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The memory of that stopped me. “What rules?”
“I’ll leave you alone—”
“Now who’s lying? Your father ordered you to tail after me, and something tells me you follow orders.”
He paused. “All he said was that you were to be kept safe. My rules will ensure that.” He smiled slowly, and I could practically see the wheels turning. Eli was getting off on the idea of outsmarting his father. I stored that knowledge away for later.
“Are you going to tell me these rules?” This conversation was getting old, quickly.
“Rule One: Stay out of my way.”
My nails dug into my arm as I tried not to launch myself at Eli and tear his eyes out of his skull. “Kind of hard to do.”
He shook his head. “Not if you follow Rule Two.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I leveled Eli with what I hoped was my most withering stare. “And that is?”
He leaned close, and my body tensed. He’d given me space, but I was still up against the brick wall, and there was nowhere to go.
I tried not to cringe as he pressed his lips to my ear once more. “Obey my every command.”
CHAPTERTEN
What the actual fuck was wrong with me?I wondered as I stormed into my father’s office. After dropping Carla off at the house, I made a beeline for Blanchi Enterprises to talk to my father.
Carla had been with us for a weekend, and already, I was sure that she needed to go. Immediately.
If not back to California, she needed to be far away from me.
“What’s wrong?” My father’s voice was stern and concerned as he walked into his office. “Hardy said that you were in here. You never come to the office unless I ask for you.”
The worry in his eyes made me feel silly. “It’s Carla.”
His expression narrowed. There was a flash of fear in his eyes. Just a small one, but it lent credence to my belief that there was more to Carla’s presence than a party girl who’d been exiled from her family.
“What happened? Your mother said that she got home alright. You were with her, weren’t you?”
The accusation in his tone was one I didn’t like. My entire life I’d done what he asked, but this was too much. “I was with her,” I snapped.
“Then, what is the problem?”
He sat down at his desk, undoing the buttons on his jacket. In seconds he went from the concerned father to the mob enforcer. The transition was so effortless that it would have given me whiplash if I was not used to it.
“Why did Carla’s father send her to us?” I pressed.
“Does it matter?”
My hands trembled as I tried to control the anger that was peaking inside of me. Screaming in my father’s face would not get me what I wanted. It wasn’t something that he would respect, and he wouldn’t allow it from me. Matteo, maybe, but not me. I was supposed to be the responsible one after all.
“You are asking me to protect this girl, but I don’t even know from what.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I meant from herself,” he said. “Perhaps I should have been clearer.”
Our eyes collided, and I took the opportunity to examine him closely to see if he was lying. Something in my gut told me there was more to Carla than I suspected, but my father was telling me that that wasn’t the case. Would he lie to me?
Yes, I thought.He would.
“Look.” He got up from his seat and pressed a warm hand to my shoulder. He gave me a small, warm smile. “I know that you aren’t happy about Carla, but there’s nothing else going on with her other than that her father wanted to give her a fresh start.”
