Chapter 15
Wes
The next morning, Juliette was still sleeping when there was a knock at the door. My body went rigid, and I went over to the peephole to check it.
Frannie Ginocassi and her bodyguard. What the hell are they doing here so early?
I took a deep breath to gear myself up for this. Opening the door, I feigned a smile. “Good morning.”
Frannie gave me a once-over and brushed past my shirtless body into the house. “We left the cat at the hotel to spare you. I wanted to be here when my daughter woke up.”
Paulie followed her inside.
I closed the door. “Well, you know she likes to sleep in.”
Paulie smacked me on the back. “Frannie, I’ll wait for you out in the car. I have some phone calls to make.”
“Take your time, Paulie.” She turned to me after he left. “I sort of figured Juliette might be sleeping.” She lowered her voice. “Actually, I was hoping you and I could talk before she woke up.”
I stiffened. “All right.” Running a hand through my hair, I said, “I haven’t had my coffee yet. Can I make you one?”
“Please.” She followed me into the kitchen. “Heavy on the cream. No sugar.”
“You got it.”
As I reached for two mugs and got the coffee going, I considered what she could possibly want to talk to me about. Couldn’t be good, whatever it was.
While the coffee was brewing, I took a seat across from her.
Frannie cocked her head. “Do you have feelings for my daughter?”
Well, all right then. Maybe I should’ve seen that coming. My eyes widened. “You couldn’t have waited until I’d had my coffee to hit me with that?”
“It’s a yes or no response.”
“No.”
“Considering you’re turning various shades of red right now, I think I have my answer.
” She smirked. “How long have you had feelings for her?” When I remained silent, she added, “You can trust that anything you tell me will not get back to Vince. I know my daughter is fond of you. And she’s my number-one priority.
I wouldn’t abuse her trust or put you in danger. ”
The gurgling sound of the coffee finishing prompted me to stand. I was thankful for the brief reprieve. I nervously prepared her coffee, clanking the spoon against the ceramic a little too loudly while I stirred in her cream.
As I set the cup of joe in front of her, she stared at me like she’d been waiting for my answer to her question the entire time. Rather than give her what she wanted, I returned to the coffee station and took my sweet time preparing my own mug.
Sitting back down, I took a long sip, which didn’t go to my head fast enough. I sighed. “My feelings for Juliette aren’t relevant to the current situation.”
She blew on her coffee and took a sip. “Take the situation out of the equation. I understand your predicament. Anyone working for Vince is under the gun—literally. But try to put that aside. I’ll ask again… Do you have feelings for my daughter?”
“What good is putting the facts aside? That’s not realistic.” I shook my head. “Admitting to you that I have feelings for Juliette isn’t going to change how I have to proceed.”
She leaned in. “But you do, right?”
“Mrs. Ginocassi—”
“Call me Frannie…please.”
I lowered my voice. “Frannie.” Looking down into my mug, I said, “Your daughter is obviously gorgeous. Of course I find her incredibly attractive. But she’s also…
” I paused, trying to find the right words.
“She’s real, vulnerable, funny, honest…caring.
” I closed my eyes for a moment. “She makes me laugh.” I chuckled.
“Every day.” I sighed. “I could go on. But yes, I have found myself wishing things were different, because any guy would be lucky to have Juliette.”
“Wow, it’s even worse than I thought.” She smiled in satisfaction, as if she’d already known everything I just told her. “I commend you for holding your ground. And you’re right on the money. Nothing good could come from her getting involved with one of Vince’s guys.”
“Was that the point of this conversation, to reiterate the obvious?” I scoffed.
She shook her head. “Well, my attitude is a little different than Vince’s. My husband doesn’t give a shit how people feel. But I recognize that the people who work for him are still human. I was just curious whether this situation is a struggle for you, like it is for Juliette.”
Pretty sure she shouldn’t have admitted that to me. Clearly, she and Juliette had been talking.
“Still, despite your feelings, you’re doing what you know is best for my daughter,” Frannie continued. “And I greatly appreciate that.”
My hand tightened around the mug. “It’s not just what’s best for her. It’s my damn job. Your husband has made it clear numerous times that he’ll kill me if I ever lay a hand on her. So there’s not exactly room for error. I just…” I looked away, hesitant to continue.
She tilted her head. “What?”
Letting out a long exhale, I said, “I just wish Juliette could somehow escape her ties to him. She doesn’t deserve to live her life in the shadow of evil.
She deserves so much more than that. And yeah, maybe as a bodyguard I’m not supposed to care so damn much about my client.
But I can’t help it.” I ran my thumb along the mug.
“Juliette makes it easy. I’d give anything for her to be able to live in peace. ”
“Well, you risk your life for her every day. And I’m indebted to you for that.
” She frowned. “And I’m sorry that you and Juliette have to deny your obvious feelings for each other.
Even if you’re not admitting it in so many words, it’s clear to me that you’re smitten with my daughter.
There’s no greater torture than wanting someone you can’t have. ”
I couldn’t help myself as I arched a brow. “Like you and Timothy?” I’m going to hell.
Her jaw dropped open. “Who told you about that?”
“Who do you think?” I chuckled. “It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone.”
Frannie rolled her eyes. “There’s about as much hope for Timothy and me as my husband being sainted.”
I laughed. “Ain’t that the damn truth.”
Juliette entered the kitchen and rubbed her eyes. “Oh boy. The two of you talking behind my back…” Her hair was knotted and wild. She was so damn beautiful.
Frannie beamed. “Good morning, darling. I couldn’t wait to see you. So I decided to stop by.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do you always walk around here with no bra on?”
Shush, Frannie. It’s all I have.
“Where’s Paulie?” Juliette rubbed her eyes again, her voice groggy.
“He’s in the car. He likes his privacy whenever he can get it.”
Juliette yawned and walked over to the coffee machine to pour herself a mug.
Thankfully, as she prepared her coffee, she didn’t ask what her mother and I had been talking about. I couldn’t be sure Frannie wouldn’t bring up my feelings for Juliette again. And that would be so fucking awkward.
“You’re full of crap, Mom,” she finally said as she joined us at the table.
Frannie’s face turned red. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t believe you came by this early just to see me. I think you were torturing Wes.” Juliette turned to me. “Am I right?”
Maybe I’m not getting out of this conversation after all.
I tried to keep a poker face, and thankfully this time Juliette dropped the subject for good.
After a bit, Frannie suggested that we all go out to breakfast. Juliette agreed, so Paulie and I sat at a corner table at the restaurant to give her and her mother some privacy while still keeping close tabs on them. Together they were a double target, and we had to be especially vigilant.
Paulie was an interesting guy—a bit of an oddball.
He was pretty quiet and only spoke when spoken to, even with me.
I couldn’t quite figure out his deal, except that he seemed ambivalent overall.
Still, I was kind of hoping to talk to him.
It would be nice to chat with someone else in the same predicament as me.
It wasn’t every day you got to sit down with other bodyguards working for the mob, let alone for the same guy.
After we ordered, I leaned back in my chair. “How are you holding up?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, seeming genuinely confused.
“Working for Vince.”
He shrugged. “It’s all right.”
I raised a brow. “Just all right?”
“It’s a job.”
I squinted, finding his attitude hard to believe. “It’s not just a job, and you know it.”
Paulie shrugged again. “I don’t sweat it too much.”
I continued my inquisition. “How did you end up working for him?”
“My father owed him a favor.”
Ah. Should’ve known.
I nodded. “Well, I wish I could be like you...looking at this as just a job.” I shook my head. “I feel like I’m on edge every second of the day.”
As I took a sip of coffee, it hit me. Paulie’s ability to view this gig as just a job was directly related to the fact that he didn’t have personal feelings for Frannie.
If something happened to her, it would be a failure from a business perspective, but it likely wouldn’t shatter him.
If something happened to Juliette, I knew it would wreck me.
Juliette had never felt like just a client, even in the beginning, but especially not now as we’d gotten closer.
Her life felt like my life. And that was pretty damn eye opening.
A waiter brought our food, and Paulie happily escaped into his eggs rather than encouraging deeper conversation with me about the plight of the mob bodyguard.
After they finished their breakfast, Juliette and her mother came walking toward our table.
“We should go pick up the cat and get to the airport, Paulie.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Paulie stood from the table.
“I already paid for all of us,” Frannie announced.
I nodded. “That was very nice of you. Thank you.”
Frannie placed her hand on my arm. “It’s the least I can do with how well you take care of my baby.”
I watched as Juliette and her mother embraced. After, I gave Frannie a hug and clasped hands with Paulie.
“Call me when you get home, Mom.”
“I will, my darling.”
After they left, Juliette and I walked to the car together.