Page 16 of Ruthless Guardian

“Likethis?”

“Like a disobedient child!”

“Maybe if you gave me an inch of freedom I wouldn’t have to.” I slam my free hand into his chest, and it’s like crashing into a solid wall of muscle.

“Everything okay back there?” Johnny unbuckles his seatbelt and pivots to face us.

“No, it’s not.”

“Everything’s under control, Johnny,” Raf grits out as he attempts to physically restrain me. He’s a damned animal, pinning me down with the hard planes of his torso. The scent of musk and amber, sensual and warm invades my nostrils. I donotbreathe him in because that would make me as insane as the man trapping me to the leather seat.

“If you don’t let go of me, I’m going to scream.”

He tips his head closer, warm breath skating over the shell of my ear. “Go for it,principessa.” His lethal whisper sends goosebumps spilling down my bare arms. “No one will be able to hear you through the bulletproof glass.”

Two quick knocks send my guard’s gaze swiveling to the tinted window. I blow out a breath as I make out the familiar blonde through the glass.

“Thank God,” I murmur and finally succeed in shoving him off.

“It’s Miss Serena Valentino,” Johnny announces. “Should I unlock the door, Ferrara?”

“Of course you should,” I shout at my traitorous driver. As soon as the click resounds across the vehicle, I jerk the handle and nearly leap out of the car. A steel band laces around my torso, and I’m stuck dangling in mid-air.

Serena watches, a flicker of amusement in those bright blue eyes we share as I’m hauled back into the back seat. “So this is what was taking you so long?”

“Let go of me, Raf!” I rasp out.

“I apologize if we kept you waiting, Miss Valentino, but your cousin did not inform me of the real plan today. As I was trying to explain to her, there are certain protocols that must be met?—”

“If you say the word protocols one more damn time, I’m going to shoot you in the face.” I make a move for his gun, but he twists his hips, and I nearly brush his crotch instead.Merda. Jerking my hand back, heat races up my neck, blanketing my cheeks.

I can feel his smirk without looking up. Oh,Dio, kill me now. Serena, on the other hand, is grinning like mad, flashing those perfect teeth.

“Don’t just stand there laughing, you jerk. Help me out.”

“Oh, come on, Raffy, let the poor girl get her caffeine fix. I guarantee she’ll be much easier to manage after the coffee.” Serena leans against the open door, eyes twinkling in mirth. Raf’s arm is still laced around me like a seatbelt made of flesh and blood. In a second, I’m going to claw that perfectly tanned and tattooed flesh.

And no, I’m not staring at the ink painting his skin in a gloriously dark and twisted pattern.

“If it’s any consolation,” Serena offers, “both Isabella and Matteo have frequented the café for years, which means their respective guards have cleared the location on numerous occasions.”

“It hasn’t been cleared byme.”

“AndDioknows Raffaele Ferrara is a bodyguard god, the only one capable of properly securing any location.” I roll my eyes so hard I hope only the whites show.

“Fine,” he grits out, “but if anything goes wrong and your father kills me for it, I promise to come back to haunt you until the end of your days.”

“Well, that certainly would be the worst punishment in the world,” I counter, “to have to deal with you in this lifeandthe next.”

“Out of the car,principessa,” he whispers the hated nickname before forcefully helping me out of the Escalade. “It won’t be long so don’t go far, Johnny.” He barks the command before slamming the door shut behind us.

The familiar sounds of campus immersed in the chaos of the city surround me, and I heave in a breath. Until my shadow moves into step beside me, his looming presence stealing the moment of false independence.

“Now I understand why I haven’t seen you all week.” Serena casts a glance over my head at the broody Italian marching next to me.

“And I’m not sure I’ll be seeing you tomorrow night,” I whisper.

“You have to, Bella. I won’t take no for an answer.”

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