AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I'm sure you will recover and come to your senses," Rafael said, a teasing grin on his handsome face.
"By the Fates, I hope so," she muttered under her breath.
9
Bellona scanned the underground parking lot with sharp eyes and even sharper ears. When satisfied that they were alone, she opened Rafael's door and allowed him to get out.
Bellona half expected him to complain or find it problematic that a woman was protecting him. Most men would. Instead, Rafael followed her orders without argument and a smile on his face. Suspicious.
"You seem far too happy about going to work," Bellona commented.
Rafael swiped his black key card against a scanner, and the doors to the elevator opened. Bellona swallowed down her absolute loathing of the machines and walked in beside him.
"I'm not just going to work. I'm going to work with you. And it will only be for a few hours," Rafael said, pressing the C button. "Why do you hate elevators so much? Are you claustrophobic or something? If they somehow malfunctioned, I'm sure, as a goddess, you would survive the fall."
"It's not that. It's a death trap. A kill box." Bellona pointed to the security hatch. "Blow that in, shoot whoever is inside, escape via the cables to the roof."
"Sounds like you've thought about it," Rafael replied.
Bellona shrugged. "I've done it. More than once. I know how easy and effective it can be if done right. There's nowhere they can run to, and no one can get in to help them. It's the perfect setup."
"Mio Dio, you're making me nervous now," Rafael said, and his eyes went to the hatch again.
"Good. It would be best if you were suspicious of everything. It pays to be paranoid when everyone is trying to kill you."
Rafael frowned at the glowing numbers that told them what floor they were on.
"Are you always thinking about the best way to assassinate people? Where enemies can be hiding at any time?" he asked.
There was no use lying to him. "Yes. Always."
"That sounds exhausting. Maybe you are the one who needs to retire and take up painting."
"It's not the purpose I was created for," she said, feeling like they were on uneven ground all of a sudden.
"You said there were no temples, no followers, no Bellonari left."
Bellona shifted her weight on the balls of her feet. "What's your point?"
"Maybe you can create a new purpose," he replied.
The elevator doors opened, and she had no choice but to follow him.
"If I were the goddess of puppies and kittens, you and many other people would be dead," she muttered angrily. "Maybe think about that before you try and judge me, human."
Rafael caught her arm as she tried to walk past him.
"I'm not judging you, Bellona. I think you are incredible, and I know killing isn't all you are. You have the power to change your fate if you want to. Most people don't have that luxury," he said. He was close enough that Bellona could smell his woodsy aftershave and see the green in his eyes. Her eyes dropped to his lips, and someone cleared their throat before she could pull away.
"Is everything okay here, Mr. Asellio?" an older woman asked. "Do I need to call security?"
Rafael quickly let Bellona go. "That won't be necessary, Maria. This is Bellona. She is my new personal bodyguard. Maria is my assistant," Rafael introduced. He headed down the polished marble foyer and through the doors to a large office. "Please hold my calls. I will be unexpectedly busy for the next few hours."
"Of course," Maria said, though she gave Bellona a suspicious, disapproving look mastered by nonne all over the world. Bellona smiled. It was good to know Rafael had a guard dog.
She followed him into his office, which was tastefully decorated with beautiful dark wooden bookshelves, painted artwork, and photos of him and his parents. She checked the bathroom before letting him in. There were no bombs on the toilet or windows that anyone could snipe him through.
"Are you going to watch me get changed too?" he asked. Bellona ignored him and opened the garment bag to check the suit before passing it to him. "Really? My suit too? How would anyone kill me with a suit?"
