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Me: How’s Alexis?
Nick: Call her.
It’s not like I haven’t thought about it because the sexual energy was hot as fuck, but my lifestyle is not every girl’s cup of tea. I’m just not willing to go through the misery of trying to mold someone into something they’re not, even for the delectable Ms. Alexis Barrington.
The next text alerts me to boat movement just off the shore on the Amalfi Coast, too fucking close to Chase’s estate and exactly where we’re headed. I have no idea how these hotshot Italian Mafiosi found us, but I’m about to learn, and they’re going to regret their overstep when I do.
I stand and stretch, grab a bottle of water from the fridge, and take a long, cold swig, steeling myself for the conversation to come. Chase is already worried about Katarina’s safety, and this will compound everything, but it needs to be done.
I fix my tie, don my suit jacket, and head out to the main cabin. Chase and Katarina are awake, and she’s sitting on his lap attempting to hide a blush when I walk in. He assures me that Katarina needs to hear whatever I have to say, so I don’t mince words but give it to him straight, letting them both know what I’ve learned about the intrusion to their compound on the coast.
I get a thoughtful look and then a gradually growing smile. Chase doesn’t seem at all concerned that the Italian Family, who we suspect of putting a hit out on Katarina’s father and has boats surrounding his entire villa, are in the vicinity and know we’re here. Instead, he wants to give the fuckers a phone call when we get closer and let them know we’ve arrived.
He’s looking at me with a smirk on his face. “It will make for a great icebreaker.”
“I can’t wait to see how this shit goes down,” I reply, grinning.
He laughs. “You’ll have a front-row seat. Still running point, right?”
“Roger that, as soon as I get a game plan together,” I answer, shaking my head at our charismatic leader, who is always calm and collected and seems more than amused at the thought of catching the Italian Family with their pants down.
We spend the next couple hours modifying the original security plan, deploying more of our European teams to Italy, and getting them in place before we land.
The transfer from the airport to Chase’s villa on the coast goes smoothly, and then Chase informs us about a Family gathering, one where all the members of the Italian Mafia will be, and in the center of it all, my charge, Katarina Meilers Prestian Larussio. It’s going to take planning, careful fucking planning to ensure her safety. Chase looks grim when he tells us, and while I’m positive he’d love to keep her away from every single one of these people, we both know his spirited wife will need to be there as the daughter of Carlos Larussio.
She’ll try her best to win the Italian side of the family over on her dad’s idea of the new casino in Vegas since he’s in a coma and can’t speak for himself, but the Italians have fought Carlos tooth and nail to keep that from happening, and there are men in this room—myself included—who don’t doubt for a moment that they could have been behind his accident.
I’m paid to protect her, not only from the family, but from anything that places her in harm’s way, and I don’t have a good feeling about this fucking meeting at all. We’re still trying to plug a recent leak. Somewhere there’s a rat, and I don’t intend for Katarina or Chase to get caught up in whatever it is that’s playing out on this side of the world while Alexis recuperates.
It’s beena few days since Alexis’ accident, and she’s been doing exactly as instructed, laying low and resting, but it’s been hours since the last update from Nick. I send him a text to find out what the plan is for today.
Nick: The ladies are both fine. Alexis still hasn’t left the house.
Me: Good. Is she planning to stay home again today?
Nick: I’m the babysitter for how long? It’s been days. Call her!
Me: Fuck you!
Nick: That’s what your cranky ass needs!
I ignore Nick’s response, but the thought of Alexis looking up at me with her head tilted, surveying me with those deep blue-violet eyes, the ones that appear to see right into my very depths as her pink tongue swipes over her lip, causes my dick to harden.
Nick’s right—I need to do something. Decide to call her, or not, get laid, perhaps break the craving I have for the sassy little blonde who would never fit into my world. I’ve read and reread her dossier. A good girl through and through. One serious boyfriend that lasted for about six months, but outside of that, not much dating to speak of, just complete and unwavering dedication to work and school. The only thing she seems to do outside of that is hang out with her best friend Allie, who isn’t noted to have a partner either.
There’s another club not far from where we’re staying in Italy. It’s listed as a commonly frequented location on the dossiers for both Giovanni Larussio and his oldest cousin Salvatore. They both like what the BDSM world has to offer, and while memberships are almost impossible to get, an open invitation has been extended to anyone on Chase’s security team, and maybe taking advantage of that perk will clear my head and allow me to focus on something other than Ms. Barrington.
I flip through the club’s website on my phone, scrolling through the online pages that showcase woman after woman wearing extraordinarily little. A great ad, but damn if my dick doesn’t even show up to notice. Even the women who are usually my type hold little appeal, and that alone should tell me just how fucked I really am. The more I think of Alexis, the more I want her, and the thought of giving in and pursuing the beautiful Ms. Barrington causes my heart to race with an excitement I haven’t felt for way too long.
It’s hours later when I receive the next text from Nick, and my jaw locks tight as I read the message, and then reread it.
Nick: Alexis went to work. SOB was spotted watching her from the burger bar across the street. He took off before we could close in.
I immediately connect with him.
“Nick here.”
“What the fuck happened? I thought we had surveillance on the guy?”
