Page 4 of Bound to the Enforcer

Fuck.

The air cools. My eyes move from my foreman to Sophia. The color drains from her face. She is as pale as snow. Her eyes widen a fraction from shock. For a moment, I think that she is about to collapse, but then she blinks and focuses her pupils on Elliot.

"D-do we know who did it?" She chokes through her words.

Elliot shakes his head. "Not yet but we have a feeling that it may be a message that people want to send your way."

"A message my way? What do you mean?"

I decide to interject. "He means that your enemies are making a play for your throne, princess. And Trevor being killed is a way of making you flinch. They want to see how strong you are."

She stands before me like a lost puppy who is trying to comprehend the big world that they stepped into.

There was a part of me that felt sorry for her. Even the most callous of men find the weight of this world heavy.

"You can leave Elliot. Go to my study, and we will debrief after I'm done with Sophia." I purposely avoid calling her boss because she has not earned the title.

"Of course, boss." Elliot leaves me alone with the little princess.

The air is laden with unspoken questions and silent answers. She is out of her depth here. It's clear as day on her face. She brings her hand to her lips and immediately starts biting on her nails. I grab her wrist and pull her toward me.

"Stop that," I hiss. "From here on out, I don't want to see you do shit like this. You are a mafia boss. You don't bite your nails when you're scared or anxious. You keep that inside of you and stare down danger with both eyes wide open, am I understood?"

She rips her wrist from my hold. "Don't touch me, Alessio."

The embarrassment tints her cheeks.

"Do you see that, Sophia? Trevor is dead, and many more, including you, will follow. I am the only one who can save you and make sure that you live long enough to see 30."

She stands rigid as stone. "I still don't like you, Alessio."

"You don't have to like me for me to keep you alive. Just do whatever the fuck I say." We are only but mere inches from each other. Our breaths mingle together in a plume of tension and uncaged electricity.

She lifts her chin at me and looks me dead in the eye. She is trying to feign the bravery and courage that she needs, but the cracks are too large, and her insecurities seep through.

"Fine. Help me keep this damn throne that my father left me." She holds her hand out to me. "And help me to find the fucker who killed my dad."

I break our stare off and look down at her hand. I wait a beat until I finally place my hand in hers and give it a firm shake.

"Here is to you keeping me alive, De Luca."

"Just do what I say, and you will live, angel." I drop her hand and step away from her. "Get some sleep. I will have the chef bring some tea, which should help. Drink it. And don't fight me on this."

I head out of the room and make my way to my study. My blood is heated and not just because one of my guys is gone. She is doing something to me. Something that I have no control over. She gets under my skin. It's the way she looks at me. The way she bites her lip when she is scared or the way the small vein on the side of her neck throbs erratically when she is on edge.

Get your head together, Alessio. She is your duty. Nothing more.

The need to protect her is strong, but I would be lying if I said that there isn't something else that draws me to this woman.

Shit is already hot, and the confusion that is currently circulating in my brain doesn't help to give me clarity. Which is exactly what I need to make sure that we make it out of this mess alive.

I grab my phone from my pocket and text a number that I have not thought of in months.

"I will be there in an hour." Her reply did not take more than a minute to come back. "I will be waiting, handsome."

Of course. I pocket my phone and focus my mind on the task at hand. I need some answers from my team. What happened to Alejandro will not befall his daughter. I will keep her safe. I just need to make sure that my head is clear during the process.

After I organize for Trevor's body to be removed and we gather all the necessary evidence that we need, I leave my study and make my way out of the mansion and toward my car. The air is crisp, and winter is fast approaching.

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