Page 52 of Ruthless Guardian

The blonde offers me a half smile in return before they continue their conversation about molecular biology, and I zone out to focus on one of Luca’s men standing at the end of the hall. Valentino doesn’t mess around with his daughter’s safety. He deployed at least a dozen of his own men on this little trip in addition to acquiring local help. They’re working on a rotating schedule so that Isabella will have around the clock surveillance both at work and at home. Though I’ll be the only guard staying inside the apartment, there will be a team stationed outside.

Isabella thinks it’s overkill, but I appreciate the man’s thoroughness. If I’d had a child, I would have done the same. Invisible strands of pain lace around my heart as the past attempts to surge to the surface, but I squeeze my eyes closed and tamp down on the rush of emotions. Losing someone you love has a way of changing your perspective.

I follow Isabella down another hall, the scent of disinfectant thick in the air. I’ve never been a fan of hospitals, the only times I’d ever been in one was to say my final goodbyes. That would not be the case this time around. I vowed to return Isabella to New York in one piece, safe and sound.

As we approach the entrance to the ER, a female doctor marches toward Isabella and the other two interns and begins yet another lecture. I take a step back, assuming my spot along the white wall. The main entrance to the emergency room is just behind the woman’s back and another door is to her left, marked Pediatrics. The automatic doors glide open, jerking my attention over the doctor’s shoulder as a dark-haired man strolls in.

My stomach bottoms out, hitting the soles of my shoes.

What the fuck ishedoing here?

Bright green eyes flicker to mine before he ticks his head to the right, to a small alcove where the restrooms are. I slowly shake my head, but my stubborn brother sets his jaw in a tight line and motions to the same spot again.

With a huff of irritation, I press the com in my ear, and it crackles to life. “Aldo, I need coverage for Oleander for five minutes while I use the restroom.” If I wasn’t so pissed I would have chuckled at the new code name I’d come up with for Isabella inspired by the beautiful and deadly blooms that grow throughout the city.

“Sure thing,capo.” The reply comes back almost instantaneously. Aldo has been with the Kings nearly as long as Tony. Both men are well into their fifties, but surprisingly fit considering their age.

Aldo emerges from the shadows an instant later and takes my place along the wall a yard from where Isabella stands, attention captured by the female doctor who is to be her mentor for the next three months. I don’t bother to interrupt to inform her of my temporary absence. Instead, I circle around them and skulk toward the recess in the wall where the restrooms are tucked away.

I shove through the door of the men’s room and lock it behind me. When I spin around, my gun is already clenched in my fist as I meet those familiar jade eyes. Despite it having beenten years since I’ve seen them in person, in some ways, it feels like only yesterday.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Giuseppe?” More importantly, how did he know where to find me? How to find her?

He holds his hands up, a spark of amusement in his light eyes as they lance over my gun. “Relax,fratellino, I come in peace.”

I holster the weapon and take a minute to really look at my older brother. Those eyes, that quirky smile, they remind me so much ofMamamy chest tightens. I don’t often allow myself to think of her. She was taken from us much too young. Fucking cancer. Then I remember Giuseppe abandoned me, takingPapà’sside when everything went to hell and grind out, “So why did you come?”

“A friendly warning that your return to Roma hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

“Cazzo,” I hiss. “How did you hear?”

“Antonio has an inside man at theGuardia di Finanza. You know how important their role is in border control, particularly in preventing and combating financial crime and smuggling activities.” He smirks. “Papàmust have had your name flagged years ago.” He steps forward, the grin twisting into something darker. “He’s not the only one with insiders in the government, Raffa. You have to be careful…”

My thoughts flicker to the past, then I nod quickly, anxious to return to Isabella. “Thanks for the heads up.” I start for the door, but a question nags at me. Spinning around before I reach the exit, I blurt, “What didPapàsay about my return?”

Giuseppe swallows, his Adam’s apple jogging down his throat. “We haven’t told him yet.”

I stand there for a long moment, the silence thickening between us. “It’s probably better that way,” I finally murmur.

“I’m going to monitor the situation, Raffa. If it becomes an issue, I’ll have to tell him.”

“Do whatever the fuck you want, Beppe.” It feels strange, using the nickname we came up with as kids, but if he insists on using mine then so will I. For some reason, it feels like it levels the playing field. “You made your decision long ago.”

He makes a move toward me, but I unlock the door and grip the handle, wrenching it open before he can get the words out, if he had any.

My father’s betrayal was one thing, but both of my brothers? It fucked me up for a long time. Hell, maybe I’m still screwed up because of it.

I slam the door behind me and march out into the hallway, the steel bands around my chest relenting the moment I catch a glimpse of Isabella safe and sound, standing right where I left her.

CHAPTER 26

A FULL-SERVICE GUY

Isabella

The warm summer sun bores down on my bare shoulders, and I draw in a breath, forcing myself to enjoy this moment of peace. The first week atPoliclinicoGemelliraced by in a rush of sleepless nights, endless cups of espresso and adrenaline. Every day swept me further into a whirlwind of raw emotions and a relentless pace. Even today, on my first day off, the staccato beeps of heart monitors echo through my mind, each one a reminder of the stakes.

My hands, once unsure and tremulous, moved with a purpose I didn't know I possessed a week ago. The small, trusting faces of my patients both break my heart and bolster my resolve; their resilience in the face of pain teaches me more about bravery than I could have imagined. I've barely had time to reflect, caught up in the immediacy of blood draws, comforting scared children, and decoding doctors' orders on the fly.

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