Page 79 of Taboo Flames

“I don’t know what’s going on between the both of you, but if you’re just going to mess around and be a dick, you better stay far from her,” he says to me. “You’re my best friend, Gio, so don’t make me choose. I’d really hate to have to kill you.”

“You can try,” I grouch at him.

He just gives me a chilling look and walks out.

A second later, I fling my glass, and it goes flying across the kitchen before shattering into the wall. I stand there, panting for several minutes and feeling like the monster Aurora accused me of being.

With Leo’s arrival, I know the safest place for her is at her brother’s side, and the only way I can keep her there while I concentrate on getting to the bottom of the matter with both Il Sguardo Nero and the Albanians is by doing what I just did.

The fact that she’s been hiding all the death threats she’s been getting makes me believe she’s more focused on this thing between us than her own very pressing issue.

She doesn’t know that I saw the death threats while she was using the bathroom this morning. It’s my duty to protect her, and I’ve been failing at it.

I pick up my phone and dial Carlos.

“Boss,” he answers. “I’ve just driven Miss Vitale home.”

“Good,” I tell him. “You need to get more men on her.”

“We can’t spare more men, boss. There’s been increased security around the docks to guard our products,” he informs me. “I can get about two men, but they’ll have to operate on shifts.”

“Do it then.”

“Done, boss,” he replies.

I hang up, and I’m tempted to send the phone crashing the same way as the glass, but I immediately change my mind.

What if Aurora tries to call me?

Fuck, I really am as whipped as Leo says I am. And anyway, there’s no chance of her calling me. Especially not after I was so mean to her.

I spend the rest of the day calling every associate I know to ask about Il Sguardo Nero and the man with the spider tattoo. It feels like whenever I start getting any leads, I automatically encounter a dead end, and it’s getting frustrating.

Damn, being the hero to save the princess from being hunted and killed by ruthless thugs didn’t sound this complicated in fairytales.

I’m sittingin my car across from Aurora’s studio a week later with my phone held to my ear. It’s become something of a ritual for me, watching her go in to work and then close up at night.

I don’t let her see me because I’m usually in a less conspicuous car and keeping a reasonable distance. I just sleep a bit better at night knowing she’s safe while also satisfying my sick craving to watch over her.

“It’s almost as if this bastard is two steps ahead of me,” I tell Giordano.

“Hmm,” he hums into the phone. “Il Sguardo Nero’s reach is deep. He has men littered everywhere, men whose mission is to keep him hidden.”

“And others whose job is to terrorize defenseless women,” I grouch.

Giordano chuckles. “For someone who has a twenty-four-seven security team, I don’t think she’s all that defenseless.”

“The security team doesn’t stop her from getting death threats on social media,” I say. “And she’s as attached to her social media as she is to her lungs.”

Giordano tsks.

“Some of my contacts in Bologna said they’ll look into it for me,” I tell him. “An anonymous contact there knows about him.”

“That’s good. I’ll be searching from my own side,” he says. “I have a feeling we’re?—”

The rest of his words fade away as I watch Aurora walk out of the studio. She’s in a red two-piece leggings and crop top set with her hair falling over her face in loose waves like a golden halo.

Her face is devoid of makeup, and I can see freckles scattered over the bridge of her nose like stars. She looks sexy…and there’s an unfamiliar man stepping out of the studio with his hands on her shoulder.

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