Page 18 of Ruthless Guardian

I whirl on him and hiss, “Do you have something to say?”

“Only that I wouldn’t get your hopes up,signorina. It’ll never happen.”

“And why not?” I growl because I’m a total masochist. I know very well that my parents would never allow it.

“I think you know the answer to that.”

“Humor me.”

“Assuming you could convince yourPapà, which is extremely unlikely, you’d never be able to persuade me. I left the corrupt streets of Rome long ago and have zero desire to ever return.”

“Well, that’s reason enough for me.” I offer him my sweetest smile. “It sounds like a win-win from where I’m standing. I’d get to spend the summer in Rome and get a new bodyguard.”

“Good luck with that,prin—” He cuts himself off when he notices Serena’s curious gaze, listening to every word that fallsfrom his unfairly perfect lips. “Let’s just get the hell out of here. I think I’ve had enough surprises for one day.” He marches toward the door and holds it open for Serena, then me.

“And God forbid, we mess up your perfectly planned day and every orchestrated move.”

He whirls on me, trapping me against the door and those dark spheres become nothing but endless night. “Listen to me,signorina, there are reasons behind those protocols and the utter control that governs my life from sunup to sunset, they are in place to safeguardyourlife.”

There’s something about his savage tone that has the hair on the back of my neck prickling. I remain perfectly still, pinned against the glass door for an endless moment, mesmerized by the flash of something feral in those eyes and the rapid rise and fall of his chest against mine.

“Are you two coming or not?” Serena pokes Raf in the shoulder, and he finally steps back, freeing me from not only his physical hold but that ensnaring, black gaze.

Of the two, it’s definitely the most lethal.

“Please,Papà.” I’m begging now, all sense of pride gone. I need this. Going to Rome on my own would finally give me the independence I so desperately desire.

My father stares at me from across his grand desk with Mom perched on the arm rest of his high-backed chair.

“Uncle Dante is letting Serena go to Milan, what’s the difference?”

“You know Dante and I do not see eye to eye on many things. How we raise our children is one of them.”

This is going nowhere. I’ve been begging since I got home over an hour ago. “Come on, Mom, when you were my age, you were already living withPapà.”

“That was different,” she mutters.

“Because he forced you?”

She shakes her head, eyes glossing over as if she’s remembering their turbulent past. My father is nothing but adoring and devoted to our family, but I’m not stupid enough to think he’s a good man. And before he met my mom, for the second time in his life, he would go to any lengths to get what he wanted. Still does actually.

I slide to the edge of the chair and prop my elbows on the gleaming mahogany. “You say I’m to take over the Kings one day, but how am I to do that if you won’t give me an ounce of freedom? I’m twenty-two years old and you treat me like a child. You were running an empire when you were my age,Papà. It’s not fair.” I bite back the last word, realizing it’s not helping my cause. “It’s not right,” I amend. “Even Vinny gets to come and go as he pleases.”

“It’s not that simple,principessa.” For some reason, from my father the childhood nickname holds a whole other connotation than when my testy bodyguard says it. “Sending you to another country means dispatching a retinue of guards along with you, men that I trust to protect you, and Raffaele has already informed me he is unwilling to go. We’ve only just hired and trained him, and I believe he’s doing a wonderful job.”

I snort, unable to keep the unladylike sound at bay. “We’ll find someone new.”

“And train them in two weeks’ time?”

“You did it with Raf…”

“It took me weeks to vet the four men you interviewed, then there’s the training time, which given his impeccable background, was much quicker than normal.” He shakes hishead and blows out a breath. “I’m sorry, but the only way I would even consider this is if you convince Raffaele to go with you.”

“Are you kidding me?” I grind out. “The man is completely insufferable and suffocating. He doesn’t leave my side, and he takes threats way too seriously. He attacked my damned professor for the love of all things!”

“We like that about him,” my mom offers with a smirk. “He’s nothing but dedicated. And besides, he grew up in Rome. He’s already familiar with the layout of the city.”

“Ugh, this is unbelievable.”

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