Page 57 of Princess of the Mafia

“Cancel it,” I snapped.

“No. I want to go,” she whined.

Well, fuck me. Since when had she got up the nerve? My jaw clenched as I tried to bite down on my anger. “Daria, don’t fucking push me.”

Her lips thinned. “Tell me why you don’t like her?”

Fuck! I can’t. This, our relationship, was too fragile to break with my past.

“If you can’t tell me, there’s no reason.” She pulled out of my grasp and hopped off the stool. “See, it doesn’t feel good to do things you don’t like, right?”

“Daria,” I said tightly.

She turned, and fear floated across her face. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair and sighed. Fuck, I couldn’t just cancel all my meetings. There was no way I was giving in. “You will allow my men to follow you everywhere, sì?”

She nodded her head wildly.

“I mean it, Daria.”

“Can they also come into the fitting rooms?” she asked with a cheeky grin.

I growled. “You go alone. Alone. Capisti?”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t let another man see me naked. As long as you don’t either,” she snapped.

“I don’t do men.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I am keeping my word, Principessa. Now wait here until I check your car,” I said tightly.

“I’m sure your men can check the car for me.”

“No.” My voice cut through the air like an ax on willow wood. “I’d like to do it myself.”

She went still with confusion, but I wasn’t in the mood to explain.

I called Danilo as I stepped out and towards the elevator. “Get my car ready for my wife. I’m coming down to check it and get two more to follow her.”

I punched in the elevator code and got in. “I want you to follow her. She’s not to be alone even for a second.” Fuck. I wanted to cancel my meetings. Fucking woman. I should have just given her back to her brother and saved myself the trouble. Because she was all of that and more.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

DARIA

Papà’s in his office, and my ten-year-old skinny frame is sitting on his battered oak desk.

“When I grow up, I’m going to be a doctor.”

He laughs a loud, robust laugh like he always does. His complete attention unwavering on my little form. “Why is that, Ria?”

“So I can treat your men. When they get pow, pow, bang, bang, I can treat them.”

He ruffles my head. “You are a princess, Ria. You don’t need to be a doctor.”

I frown. “Can’t I be both?”

“No.” His tone rings unusually hard and final.

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