Page 1 of Ruthless Guardian

CHAPTER 1

VALENTINO MAFIA PRINCESS

Isabella

“Get down!”

I feel the subtle shift in the atmosphere—a tension that tightens the air an instant before gunshots explode across the swanky bar. Waves of gunfire follow instantly, shattering the rhythm of the night as screams erupt around me. I nearly choke on my martini as a big hand clamps over my head and shoves me beneath the high-top table.

“Stay down, Isabella, and don’t move until I come back for you!” my bodyguard, Frankie, growls in my ear. He blankets me with his massive form for a long minute before he releases the gun at his hip and leaps back up to return fire. “Stay hidden, do you hear me?”

I nod, instinctively.

Bullets pepper the air, tiny missiles of death echoing over the pounding bass. The clink of glasses and bursts of laughter pervading the posh Manhattan bar are gone, replaced by blood-curdling shrieks.

My heart kicks at my ribcage, and I’m filled with the most overwhelming urge to scream myself. Why can’t I just have one normal night? One night to celebrate my graduation from NYU with my friends.

“Shit, Bella! Are you okay?” Serena drops down to the ground beside me, her cocktail still clenched in her fist. Wisps of blonde hair fall across her bright blue eyes as she regards me. Guards now surround the table we’re hidden beneath but still, her hand shoots out attempting to cover my head. I swat her away.

“Don’t you dare, Serena. I’m not yours to protect. My life is no more valuable than yours.”

“I don’t know about that, cuz. I’m pretty sure your father would say otherwise.”

“And I’m pretty sure your father would kill my father if you died trying to protect me.”

She smirks, flashing me ruby-stained lips. “Touché. Let’s just agree we’re both incredibly precious then.”

“Come on, huddle closer.” I reach for my cousin, who also happens to be my best friend, and tug her beside me. Down on all fours in my sleek black mini-dress, I make a barrier of the surrounding chairs, and Serena pulls a silver handgun from her sparkly clutch. It’s just another Friday for the Valentino mafia princesses.

Serena rises to her knees, her head nearly bumping the underside of the table thanks to that long torso of hers. She points the barrel through the slats in the chair and aims at the half a dozen men blocking the door.

“Maybe you shouldn’t,” I hiss.

“Why not? I can help and take a few of the guys out.”

I quickly shake my head and strands of dark hair whip across my face. “What if you get one ofourguys in the crossfire?”

Serena sticks out her bottom lip, pouting. “Fine…”

While Serena chooses to focus her talents at the shooting range, I prefer to work out my stress and occasional rage at the gym with hand-to-hand combat. Give me the feel of flesh and bone cracking against each other over a gun any day. Krav Maga is my current obsession, but I’ve taken classes in nearly all the martial arts since the day I could walk.Papàhad insisted.

When your father is Luca Valentino, the head of the ruthless Kings, the most notorious crime syndicate in all of Manhattan, there’s no such thing as being too prepared or a quiet girls’ night out. It doesn’t help that we chose The Velvet Vault, a bar owned by our cousin whose father, Marco Rossi, is the boss of a rival organization, the Geminis. The Valentinos and Rossi’s may have found peace, but that doesn’t mean every other criminal association in New York City doesn’t want our parents dead.

And us, by association.

From beneath the table, I can just make out Frankie’s black loafers, partially concealed by his dark slacks. Blood already splatters the leather. I blink quickly, chasing away the deep crimson staining my vision. Beside my guard stands a slew of Kings, our fathers’ henchmen and our typical entourage. The barrage of missiles echo across the mostly empty bar, most of the patrons having raced out of here the moment the battle began.

I wonder if that gorgeous guy I met earlier at the bar got out alive.Dio, I hope so. The thought of the light in those piercing, velvety eyes going dim is just too terrible to consider.

“Bella!” A familiar voice surges through the chaos of ricocheting bullets. “Bells, where are you?”

“Down here,” I whisper-hiss, waving my hand from under the tabletop.

Matteo crawls toward us, a gun clenched in each fist. My cousin shoots a round over his head before holstering his weapons and turning his attention to us. Apparently, he has no qualms about accidentally taking out my dad’s men. Then again,given the tumultuous nature of our fathers’ relationship, I’m not that surprised. His dark eyes raze over me, searching for blood. I know the look, I’ve seen it inPapà’s gaze more than I care to remember.

“What the hell’s going on, Matty?” Serena barks.

“Fucking Alessandro. He messed with the Russians last week so I’m guessing this is payback.”

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