posy and protecting her. The family slides into the back of the limo and I slip in with them.
We make our way to the family estate, and I help as they settle Posy. The memories still boring down on my mind. The pain in her eyes reminds me of the reflection that still sometimes stares back at me from the mirror.
Vitaly
I look down at the file again. I don’t normally take jobs like this. Women and children are the only line I have. I never cross that line. But to get out, I will do whatever I need to do. I’m tired of being told what to do. Plus, I have my own things I need to investigate.
The woman stares back at me from the image. Eyes the color of glacial ice with brown hair to her waist. Bee-stung lips meant to be wrapped around a cock are smiling at the man she’s talking to. The squeezing in my chest I’ve never felt before causes me to rub my palm against it. I pick up the camera with the high-powered lens and focus on the hospital entrance. She should be here. I’ve watched Natale Morello, the future capo, for days waiting to see her. He was just brought here in a police car.
Finally, after what feels like forever and contemplating giving up, I watch an SUV pull up in front of the entrance. I see her immediately in the passenger seat. She steps out and looks in my direction. It’s like she senses me. But I know she won’t see me in my nondescript rental car behind several other vehicles. She stands there for a moment in the open. I could finish this now, but I don’t want the attention it would bring. This needs to be done with no witnesses. Her stare is hard, controlled. She’s trained. Her body honed. She’s geared up with a gun on her shapely thigh, and I can tell she has more under her jacket. The thought of her packing causes my cock to turn to steel behind my fly. I tighten my focus on her, taking in her body. Her breasts that would fill my large hands but not overflow them. Her legs long enough to wrap around my hips as I take her against a wall. I would pull the braid down her back as I took her from behind. I need to get laid. My reaction shouldn’t be happening. Grigori would be disappointed in me. I can hear his voice in my ear now.
“Get your head in the game, notomok.”
He wasn’t my father, but he was the closest I had to one. He always referred to me as his son.
She turns and walks through the doors. Her shapely ass moving in her tailored slacks. I want to follow her to wherever she goes from here, but I won’t be able to hide in a hospital. I stick out too much. Not just in size, but appearance. The visible tattoos, piercings, and partially shaved head.
The only information I’ve received is that she is the enforcer bodyguard for the capo of the Morello family. A family that is our sworn enemy. Therefore, she is my enemy. It’s the rules. Rules I’ve lived by for years.
Hours later I watch as she walks out leading the family and several soldiers, her body still aware of me. There is something different about her though. The confident woman from earlier now has ghosts behind her eyes. Her lips are pressed firm. There’s a tightness to her jaw that wasn’t there before. I take a picture for later.
The young Morello walks out behind her with a small woman in his arms. Protecting her. My body locks when she turns her face. This woman has been abused. Her face is covered in bruises. Whoever hurt her deserves to die for beating a nevinovnyy. An innocent. That was one of Grigori’s rules too. Never hurt a woman, they are life and meant to be protected. Just like a child is the future.
I watch as my mark looks around the parking lot again before she disappears into the back of the limo. I need to investigate this more. The rules are if you take a contract, you follow through, but this one is different. I’m a monster, but I’m not soulless. I will find out what’s going on with the young woman and my mark.
I’ve been watching from my car down the block from the mansion. I hike around in the night getting to know the patterns of the security. No one left the mansion all weekend. My target was visible behind the high walls, moving across the grounds, checking with security officers. She never exited until today. Her security is good, they are never predictable.
I follow the family’s limo into town. I’m going to need to get closer as their destination could change everything. I slip the leather band off my wrist and pull my hair back into a ponytail at the back of my head. My hair is shaved close to my scalp along the sides and back but longer along the top and crown. I reach into the back for my hip-length trench coat and slip it on over my Henley, covering the tattoos on my arms and hands. My fingertips will still be visible. I slip the gun and knife I carry under the seat and step out of the vehicle. Going anywhere with absolutely no weapons feels almost like I’m naked, but I need to know why she’s at an American courthouse.
My searches have found nothing. No information on her. All I have is her name. Anatonia Lupo. An Italian woman who needs to be removed because of past sins. Her file says she is suspected in the murder of several people, including a former KGB agent who worked for Pakhan. No other names. No affiliations. Just straight up murders.
Making my way to the courthouse entrance, I slip on my sunglasses to cover my eyes. Security scrutinizes my visible ink at the checkpoint, but I ignore them. It’s just like back at home—don’t give them a reason and they won’t question you. I’ve had enough run-ins with authorities to know how to handle them. My past is littered with visits to prison. It was the only bone of contention between Grigori and me. My temper gets away from me at times.
When the scanner doesn’t indicate I’m packing, I start to walk away. A guard steps up to me and puts out his hand to hold me back. I bite back the curse before I draw more attention to me. I hold my body tight ready to escape or fight if I need to.