Page 12 of Ruthless Guardian

The hard set of his jaw softens a touch, and he heaves out a breath. “I know how difficult it is to lose someone in this business. I am here to ensure that does not happen, for either of us.”

I knot my arms across my chest and do my best not to pout like a sullen teenager.

Raf points at the bulleted outline, running his finger down the itemized list. “We can go over the protocols as I’ve set them forth and if there are any you have issue with, we can adjust.”

Only five minutes with this man and I’m sure he has no idea what the word adjust means. I’m going to kill Serena for convincing me to pick the hot one.

“Fine,” I hiss out.

He pulls out one of the bar stools and motions for me to sit. Stubbornly, I remain standing and follow his finger tracing the text.

“What the hell is this?Train the mafia princess in basic self-defense and emergency response protocols.”

He grins, revealing a hidden dimple and despite my annoyance, my breath hitches a little at the sight. Why the hell did I pick the unfairly gorgeous bodyguard? This was such a bad idea. “What? I figured it would be beneficial for you to learn some basic combat skills.”

“I’m not talking about that part, Raf. I mean the mafia princess bit…”

“That is what you are, isn’t it,principessa?” His smirk only grows wider, and I have to curl my fingers into a fist to keep from wiping that smug smile off his face. Little does he know,Papàinsisted I learned the basics in self-defense years ago.

“Don’t call me that,” I snarl. “I thought you were the one who insisted on keeping things professional.”

The smile vanishes, replaced by the mask of the cold enforcer, the unfeeling guard. Again, only a short time with this man, and I’ve already begun to recognize his many faces. I guess it comes in handy in his line of work. “You’re right, my apologies,signorina.” He clears his throat and ticks his chin at the paper stretched across the counter again. “Anything else you’d like to go over?”

Stay close to the mafia princess at all times, especially in public or unfamiliar settings.

I read over the sentence again and again, each time only escalating my pulse.At all times… According toPapà, Raffaele is to remain with me from the time I wake until he tucks me in at bedtime. Despite the impressive eye candy, I’m not sure I’ll survive a day with this man let alone all my waking hours.

“Where do you live?” I blurt.

His steady gaze falters, flickering to the floor for an instant before returning to meet my own. “I’m looking for something more permanent as we speak.”

Well, that is a non-answer if I’ve ever heard one. “My cousin, Alessia, is a realtor, maybe she can help.” And it would give us an excuse to get out of this suffocating penthouse.

“Thanks, but I’ll find something on my own.”

I barely restrain the eyeroll. “Are you too much of a tough guy to accept help?”

“No,signorina. It’s simply not proper to spend working hours searching for my housing.”

“Then when would you find a place?Papàsaid you’ll be with me all day. You can’t live in a motel forever.”

His dark eyes flash, and I clench my teeth to keep from grinning. Of course, I know where he’s staying.Papàhad the full background check done well before his first interview, and I’ve spent the last week learning everything I could about my new guard. Raffaele Ferrara, thirty years old, born in Rome, Italy, grew up in the Bronx before returning to his home country at sixteen where he served in the Italian Carabinieri’s version of special forces. From there, the details are hazy which is typical for that line of work. Then he re-emerges in the private security scene and suddenly reappears a few months ago in Manhattan.

“I’ll be sure to let you know when I get tired of it.” Raf’s voice draws me from perusing the mental file I’ve created.

“Suit yourself.” I shrug. “Can we go get that coffee now?”

CHAPTER 7

A LETHAL COMBINATION

Raffaele

Those piercing eyes bore into the side of my face, but I refuse to meet them, keeping my ever-vigilant gaze fixed on the rooftops surrounding the penthouse balcony. For multiple reasons. One—theprincipessahas been glaring at me incessantly from the moment I arrived today and informed her we were not ready to leave the confines of her parents’ home yet. And two—because she’s wearing a goddamned skimpy bikini that leaves nothing to the imagination. And trust me, I’ve got a fucking fantastic imagination.

As it is, I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes on the neighboring buildings searching for potential threats. This is exactly why I never should have agreed to this job.

Way too much temptation.

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