Without meaning to, I fall back a step when he drops the pen on the desk and rises from his chair. His towering frame dominates the room, making everything else seem so small.
Standing inches from me, he buttons his black blazer, which likely cost more than my college tuition, and nods toward the doorway. I take that as my cue to get the fuck out, and when I turn to leave, he follows me. My heart jumps at his closeness. I breathe in the scent of his earthy and manly aftershave while praying I don’t trip and fall on my face.
“Dario,” he yells when we enter the foyer.
A familiar guy rushes out of the guest bathroom, zipping his jeans, and nearly loses his balance when he brakes to a stop in front of us. “Yeah, boss?”
Dario Leoni is from my neighborhood. He was trouble then, and with the Marchetti influence, I’m sure he’s worse.
I tug at the collar of my dress, anticipating Cristian’s next move.
Cristian jerks his head in my direction. “Watch Natalia. You can drive her to collect her belongings from her home and bring her back. Otherwise, don’t let her out of your sight.”
“What if I need to use the bathroom?” I ask because it’s who I am.
Ignoring me, he keeps his focus on Dario. “You can take your eyes off her if she needs to piss.”
“How very nice of you,” I grumble.
This time, Cristian acknowledges my remark. His stare is cold, and he bares his teeth while saying, “I think a man saving your life is plenty nice, sweetheart.”
I warmly smile at Dario. “No offense to Dario, but are you confident he’s the best person to protect me?”
Dario glowers and grunts in disapproval.
My question isn’t out of line. Dario is scrawny, has little muscle, and reminds me of Gumby.
Cristian lifts his chin and makes a show of looking down at me, as if I were vermin that just ran over his Italian leather shoes. “My home is Fort fucking Knox, Natalia. And let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “You’ve yet to show yourself valuable enough for better protection. Start a list of every Lombardi secret you know, and then we’ll determine the degree of security you’re worth. Gigi is in Italy, but you can sleep in her room or the guest room. You know where both are, I presume?”
Good thing this man hardly speaks in public because he’s a grade-A asshole.
Not that I’d tell him this. The need to live thing outweighs my need for sarcasm. So, I nod.
“Good.” He straightens his blazer before adjusting his cuff links. “Make that list, Natalia.”
“I’ll need time.”
“Tonight. If it’s lacking, that proves you don’t want to live.”
CHAPTER 2
CRISTIAN
Dario groans when I fist his shirt collar and shove him into a corner, out of earshot from Natalia.
“Touch her, and you’ll be pissing blood for the next month,” I hiss, tightening my grip.
Dario fails to meet my eyes. “Yes, boss.”
Natalia bruised his ego by questioning his competence in keeping her safe.
Not that I blame her. We brought Dario into the family two weeks ago, and he’s yet to show his worth, making him the perfect babysitter for the woman who has yet to prove her worth. I consider tonight a trial for them both.
Dario rubs at his neck when I release him. Without granting him or Natalia another glance, I walk out of the mansion and into the night. My chauffeur, Francis, is waiting for me in front of a running Escalade in the horseshoe driveway.
“Good evening, Mr. Marchetti,” Francis greets, tipping his hat down before opening the SUV door for me.
I nod in acknowledgment and duck into the leather back seat.
“Why is Lombardi Jr.’s girl here?” Rocky asks from the front seat as soon as Francis shuts the door behind me.
Rocky is my consigliere—ranking underneath my son, Benny. His family has worked for the Marchetti family for three generations. He’s been loyal to me since the day I took over after my father’s murder. He was at my side when I had to prove that even though I was young, I could run the family better than any of the other incompetent motherfuckers who thought they could do a better job because they were as old as dirt.
I clench my jaw at him referring to Natalia as Vinny’s girl. I hardly know Natalia, but she deserves better than Vinny. Hell, the hookers on the corner who blow men and then rob them in hotel rooms deserve better than him. Better than the men they rob, really. I’m shocked the idiot is still breathing with his hotheaded temper.
“She’s not his girl.” I crack my knuckles and sit back when Francis joins us in the SUV. “He put a bounty on her, so she came to me for protection.”
“Since when do we play bodyguard to random bitches?” Rocky huffs, shaking his scarred bald head. “If they aren’t family, they aren’t shit—”
His shoulders tighten when the barrel of my Glock 19 presses to the side of his skull. I always keep a piece within reach for situations like this.
“That’s my daughter’s best friend.” I grind the barrel into his head. “Call her a bitch again, and you won’t have a mouth to do it a second time.”
“Sorry, boss.” Rocky slowly lifts his hands and rests them on the glove box. “My apologies.”
Loyal or not, I won’t tolerate disrespect. We will protect whomever I want, whenever I want, and I want no argument out of my men.
I make a point to add extra pressure on his skull before drawing my gun away and sitting back. “Natalia will offer every detail the Lombardi moron told her.”
Rocky shakes his head. “Vinny isn’t dumb. He wouldn’t have told her shit.”
“Vinny is one of the stupidest motherfuckers in the world. I guarantee you, he told her too much.”
Rocky only nods—smart enough not to continue arguing with me.
“Information is information.” I smirk, ready to deliver further punishment for him mouthing off. “Make sure Natalia doesn’t die while feeding me that information. She dies, you die.”
Rocky twists in his seat to look at me in irritation. “What?”
“Keep the bitch alive, Rocky.” I enunciate each word sternly.
“I thought calling her a bitch was off-limits?” Rocky sounds like a teenage girl bitching rather than a man in his fifties.
“Off-limits to you. Nothing is off-limits to me.”
He forces a composed expression on his face. “You’re using her to get to Vinny, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I reply with no shame.
I will squeeze everything out of Natalia.
Then, she will become bait.
“Mickey, Mickey, Mickey,” I taunt. Like a vulture, I circle the stupid motherfucker who owes me a hundred grand. “I’ve given you enough time to bring me my money.”
“I’m trying, Cristian!” Mickey screeches, spitting out blood. “I’m trying!”
“Trying, huh?” Without allowing him a chance to reply, I slam my fist into his face and smirk in satisfaction at the sound of his nose cracking. “Word is, you’re shooting my money up your veins.”