Page 27 of Under His Control

Shit.As soon as the words left my lips, I realized what I'd said. I saidciviliansin reference to everyone else in that parking lot. ButIwas supposed to be a civilian.

Funny that I couldn’t remember to act like it. The need to defend and protect wasn’t something I’d ever switch off, and I wondered if I was being selfish not to join the Constellas.

If I weren’t there… If she was shot…

I didn’t want to consider it. My feelings about Eva were complicated, but I damn well didn’t want her to be harmed. I cared. I cared far too much and didn’t want to admit it, but I felt like I was stuck in a position where I shouldn’t, that I didn’t belong with her, with these people she called her family.

Fuck.It was all getting so twisted up. She was supposed to be nothing more than a woman I had a quickie with, a stranger Icould consider more like a friend after we shopped and fell into an easier companionship. While we focused on buying things for Olivia and just talking, getting to know more about each other, we could shelve the intense magnetism and deny the chemistry that hadn’t faded between us.

But now I was stuck worrying about her safety.

And wanting to be the one to protect her.

No. This can’t be the answer. Recruit with the Mafia straight out of the military? It’s nonsense.

When we arrived, Eva turned off the engine and glanced at me. “Someone will bring your things in. Uncle Dante will expect you to report to him about this.”

She sounded resigned, but I couldn’t help but wonder what she was really thinking and feeling.

“Yeah. I figured as much,” I mumbled as I got out of the car. The need to make sure she was all right was still ingrained in me. I followed right behind her on the short walk inside.

Once we entered, Romeo approached. “Liam?”

“Yeah, yeah.” I nodded, glancing back toward Eva to check once more that she was all right. It was a scare, and even if she was used to the possibility of danger, that didn’t mean she couldn’t be traumatized.

She was already gone, heading further into the house.

I sighed, hating that the privacy and companionship we’d shared was gone. It had been shattered in that moment of danger, and I wasn’t sure when to count on fighting for that middle ground with her again. If we weren’t avoiding each other, we were arguing. Something in the middle was a nice break.

Following Romeo into an office, I braced myself to debrief the Mafia men. It was so similar to being in the army, this expectation to report in and be brief and clear with details.

Strangely, it felt normal. Good. Like I’d never stopped being an identity of defense, just in another place and using my training and skills in a different way.

Answering to Dante wasn’t a hardship, either. He wasn’t a hard ass like my supervisors in the military. He sat in a chair, alert but not barking orders just because he was my superior in rank.

“What happened?” It was a blunt, direct, and simple question I could answer freely.

“I thought we were being followed throughout the day. I noticed it more when we entered or exited the stores. At first, I thought it was a matter of getting used to the guards tailing us.” I looked at all three men—Dante, Romeo, and Franco—to make sure they understood. “They weren’t slacking. They were attentive and alert on duty as her bodyguards. In the parking lot, I scanned the perimeter and detected movement in a reflection.”

Franco nodded. “You know what to look for, huh?”

Dante cleared his throat. “We’ve looked into your background, Liam. Tessa can vouch for you, but that only goes so far.”

I dismissed him with a wave. “I’m not surprised. I’d be more surprised if a man in your positiondidn’tlook into anyone he let stay in his house.”

He nodded. “Go on.”

“That’s pretty much it. I spotted a sniper and calculated which angle he’d be shooting from. Then I covered Eva and made sure she stayed down until backup came.”

Romeo raised his brows. “Very impressive, knowing which way to dive. Not every man would know.”

I huffed a dry laugh. “Yeah, well, I’ve been there and done that.”

“Yet you won’t consider joining us? Working for me?” Dante asked, serious and not wheedling.

“I have been thinking about it.”And I’m thinking about it a lot more since I just jumped into action to keep Eva safe.“And I’ll continue to think about your offer. But it’s not a simple decision of choosing an employer. Now that I’ve got to adjust—quickly—to being a father and figuring out how to balance being a single parent, on top of leaving a career that I’d been in without pause for a long time…”

Franco patted my back. “Think about it some more.”

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