Page 34 of Ruthless Guardian

“Nothing.” She spins around and disappears into the closet once more.

A long minute later, she finally emerges, a hint of redness encircling those mesmerizing eyes. She was definitely crying… but why? She’s finally getting exactly what she wants.

She keeps her back to me, gaze dipped to the mountain of luggage. “We’re wheels up at seven tomorrow so make sure you’re ready to go bright and early.”

“I’m already packed. I don’t have quite as much to bring as you do.”

“Great.”

“No snappy comeback? No comment about my all-black wardrobe?”

“It’s not always about you, Raf.” Without turning to face me, she saunters out of her room, leaving me in a stunned silence.

CHAPTER 17

A SECURITY BLANKET

Isabella

“It has to be here, damn it.” With my eyes still filled with tears from the lengthy family goodbyes at the airplane hangar, I rifle through my oversized tote in search of those blessed little white pills. The rumble of the jet engine picks up, taunting. Shit. Shit. I can’t fly without my Xanax.

“What are you looking for?”

The luxe cream interior and gold trimmings ofPapà’sprivate jet all blur in the background as panic starts to set in. My heart launches into a mad drumbeat, thrumming against my ribs like a frantic prisoner rattling the bars of a cage. My breaths grow shallower, and my chest starts to heave from the effort.

“Isabella,cazzo, what’s wrong with you?” Firm hands clasp onto my shoulders, and the scene trembles for an instant before I focus on a pair of wary pitch orbs.

The jet lurches forward, and a scream sticks in my throat as I grit through the rush of anxiety. But somehow, I stay put,anchored by the beast of a man sprawled in the leather captain’s chair beside me.

“Isabella!” He shakes me again, and this time it’s forceful enough that instead of the paralyzing fear, I focus on that unshakeable gaze.

“My pills,” I murmur, nibbling on my bottom lip. “I can’t fly without them.”

The jet begins to move more quickly, the steady rumble growing louder by the second. “I hate to break it to you,principessa, but I think it’s too late for that. We’re going to be in the air in a second.”

My fingers latch onto Raf’s forearm, nails digging into his skin as we hurtle down the runway. “No, I can’t do this…”

“Let me get this straight, you don’t flinch about a shooting in the middle of Park Avenue, but you need medication for a flight?”

“Yes,” I grit out. “Now stop being an asshole and find my meds!”

“Isabella, look at me.” His big fingers clamp down on my chin forcing my eyes to meet his, which are steady and reassuring against the impending storm of panic. “You’re safe. Focus on my voice, all right? You don’t need pills. We’re going to get through this together.”

“I can’t?—”

“You can and you will.”

I nod, my breathing shallow and quick. Raffaele continues, his voice steady and soothing. “Let’s try to slow your breathing. Take a deep breath in with me, now.” He inhales deeply, holding his own breath, then exhales slowly. “And out.” His eyes hold mine, a silent promise of his weighty presence.

“Again, breathe in.” I follow, and this time it feels a bit easier, my initial gasps beginning to smooth out into longer, more controlled breaths. “And out. Good girl. That’s my good girl.” Awicked grin tips up the corners of his lips, but I ignore it because for the first time in years since I’ve been aboard an airplane without being heavily medicated, it doesn’t feel like my lungs are caving in. “Each breath in is calm, and each breath out lets go of the fear. You’ve got this,principessa.”

As the plane levels off, Raf keeps talking, his words a lifeline as we soar higher. “You’re much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Isabella. I’ve seen you handle situations that would break most people. This plane, this moment—it’s no different. You own this experience; it doesn’t own you.”

My breathing steadies gradually, the panic receding as his calm certainty fills the space around us. His typically imposing and overbearing demeanor now feels soothing, transforming the cramped jet into a sanctuary.

Finally, I manage a small, grateful smile despite how weird it feels. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you here.”

“Always.” An uncharacteristically gentle smile flashes across that scruffy jaw. “I’m here whenever you need me, no matter the situation or your opinion of me in the moment. It’s my duty to protect you, whatever the cost. Don’t forget that.” His words wrap around me like a security blanket, easing the last remnants of my anxiety.

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