Page 36 of Rafi

Moments later when we hang up, my father’s anger has melted away, replaced by a calmer, measured tone. He’s no longer pressing me about why I ditched my bodyguards, but his sudden shift leaves me uneasy. I’m still mulling over his change in demeanor when a knock at the door snaps me back to the present.

Rafi steps inside without waiting for an invitation, his presence filling the room. He looks drained, the weight of the day etched into the lines of his face.

“You work things out with your dad?” he asks, his voice low but tinged with concern.

I nod, but the gesture feels heavy, like my head might tip right off my shoulders. My fingers tighten around the phone, its surface cold and unyielding. A dark unease churns in my stomach, an instinct I can’t quite name but can’t ignore either.

Rafi notices, his gaze sharpening. “Kanyan thinks the Gatti Estate is the safest place for us right now,” he says, his voice steady but laced with urgency. “I agree with him.”

His eyes lock onto mine, unrelenting, as if he’s trying to gauge whether I’ll fight him on this. The intensity in his starepulls me back into the moment, but the sinister feeling in my gut refuses to dissipate.

“I can go back home,” I tell him. “My bodyguards are there.”

He drags his gaze away, his eyes focusing on a point somewhere past my shoulder. The muscle in his jaw ticks, his lips pressed into a thin line, as though he’s calling on every ounce of patience and perhaps a silent prayer for divine intervention. His chest rises and falls in a deliberate rhythm, the kind of measured breathing someone does to keep their temper in check.

When his eyes meet mine again, they’re stormy, a tempest barely contained. His jaw is clenched so tight it looks as though it might snap, the tension radiating off him in palpable waves. The air between us grows heavier, charged with a frustration he doesn’t yet voice but doesn’t bother to hide. His entire posture screams restraint, but I can tell he’s one wrong word away from an explosion that would rival a volcanic eruption.

“Why would you do that, Tayana? Where were your bodyguards when the shelter was attacked?” He takes a step closer.

“I told you, they don’t know about my work.”

“You really believe that, Tayana? Is that what you tell yourself at night so you can sleep better? Hmmm?” His anger is starting to scare me.

“What the hell, Rafi?”

“You think they wouldn’t have run checks on your so-calledworkplace? What sort of bodyguards do you have? This was an inside job, Tayana. Despite what you may think of me, someone on your team sold you out; there’s no way they found you through me.”

“Everything started going to shit after you turned up!”I remind him.

“Timing, Tayana. It’s everything. But that’s all it is. Now tell me what yourhalf-uncle wants from you so I know what I’m dealing with here.”

I shake my head vehemently, conflict running through my veins. Too much of what he’s saying is making complete and utter sense, even though I don’t understand it any more than he does.

“I don’t know!” I stammer. “I don’t know!”

21

RAFI

The moment I step through the door, all hell breaks loose. My brothers descend like a storm, voices overlapping as they pull me in every direction, their frustration tangible. Mason cuts through the commotion, raising one hand like a traffic cop to pause the verbal assault and the other pressed lightly against my chest to hold me back. Despite his efforts, the room hums with tension.

Standing here, surrounded by my family, I should feel safe, grounded. But right now? I feel like the biggest disappointment in the room. Their words batter me like a relentless tide, each one a reminder of my missteps.

“What were you thinking?!?!” a voice rises above the others, sharp and cutting.Allegra. Her bare feet tap a determined rhythm against the marble tiles as she strides toward me, her presence immediately silencing the room. For a moment, I think she’ll offer a lifeline, a soothing word to calm the storm. Instead, she smacks me upside the head, her glare furious.

“Allegra!” Scar growls, stepping forward instinctively, his hand hovering near her arm as if to shield her from her own anger.

“What the hell, Rafi?” she snaps, ignoring him. “What were youthinking? What would I have told Scarlett if something happened to you? Do you even consider us when you do reckless things like this?” Her voice cracks, and to my utter disbelief, tears spill down her cheeks.

I rear my head back, stunned. Allegra doesn’t cry—she’s the glue that keeps us together, the one who never wavers. Seeing her like this twists something deep inside me, a pang of guilt that I can’t quite shake. Scar steps in, folding her in his arms as she sobs into his chest. Around us, the rest of my brothers exchange glances, their heads bowed slightly, as if her tears are too sacred to witness.

“Relax, Allie. It’s not that heavy,” I mutter, trying to lighten the mood, but the words land like a lead weight. Scar’s glare cuts through me from over her head, sharp enough to make me flinch.

“Now you’ve done it, bro,” Lucky quips, leaning casually against the wall, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?” I snap back, narrowing my eyes at him. Ever since he and Jacklyn Vicci got together, the guy’s been impossible to pry out of bed—and notbecause he’s sleeping.One good jab deserves another.

The tension in the room crackles, but Lucky just chuckles, unfazed. “Touchy, touchy. Must’ve hit a nerve.”

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