Page 27 of The Bodyguard's Vow

“Merda,”Domenico bit out, raking his fingers through his damp curls.

Rafa’s fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white as his voice grew louder with every word. “Although the man I trusted with your safety just washed his hair so I don’t know what it looked like before he got into the shower, yours looks as though you’ve just rolled out of his bed. Which is impossible because there’s no way in hell my head bodyguard and best friend would betray me like that!”

11

DOMENICO

“Rafa—”

“You’re like my brother, Domenico,” Rafa seethed, interrupting me before I could say anything else. “I trusted you with my life, with Gabbi’s life! How could you take advantage of her like this,pezzo di merda? She’s just a kid?—”

“Excuse me?!” Gabriella interjected, shoving her hands onto her hips and glaring daggers at her brother.

But he ignored her and continued shouting at me. “And as if that wasn’t bad enough, you deliberately disobeyed orders! I told you to keep her safe and not lay a hand on her. I’ve killed men for a fuck of a lot less.”

“Rafa!” Gabriella gasped.

“It wasn’t like I jumped into bed with her, Rafa,” I growled. “I am well aware that Gabriella shouldn’t be with me, but I can’t change what’s happened.”

“Bullshit,” Rafa snarled. “You two are done as of right now.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but Gabriella stomped between us, facing her brother and poking him in the chest viciously as she yelled, “I’m an adult, Rafa. A grown woman who can makeher own decisions. Neither you nor Mico get to decide who I’m allowed to be with. It’s my choice.Mine.”

“Rafa.” Leo walked through the door, halting our heated discussion. His eyes slid over me, then Gabriella, and finally Rafa. “Cazzo,” he muttered under his breath.

Rafa’s eyes narrowed at Leo’s reaction, but my brother didn’t give him the chance to question it. “We need to go. Now. Oswald is making a move.”

“Does he know where Gabbi is?” Rafa questioned as he withdrew a cell phone from his pocket and typed out a quick text.

“Not from what we can tell, but this shit needs to be handled before it escalates any further.”

I knew neither man would say anything more with Gabriella listening, and I wanted more information. Besides, I was considering giving my brother a lobotomy so he wouldn’t remember seeing Gabbi in nothing but my shirt. “Gabriella, why don’t you go put on some clothes.”

It was phrased as a question, but my tone made it clear that it wasn’t a request. She glanced between the three of us and let out a frustrated sound before spinning around and stomping back to the bedroom.

“I don’t have time to explain,” Leo informed me before I could ask.

“Go wait in the car,” Rafa told him, keeping his eyes trained on me.

Leo’s expression was somewhat sympathetic, but he turned and walked out without another word.

Rafa’s dark eyes were nearly black as he stared at me. His voice was cold and detached as he said, “This isn’t over.”

I wasn’t being confronted by my friend and surrogate brother anymore. I was standing in the sights of the one they called the Devil. The King of South.

Staying silent seemed like my best bet if I wanted to keep breathing, so I simply nodded.

“Keep her safe, and you just might not lose your life,capisci?”

“I fucked up in not coming to you before I let things get out of hand with Gabriella,” I admitted. “But my loyalty to The Family hasn’t changed. Especially when it comes to Gabriella. I would die before I let anyone hurt her.”

Rafa’s eyes flickered toward the bedroom before meeting mine once more. “I don’t know where we stand yet, Domenico. But I trust you to protect her.”

“Grazie,” I murmured.

He nodded, then turned and walked out the door. A button on the outside keypad beside the door beeped, and the alarm system engaged.

I inhaled slowly, trying to regain all of my composure before I dealt with my woman. She was bound to be in a snit over what had just happened. But I didn’t give a shit about anything except her claims that I had no say over who she belonged to. We were gonna clear that shit up real fucking fast.

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