Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
I’ve been pissed off ever since Helena started talking about some guy she met last week. I don’t want to hear about her being with other guys. What I do want is that fucking list of hers so I can go and slaughter anyone who knows what she feels like.
It’s irrational, and I’m working really damn hard to control my rage. Because I know it’s insane. I barely know the girl. But every time I see her smile, something strange happens to me. And I’m left wondering what I have to do to see that smile more often.
“You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders,” Helena says, plopping down next to me on the sofa. So close that her thigh brushes against mine.
I shift over slightly. We’re in her brother’s house. I don’t need to give him a reason to have my head on a spike. Though I think he already suspects something happened between the two of us.
“I have some psychopath with a boner for a woman I’d like to keep in one piece. So, yeah, I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.” I choose my words carefully. You never know who’s listening around here.
“Well, you’re far too hot to be frowning. Try to smile more. It’s a better look on you.”
“You think I’m hot?” I ask, a grin already creeping up my face.
She lifts a shoulder. “You’re not, not hot,” she says, just as a blur of hair and little legs comes barreling into the room before the body they’re attached to goes leaping into Helena’s open arms.
“Zia Helena, you’re having a sleepover with me!”
“I am. I hope you have candy for me.”
“I have so much, but we have to hide it from Mama,” Izzy, my boss’s daughter, says.
“Why do you have to hide it from your mama?” Helena asks.
“Because Mama said I couldn’t have it, but Papa got me it anyway,” Izzy whispers like it’s a huge mafia secret.
“Oh, well, I won’t tell,” Helena whispers back.
“You won’t tell what?” Angelica lifts a questioning brow as she enters the room.
“Nothing,” Helena and Izzy say at the same time.
“Marco, what’d you hear?” Angelica asks me directly.
Shit, way to put me on the spot. I turn to find both Helena and Izzy giving me pleading looks. It’s Helena’s that wins me over though. “I didn’t hear anything, ma’am.”
“Drop the ma’am. And I don’t believe you. Whatever you two are up to, I will find out.” Angelica gestures a hand from Helena to Izzy. “Iz, go and get ready for bed. It’s well past your bedtime and you have school tomorrow.”
“Can Zia Helena sleep in my room?” Izzy asks.
“I don’t think she’ll fit in your bed. She’ll be in the room right next to yours. Go on. I’ll be in soon.”
Izzy gets up and disappears.
Her mother, however, looks from Helena to me. “Whatever is happening here, make sure it’s worth the shitstorm it’s going to cause.”
“Nothing is happening,” Helena says. I know better than to lie, though, so I simply keep my mouth shut. I might hide what we’ve done, but that’s not the same as flat-out lying about it.
“Right.” Angelica turns and follows her daughter out of the room.
“She knows,” I whisper.
“She suspects. That’s different from knowing,” Helena corrects me.
“Same thing,” I say. Because if she tells her husband about her suspicions, the result will be the same. Me in a shallow grave with a bullet hole in my head. And that’s if I’m lucky.
“I won’t let my family do anything to you,” Helena tells me, as if reading my mind.
“I don’t need you to protect me, Helena.” I scowl at her.
“Too bad, because I’m going to. And then, once all this nonsense with Kye is dealt with, you’re taking me on a date. A real date.”
I smile. I like the idea of taking this woman out on a real date. “Sounds like a one-way ticket to hell, but I’m in.”
“Did you always want to work for the family?” she asks, quickly changing the subject.
“Yes. There aren’t a lot of options for a man like me, Helena, and my father knew that. He trained me to do this job my whole life. He wanted me to have a way of making money that wasn’t in an office.”
“Okay. And you like it? The job?” she questions.
“What’s not to like about it? I get to hang out and protect beautiful women.” I smile, my eyes traveling up and down the length of Helena’s body.
“Yeah? How many women, exactly?”
“Just the one,” I admit.
“Okay, well, I’m off to bed. I’ll leave my door unlocked if you want to sneak in and pretend we’re high schoolers, trying not to be caught by my parents.” Helena winks at me as she gets up and walks away.
I shake my head. I do want to sneak into her room. I just have absolutely no intentions of actually doing so. I think I should refrain from touching her again until this bastard is found. She’s clouding my mind, and I need to be on alert. I need to be prepared for anything at a moment’s notice.
I push to my feet and walk over to the bar, helping myself to a glass of whiskey.
My mind is whirling, obsessing over how to find this Kye fucker.
And how to get my hands on him. Something about his brother showing up at the café today isn’t sitting right with me either.
I don’t know why, but it’s odd that someone would come and ask Helena where their brother is when she’s been broken up with the guy for over a month.