AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Once again, she whispers so softly I strain to hear her. I nod.
“It’s not maternal feelings. But they are tender. I don’t have the right words, so I want to offer me to you in a way that’s not sex. I want to take care of you, and this feels like the only thing I can do because I don’t know your world. And I can’t protect you from it even if I did.”
“I get it, my sweetpiccolina. I need to receive that tenderness as much as you need to give it. It’s all that I have.”
“Oh, Enzo. No, it isn’t. You have all of me. Mind, body, heart, and soul.”
“Some of me — a lot more of me than I want — will always belong to theCosta Nostra. It can’t be any other way. It just is. But everything else I can give… I give it all to you.”
“I can live with that.”
God, I hope so. She has no idea just how hard life can be.
“Enzo, what happens now? How do I explain a Mancinelli man outside my office?”
“Someone will be in the lobby. They will park as close as they can. Your floor is quiet, so the only time anyone might notice is when they’re going to the restroom. The complication would be any of your clients who recognize someone in my family.”
“You want someone outside my office door? You think the threat is that credible?”
“Yes. Maks wouldn’t have called if it were a simple matter they can handle with no one being the wiser.”
“Does that mean he and his family accept that we’re together? Will they try to cut me off from Laura?”
I practically snort at that.
“God help any of them if they try that. Laura hasn’t walked away from you, so no one is dumb enough to tell her she should. Besides, all of them care about you. You’re Christina’s friend now too. Konstantin and Mila adore their Auntie Chellie, and I bet Lev does too. They want you safe and happy, even if that means me.”
“Won’t the men get tired of babysitting me?”
“First of all, it isn’t babysitting. We’re all trained to be bodyguards. It’s part of our job. It isn’t babysitting when someone is guarding Mama or Maria or Auntie Carlotta, Auntie Paola, or Aunt Sylvia. Second of all, they know that being trusted with the women we care about most is a sign of respect. That level or kind of trust doesn’t go to many people. So no, it isn’t babysitting, and they won’t get tired of it.”
“What about the men in the car and lobby? You can’t assign three members of your family to me. Then there wouldn’t be enough for the other women.”
“Until there isn’t a threat anymore, you’ll have a member of my family. Once things are safe again, you’ll have a rotation of two of our most trusted men. All the women go about their daily lives when they go to work or run errands. When it’s a routine we know, then we allow top Made Men to guard the women. But a family member goes with the women any time they’re going beyond that. There’s no dictating where and when they go places. They do what they want just like women who don’t need guards.”
“What if there’s a conflict in people’s schedule, and the men in your family aren’t available?”
“Someone is made available.”
That comes out harsher than I intend, and she retreats. She nods and says nothing else.
“Chellie, I didn’t mean to snap at you. Your concerns are valid, and I didn’t mean to make it sound like they aren’t. My brothers and cousins trust me with the women they love, and I take that privilege seriously. They’ll do the same for us.”
She smiles shyly at me. I know what I’ve implied, and we just agreed we’re soulmates. But it still feels like it’s too early to actually say I love you. We haven’t even made it to the fourth date yet. Nothing about this life is slow paced. Everything happens like it’s on roids. It’s bigger, faster, heavier than it would be for regular people.
“I’m going with you tomorrow. I want to really study your building, so I can plan for the guards. Luca is in charge of assigning men to jobs. He’ll add you into the rotation. We know we can’t be up our wives’ and girlfriends’ asses. It wouldn’t be — You know what I mean, Chellie.”
The moment I say up her ass, she smirks. I give her a playful spank. She rises on her knees and sticks her ass out. I give her three more that are much heavier than the first. She gives me a peck on my nose, then settles back onto my lap to listen. Who are we?
“It wouldn’t be good for any of the relationships for that to happen. There are a few rules, though. I need you to take them seriously.”
“I will.”
“Let me tell you the ones I can think of right now. Then you can decide whether you agree.”
“If there are rules, it’s because you want to protect me. They’re ones the other women already agree to, so if they can live with them, so can I.”
“Don’t go anywhere without telling your guards. If they say no, then you listen. They’ll only tell you no if they think it’s dangerous. Whether they want to do whatever it is, is completely irrelevant. No one gives a shit about their opinion. But you will listen to their guidance. Don’t tell anyone your schedule for the day if they aren’t a part of what’s happening. Tell them you have other stuff and stay vague. If you want to drive yourself places, that’s fine. But you let your guard inspect your car if it’s been anywhere where one of our men hasn’t been watching it. They will follow you. You do not let them get more than two cars behind you. You accept rides from no one, Chellie. Not Laura. Not Christina. Not your sister or your brother. I don’t believe anyone in your family or the Kutsenkos would hurt you, but you make the others targets. Tell them you’ll meet them wherever it is, or you need your car right after you’re done. I need to take your car to one of our shops. I need to make some aftermarket changes. I’m putting a tracker on it. Go wherever you want, and I won’t question you. But if something happens, I need to be able to find you. I’m going to put a sensor near your engine. If you open the door, and the dome light doesn’t come on, you run. You do nothing but drop your shit and run as fast as you can.”
