Page 116 of Merciless Queen

“I’ve seen this one in the clubs on his off time.” My finger stabs into the first. “So no.” What a soldier does on his days off isn’t my concern, as long as he remains loyal, but he goes home with a different woman all the time. Guarding Serafina willmean little down time, and I’ll cut off his balls if he starts to see her as a replacement for the women he sleeps with.

“This one...” I point to the next. “...is also a no.” I’ve watched him in training, and he doesn’t have the skill I’m seeking. He’s not subtle enough.

The third—also not right. He looks too charming.

The fourth—no. Because.

Elio gathers the four files and adds them to the other six discarded ones, watching me with that tick in his brow. “Signore, maybe consider why you’ve just denied ten of our best.”

“Because I don’t want this for her.” The deep sigh works heavy through my lungs. “None of it. An arranged marriage to another Family. Bodyguards. This is everything I ensured she’d be safe from.”

Elio’s mouth folds down, the wrinkles in his face becoming more apparent. Any time soon, I’m expecting him to announce his retirement after many years of faithful service to both Padre and me, but each passing year, he continues working. Secretly, I’m pleased to still have him around and will mourn the day he isn’t.

“It’s necessary until I get the union terminated, but the fact Ihaveto is what’s killing me.”

I’ve toyed with the concept before, simply because that girl gets herself in too much trouble, and I’d rather she have someone around her, but now that she needs one, I’m hesitating.

“Is it necessary? Considering you don’t think Alessandro will act until he’s ready to make the union formal.”

I stare at my mentor. “I’d rather be right and have someone on her, then wrong and not.”

Elio drums his fingers along the folders. “What if you’re onto something there? What if you don’t, and Vitale tries something.Wouldn’t that be grounds to take it to the Commission and break the deal?”

Maybe.It’s certainly a possibility I could consider. Not that I’d want to put Serafina in any danger, but Elio makes a point. It’d be a method that sheds the least amount of blood.

The door opens and Nero strides across the room, saving me from coming up with a response. He storms up to the other side of my desk, barely sparing Elio a glance.

“That number you asked me to check out—pay-as-you-go. It’s not registered to anyone.”

“No university student would use a pay-as-you-go phone,” Elio states. “Not nowadays. Not when their lives are packed into those small devices.”

Nero snorts. “Showing your age there, old man. But he’s right, Z. It’s weird.”

“I agree,” I say, looking between them. “A non-registered phone means Sera’s friend is trying to hide who they are. Don’t you find it a bit coincidental that they became friends around her eighteenth birthday? The very birthday in which an agreement has her wed off.”

Nero breathes out,“Shit.”

“I can go get her,” Elio offers, already twisting away. “Hide her here. Maybe if you tell her what’s going on, she’ll admit who this guy is.”

“No, I know my sister. She’ll see it as me trying to keep her away from him. She’ll think I’m lying, and then she’ll do what she does best: disappear. I can’t have her bolting when she gets annoyed at me.” My gaze finds the stack of files again, and with a defeated sigh, I grab the top two. The one I claimed looked too charming, and the other I never had a reason for rejecting. “These two. Send them to Ostia with orders that they’re not to be seen by her. I’ll still call my mother and let her know. And tell them to keep a lookout on any men she hangs around with andto report with pictures of them. Before I accuse the Vitales, or piss off Sera, I’d rather be certain.”

Elio gathers all the files, accepted and discarded, and slips them under his arm. “I’ll get on that right away.”

“Thank you.” I wait until he disappears from the office before addressing Nero. “This is a fucking nightmare.”

“Smart plan. Tipping off Sera will mean she’ll hide this guy. At least now, you can get answers.”

Rubbing a hand over my face makes me realize how exhausting this situation is. Hell, thisday’sbeen. I wonder if, by now, Vanessa has faced her demon yet.

“How’d the drop-off go?”

“As it should have,” Nero replies. “They got him to Russia early this morning. Did the handoff with one of her Elite members at the edge of the territory.”

“She called me.”

Nero whistles. “No shit, it actually worked. Well, for Sera’s sake, I hope she was worth it.”

She is.Words I don’t—can’t—dare speak aloud.

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