Page 12 of Guarded Rebellion

I shook my head, stepping into place behind her.She can refer tohimby name? And lighten up to joke around? What gives?I wanted to know why she’d be so bullish and confrontational with me but not him.

Not because I cared.

Nope.

Not because I wanted her to approve of me to the point she’d loosen up and joke with me.

Not at all.

Because this was just another job. Nothing more.

6

EVA

Iwasn’t sure what to expect when I entered the café. Having my uncle’s men following me was nothing new. I’d grown up with the expectation that security would be ever-present in my life.

Having Lev behind me was something else altogether.

He just had to pick the broodiest, grumpiest smartass to be my bodyguard, didn’t he?As soon as classes were over today, I’d be calling Uncle Oleg and requesting that he swap Rurik for Lev.

“Eva?” a blonde asked as she approached me in the line. Her smile was soft but shy, and her brows spiked high with the inquisitive, unsure tone of her voice.

“Kelly?” I guessed, but without as much of the nervousness. Iwasnervous. To my surprise, I felt unprepared for this. I’d never struck up a conversation with someone not vetted and associated with the Mafia life. Preferring to be a homebody and always homeschooled with tutors, I was lacking the basic experience of socializing with ordinary people. But I’d never show my hesitation or fear. Never. My uncle had taught me well to always maintain a mask.

“Yeah! Hi!” Kelly warmed up instantly, shifting her smile into a full, bright beam. As she raised her hand to shake mine,the strap to her messenger bag slid down her arm. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too. I’m sorry if I kept you waiting.”

“Oh, no.” She dismissed me with a wave. “No worries. Although, I’ve got to say this place is super close to the dorms. Kind of handy.”

I nodded, biting back the groan of annoyance. I wouldn’t suffer for coffee or treats at the place Lev arranged for me, but that wasn’t the issue. It was his highhandedness in making me give up the idea of living independently.

“Um.” Kelly’s brow furrowed as she shot a look behind me. “Hi.”

I swallowed a growl of frustration, glancing over my shoulder. Rurik smiled, amping up his charm, as he greeted Kelly.

“Hi.”

Volleying her gaze back and forth between me and Rurik, Kelly advanced in line. “Is, uh, he with you?”

I shook my head, trying not to look too pissed. Before I could finish the motion, though, Lev stepped closer and brushed against my back. I didn’t need to turn and see that it was the tall asshole. I smelled him. The faint hints of sandalwood and bergamot reached me, and I loathed how well I could identify him.

“Oh.” Kelly frowned, leaning around to study them both. “Hey. Maybe give a girl some space?” she said firmly, tugging my sleeve so I’d step forward.

Her instant support told me all I needed to know about her character. She would stand up for another woman. She wouldn’t back down from a perceived threat.

Lev slid his arm around my waist, tucking me closer to him instead of allowing me to advance with Kelly. Heat coursedthrough me, and I chided myself for the instant rush of awareness that came with his strong arm wrapping around me.

I cleared my throat, lowering my arm from Kelly’s fingers and sidestepping Lev’s arm. “They’re…” A deep sigh left me. How the hell was I supposed to explain this? I hadn’t rehearsed how to explain why I’d have a bodyguard with me. I wasn’t familiar with ever having to explain that I’d have a security team nearby. In my world, it was expected. Guaranteed. Now, though, I had no clue how to explain Lev’s presence.

“They’re with you?” Kelly guessed, clearly confused as we neared the counter to order drinks.

“More or less. As security.”

Her eyebrows spiked nearly to her hairline.

“I come from an influential family,” I said dully. “And as such, I have to have them near.”

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