Page 31 of Ruthless Guardian

“I still can’t believePapàis letting you go to Rome,” he whispers.

“Same.” I lean closer to my brother, and I swear Raf scoots along with me. “I won’t really believe it until I’m on that plane, like Serena.”

“I think he is actually trying to pull it off. I overheard him yelling at Tony yesterday about making it happen.” He grins andcurls his arm around my shoulders. “You’ve come a long way, big sis.”

“You better come visit.”

“You know I will, as soon asPapàgives me a day off.”

“I’ll be waiting forever then.” I muss up my brother’s dark hair, and my heart pinches. As much as I dread the idea of taking over the Kings, I’d never want it for him either. Vinny was named after our mom’s older brother who was killed when he was around my brother’s age now. He’d been involved in the family business too. The idea of losing him in such a tragic way has my throat tightening and emotion surging to the surface.

A volley of shots pierces the calm, and the giant limo swerves across three lanes of traffic. “Everyone get down!” Raf shouts as his massive body blankets my own, and I pull Vinny down beside me.

My parents are across the backseat,Papàpinning my mom to the floor as the shots ping off the bulletproof windows. I always wondered why we had to stay down if the glass is supposed to be thick enough to protect us. I don’t dare ask Raf now.

“Who the fuck is shooting at us?” my father growls toward the front seat.

Tony’s head appears through the opening, his expression pinched. “Some BMW is trailing us,” he shouts.

“What color is it?” Raf calls out over my head.

“Dark, black or maybe navy.” Tony rolls up the back window before turning to his own and shooting off a round.

“I wonder if it’s related to the one that shot at us in the Escalade a few weeks ago.”Papàmutters a curse.

“I thought Tony was supposed to find out who was behind that.” Raf drags Vinny and me closer so he and my dad can continue their conversation over the barrage of bullets outside the window.

“Hewas,” he growls. “The guys we picked up were hired thugs, and they refused to give up their benefactor. Whoever it was, must have paid a shit ton of money to dare take a shot atmyfamily.”

Ricky swerves, cutting across another lane and speeds off the exit. The thundering spray of bullets falls away, and the massive male on top of me shifts his weight so I can finally breathe.

Papàsprings up and rolls down the window between the back and the front seats. “Tony, I need you to find thatpezzo di merdabefore the day is out or find a new fucking job.”

“Sure,capo, I’m on it.”

My father and Tony have been best friends for decades, and I’m certain this isn’t a fireable offense, but it’s a sharp reminder of how serious this situation is. Most of the big crime syndicates have been living in relative peace over the past decade. My father and my uncles went to painstaking lengths to ensure it.

So what the fuck is happening right now?

Papàhelps Mom back onto the seat, and the rest of us follow suit. He ticks his head at Raf, eyes murderous. “Get everything ready for Isabella’s trip. I want her out of the city before I burn it to the ground. It appears as if the long-lasting standoff in Manhattan has come to an end.”

My heart leaps up my throat, a lethal mixture of anxiety and exhilaration battering my insides. I can’t believe this is really happening. I’m finally going to be free.

CHAPTER 16

DARK MEMORIES

Raffaele

I stare at the cracks in the ceiling, tracing the webbing along the dingy white plaster of the motel room as I count down the minutes before my alarm goes off. I’ve been awake half the night, a wicked storm of dread and unease brewing in my gut. Tomorrow, I return to Rome, the eternal city, the one I’d vowed never to set foot upon again.

What the hell was I doing?

I never should have agreed to any of it. I knew it the moment I strolled into that boardroom and those brilliant, soulful eyes latched onto mine, I should have walked away. If I’m being completely honest with myself, I felt the attraction long before that day, the night I saw her at The Velvet Vault, but I ignored it all the same. Now, it’s too late.

Not only is my career on the line, and my life, but also, I’m like a pit bull when it comes to my clients. Once I’m invested, there is no walking away. And damn it, that little mafia princesswill be my ultimate undoing. I can feel it deep in the marrow of my bones.

A streak of light seeps through the blackout curtains, and I hiss out another curse and roll over. My cell phone sits on the nightstand taunting. I’ve been putting off this call for days, ever since I agreed to this cursed trip. With our departure nearly upon us, I can’t postpone it for much longer.

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