36. Fratellino
CHAPTER 36
FRATELLINO
I sabella
A wave of power, raw and undiluted, descends over the suddenly tense atmosphere as two men in dark suits stalk toward us. I know the feeling well, I’ve grown up surrounded by it, the prickle in the air, the sudden shift in awareness. Behind the dark-haired men, march a retinue of guards that would put Papà ’s team to shame. Raf stiffens beside me, every inch of his body exuding fiery tension.
“ Cazzo ,” he grinds out.
As one hand clutches my elbow his free one slides down to his hip where his gun is hidden. Like the perfect hunter, his muscles are coiled, prepared to strike. My gaze bounces between Raf and the approaching strangers, a chill surging up my spine. I’ve seen my guard in a variety of dangerous circumstances, but I’ve never seen him like this. That tension surges from his body, leeching into my own until a tight knot twists in my gut. Serena is oblivious to the entire drama, chattering away about her pretty flower until her gaze lifts and locks on the first of the two men.
“Oh, Dio ,” she murmurs, before fanning herself. “And this is exactly why I have no plans of ever returning to Manhattan again.”
The first man, with eyes as dark as midnight, pauses, his piercing gaze raking up and down Serena, taking in every inch of her scandalous, curve-hugging, ruby-red mini. The man is hot as hell with a decidedly dangerous edge. Maybe it’s the tattoos peeking out from beneath his collar or that predatorial stare.
“Keep moving,” Raf growls through clenched teeth as he attempts to steer me around the rising swell of black suits.
“Please don’t tell me you’re leaving already, signorina .” The second guy, who looks strikingly similar to the first, only instead of the dark eyes and hair, he is blessed with deep emerald irises and tendrils of light chestnut that fall across his brow. “The party is only just beginning.”
“That’s exactly what I was saying?—”
I grab Serena’s hand and squeeze so tight I cut off the rest of her sentence. My cousin might be a little flighty at times, but she knows me well enough to pick up on my not-so-subtle hints.
A wall of men now blocks the pathway to the car, the two attractive ones who are clearly in charge taking turns ogling Serena, then glaring at Raf, or rather at his hand squeezing the shit out of my arm.
“Raffa,” the taller one hisses, “all this time in Roma and not even a call?”
Serena spins at my guard, finally freed from the stare down with the gorgeous stranger. “You know these two?”
“Not anymore,” he grits out.
The dark-haired guy steps closer, and Raf positions himself in front of me, a flesh and blood wall. “Come on now, fratellino , that’s no way to talk about your brothers.”
My jaw unhinges, and Raf’s grip on my arm turns punishing. I let out an embarrassing squeal before biting my tongue to keep the string of curses from erupting next.
“Brothers?” A sharp, slightly unhinged laugh bubbles out from the hard line of Raf’s lips.
In that moment, it occurs to me despite spending nearly twenty-four hours a day with my bodyguard for months now, I know nothing about him. He has brothers? Here in Rome? How could he not tell me?
“That’s funny,” he hisses, a violent edge to his tone. “Both of you made your choice long ago.” He ticks his head at the green-eyed one. “Besides, Giuseppe told me you knew I was here weeks ago, Antonio.”
Antonio, the taller one with the piercing coal-black eyes, sears the brother to his right with a glare before returning that hard gaze back onto Raf.
“Oh, so Giuseppe didn’t tell you we ran into each other? Or that I called him prior to my arrival?” A devious grin softens the hard line of Raf’s jaw. “What’s wrong, Antonio? Are you losing control over your men? It’s a fucking shame when you can’t even trust your own damned blood, isn’t it?”
Antonio erases the space between them, fury carving into his jaw. “ Vaffanculo, Raffa.”
“You first, Toni.” Despite my bodyguard being the younger brother, he’s the biggest of all three. And right now, looming over his siblings with his chest puffed out like a fucking peacock and the murderous rage set into his features, he looks damned terrifying.
And it makes me stand a little taller.
“Clearly, there’s some family history going on here that we’re not aware of.” Serena steps between the brothers, her sparkly clutch in hand, and runs a perfectly manicured fingernail across Antonio’s shoulder. “Let’s not allow it to ruin anyone’s night.” Two of the guards surge forward, but Toni lifts a dismissive hand, and his men freeze midstride. What only I know is that Serena’s designer purse hides a loaded Glock 42.
“My apologies, ladies, my brother and I have been extremely rude.” A practiced smile slides across Antonio’s face as he takes a step back and adjusts the pristine white collar of his shirt. “Seeing our long-lost brother caught me a bit off guard.” His dark gaze zips to Raf before settling on Serena once again. “My name is Antonio Ferrara, and this is my younger brother, Giuseppe.” He signals toward the hilltop nightclub. “And this is our fine establishment.”
Raffaele mutters a curse, dragging his fingers through the tangle of dark locks.
Antonio extends a hand, twin pools of darkness scrutinizing every inch of me. “And you must be my brother’s new client.”
“Don’t touch her,” Raf growls, the savage sound vibrating his entire torso. He drags me in closer so that I can feel every twitch of his muscle and the rapid staccato of his heart.
“Always so protective, fratellino … and that temper. I hope it hasn’t gotten you into more trouble.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m handling my business just fine.”
“Clearly.” Again, that hard gaze rakes over me, searching for what I’m not certain, but he sure as shit isn’t going to find it in my cleavage. I glare right back, crossing my arms to cover the plunging neckline of my top. Raf likes to treat me like a fragile little thing, but I’m more than capable of handling myself.
From my current position, I’ve got a clear path to his throat. A direct strike with the edge of my hand, and he’d be choking on his own breath. Or I could go for the groin, simple and effective. Either way, even without a gun, I’m a pretty lethal weapon myself.
“Maybe we should all go back in there for another drink?” Serena offers, her fingers still tight around her clutch. My cousin might play the part of a ditzy blonde well, but there’s not a stupid bone in her body. “Make up for lost time?” She glances between the three siblings.
“Absolutely not,” Raf growls.
Giuseppe steps closer, twinkling green eyes focused on his younger sibling. “Come on, Raffa. Don’t you think it’s time?”
“Hell would have to fucking freeze over twice before I sit at a table and share a drink with either of you.”
Giuseppe laughs it off, but of the two brothers he seems the most ill at ease. Antonio must be the eldest, but not by much, all three siblings look to be in their thirties.
“Now, get the fuck out of my way so we can get out of here and never make the mistake of frequenting your fine establishment again.” Curling me around his back, he steps into his brother, towering over his smaller frame.
“You’re sure this is how you want to play this?” Antonio rasps.
“ Papà was the one who started this game long ago, Toni. I don’t want to fucking play at all. I’ll be out of your damned city the first chance I get. Until then, you stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine. And tell Papà not to worry, I’m not here for him.”
Antonio chuckles, the deep sound unnervingly similar to Raf’s laugh, the fake one, not the real one that carries more depth and a swell of warmth. Once the fit dies down, he takes a step to the side and the curtain of dark suits parts, opening a pathway to the parking lot.
Raf tucks me under his arm, then drags me between the gauntlet of guards, and I jerk Serena along with us.
“ A presto, fratellino ,” Antonio calls out.
See you soon .
“What the hell, Raf?” I blurt the minute we hit the gravel parking lot. Salvatore starts the engine and one of Serena’s guards opens the door to the back seat. Where were they a few seconds ago when World War III was about to erupt?
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
I dig my heels into the gravel and slow his manic footfalls. “I’m not taking another step until you tell me what is going on.”
His stormy eyes mine, a tempest of emotions surging just beneath the dark surface. “Get your ass in the car, or I will throw you over my shoulder again. Is that what you want? I’m not fucking around, principessa .” The jagged edge to his tone has the fire in my veins leeching out.
“At home then.”
“Fine.” He presses his hand to the small of my back and pushes me the rest of the way to the car.
What the actual fuck has Raf been hiding all this time?