Page 1 of Under His Protection

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DANTE

Dante

Romeo sat in a chair, waiting for our meeting to start. He didn’t look up as I approached. Instead, he locked his serious gaze on his phone, no doubt obsessing over the details about a business arrangement he would supervise. I gave my only son free rein in the family. The Constella Mafia organization had always been run by the patriarchs of the family, and one day, it would be Romeo’s turn to be at the head of it all.

But not yet.

I winced as I finished crossing the patio. “Isn’t it too early to look so glum?” I asked, mildly sarcastic as I reached for a chair and pulled it back.

All right. Too much with the weights today.

He smirked, squinting his blue eyes against the brilliant sunshine. As he slid his sunglasses down to cover them, he huffed a laugh. “And aren’t you too old to think you can handle that much in the gym?”

I didn’t entertain that with a reply. While I wasn’t vain, I was proud of taking care of myself, and that included a meticulous fitness regime. That was also why I definitely should’ve known better than to press that much weight too soon. I’d ignored the rule of thumb about a ten-percent weekly increase, and I would be paying for it. Stretching my arms above my head, I lightly groaned. “You’re only as old as you feel.”

“And I’m guessing you’re feeling over your fifty.”

I shot him a look as I relaxed into my chair. “Watch it.” Come this fall, I would be fifty, but I didn’t dread it. I’d outlived my father, who’d outlived my grandfather. In our world, mortality ran on the skimpy side. We thrived with violence and anted up to any danger. I intended to maintain my position as the Boss for many more years yet. Romeo knew it, too, and that was why I was confident he was merely joking.

And his attempt at humor was welcome. Ever since he’d taken the blame for three of our Constella soldiers being killed, Romeo had been sour and bitter. He struggled to overcome the survivor's guilt, and I hoped he would continue to lighten up and move on from that unfortunate incident. The sooner we all moved on from the Domino war, the better. Dust was still settling from that massive drama within our world, but with every day that passed, things calmed down again.

“Sorry I’m late,” Franco said as he hurried across the patio. Behind him, two ornate fountains tinkled and streamed water. To my left, the pool lay sparkling and still, begging for me to jump in and swim. He wasn’t tardy to a party, which this lavish outdoor space was designed for, just a small gathering.

“You’re not,” I told the man. Even though he was a distant cousin, he was still an employee of the organization. Without Franco, Romeo and I would struggle to keep up with running the many businesses of the Constella empire. This rugged bodybuilder was our highest-ranking capo, and I’d never discipline him for being behind schedule. I maintained a busy agenda, but I didn’t know how he handled his.

“I had to get rid of the ‘guest’ again.” He rolled his eyes as he sat, emphasizing that word with air quotes.

“Who?” I glanced between my son and my capo.

“Who else?” Romeo muttered, putting his phone in his pocket.

I settled my expectant stare on Franco, who sighed heavily.

“Vanessa Giovanni,” he replied reluctantly, as though he didn’t want to bother me with her name.

Goddammit. As I looked toward the house, almost expecting the woman to appear, I tried to hold back a cringe. Tried and failed.

“Don’t worry. She’s gone,” Franco assured us.

“This time,” I quipped. Vanessa was young and gorgeous. Sexy. Cunning. And completely unwelcome around my home.

“We’ve had the guards watching out for her car at the gate,” Franco said.

Romeo snorted. “Which she’s clearly figured out because she comes in a different car every time she just so happens to stop by.”

I shook my head, zoning out a bit as I watched the water ripple over the rim of a shell carved in the fountain. Years ago, I would’ve been flattered. My first wife died thirty years ago, and those three decades since had been lonely. Sure, I slept around when I cared to, but I’d lacked any true sense of companionship for far too long. My work—managing and building all the Constella businesses—served as a preoccupation from the fact that I was a bachelor. Vanessa wasn’t shy about her interest in me, but she projected it in a predatory manner that turned me off.

“May as well just fuck her and get it over with.”

I narrowed my eyes at Romeo. “Hell no. She’d only try to dig her claws in deeper.”

Franco removed his sunglasses, fortunate to be seated in the shade. “Do you think she’s after you? Or the money and name?”

Romeo laughed. “Probably all of the above.”

We weren’t here to chitchat about how attractive I might be to a woman like Vanessa. She was a bombshell in her own right, and countless men would salivate over a chance with her. As the eldest daughter of the Giovanni family, another Mafia organization, she had her own family wealth and influential name.

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