Chapter 4 #2
“Mrs. Armani’s friend, Lily Taylor, was the woman caught in the crossfire. Ara’s advocated that she wants her guarded until the matter is dealt with, in case anyone gets cocky on New York territory.”
Tyson whistles. “Sounds like babysitting duty. Is she hot?”
“It’s irrelevant,” I scold quickly. The thought of any of these fuckers looking upon Lily makes my blood boil. She’s too innocent to be around the likes of men like this. Men like me.
“Oh, come on, Lorenzo. Stop being so stiff,” Sky teases, forever the shit-stirrer of the group.
“Or maybe that’s the problem. He needs to be stiff so he can actually manage a release for once,” Izak, the hound with the yellow gem, dryly says.
“Enough,” I bite, and they’re quick to shut their yapping mouths before I have to do it for them. Always pushing boundaries, these young smartasses. Even at their age, I wasn’t so loose with my tongue, understanding the real threat of it being cut off.
The red-gemmed hound, Kage, remains quiet. The only thing that gets him engaged is the promise of bloodshed.
“Want us to follow her?” Tony, the oldest of the group and the one with the brown gem, asks. For the most part, he can rein in their shitty attitudes as well.
“No,” Luca says, considerately. “I want your identities to remain hidden. She’s protected at the hotel now, but going forward, she’ll need someone to remain with her at all times.
The hounds are better suited to managing the current situation to make sure no one steps out of place.
I want us to follow up on every person we conduct business with, reiterating our expectations.
Our rates go up by ten percent, and anyone who revolts, show them that we mean business.
As for her friend…” Luca’s sharp blue gaze lands on me. “I want you to follow Lily Taylor.”
All the suggestions and game plans circulating in my mind immediately halt. “Excuse me?”
Luca then looks to the leader of the hounds, Tony. “While I’m away, I want you guarding Ara day in and day out with your life. You’re permitted to reveal your identity as her bodyguard. Lorenzo will watch her friend. The sooner this is dealt with, the sooner we go back to normal.”
“I don’t follow,” I grit out, and I certainly don’t condone it.
But I’m cautious with my words, because when Luca is in a bad mood, it’s poor timing to challenge his orders.
I might get away with it sometimes, but I keep it to a minimum.
I don’t fear Luca; I respect him and the role I’ve been given.
But lately, he seems comfortable with putting himself on a ledge, sticking out his neck.
I'd struggled being put in charge of following his wife around the moment he found out about her pregnancy, but to then be demoted again to babysit her friend…
There are only so many blows I can handle, and his clear lack of dependency on me is concerning.
“There’s no way Ara will allow anyone she doesn’t trust near her friend. You should be honored,” Luca says dismissively.
“I regret to disagree,” I say quickly.
“Luckily, I don’t pay you to make opinions on the orders I give you.”
My jaw tics as he continues addressing the hounds.
“Tony, Ara knows who you are. The rest of the hounds are better suited elsewhere. I want you to follow her like the air she breathes. If she so much as spills a tear or drop of coffee in your vicinity, I’ll have your head for it. You’re all dismissed.”
My hands curl into fists as I rein in my rising frustration. I don’t like this plan at all. Luca begins to look over the paperwork that was gathered on his desk during the time we were in Italy. When everyone else is gone and the door closes behind us, he says, “You don’t agree with the plan.”
I understand I have to be made an example of; speaking against him is as good as a crime, especially in front of the others.
He suggests I sit across from him and then pulls another glass out from the desk's top drawer to pour me a whiskey. We rarely share a drink together, having always kept our relationship mostly business. But it’s times like this that I also realize, besides the new addition of his wife, I’m the only person he confides in because I’m willing to take his secrets to the grave.
“My expertise is better utilized elsewhere. Using me as a babysitter is a waste when I can better assist you in other areas. I’m even more surprised you’re willing to prioritize me being by anyone else’s side but yours or your wife’s. Do you really think Tony can do a better job than I?”
Luca stares at me, his expression unreadable.
I thought I once understood how his mind worked, but more than ever, I realize that as he steps further into his power, a greater distance grows between us because of the way he approaches things.
He wants to do everything himself, willing to put his life on the line for personal satisfaction when he wins.
“This has nothing to do with who I think can do a better job at protecting my wife. Both you and Tony are skilled in that regard. Don’t ever question my ability to make decisions to best protect my wife.”
I dip my head. “Apologies, sir.”
“There’s another task I want to assign you while you look after the Taylor woman,” Luca continues, and this does pique my interest. Despite his unhinged ways, Luca is very methodical.
“I want to look into her father’s affairs and estates.
I’ve heard rumors of fractures within his company. The man's empire is worth a fortune.”
Realization dawns on me. “Are you certain now is a good time to focus on expanding when we need to have the issue in Italy sorted first?”
Luca's lips tip up in an evil grin, the one that tells me he’s up to no good and has found ample pathways to get precisely what he wants. “I’m always expanding my fortune and power, Lorenzo. You, of all people, should know that. After all, you benefit, do you not?”
I consider the amount of money that Mr. Taylor might be worth. Luca’s wealth definitely impacts mine directly. When his expands, so does mine.
“This feels rather opportunistic, using Ara and her friend to get close to her father, doesn’t it?”
“Some tactics never fail to work. Of course, my wife isn’t to know about this. If she found out I was using her friend to exploit her father, she’d chop my balls off.”
I want to ask him why he’s willing to risk it, because I think if anyone is capable of doing precisely that, it’s Ara. But I know better than to question his scheming mind and self-assurance that he can handle matters in Italy directly.
“It might be difficult to explain Lily Taylor suddenly having a bodyguard. Her father will surely become suspicious.” I consider it, thinking carefully as to what the best angle of approach might be.
Whether she agrees to my help or not isn't in question. What Luca wants, tends to happen, especially when being endorsed by Ara. From what I’ve seen of Lily so far, she’s more than accommodating and easily agreeable, even when she doesn’t want to be.
In fact, it’s always irritated me to watch her submit to the wants of others.
Especially because I’ve seen another side of her—a woman who takes things for herself and comes to life, instead of bending to another’s will.
My mind drifts back to a memory of her lips on mine, but I’m quick to shove that thought away.
A distraction, that’s all she has been and ever will be.
“That’s why you’re going to pretend to be her boyfriend.”
A chill runs through my body, as I slowly glance up at Luca, who looks like the devil himself, all matter-of-fact with no falter in his scheme. “Boyfriend?”
The word feels like sand on my tongue, leaving a parched, bitter taste in my mouth.
Luca has the balls to laugh, and I realize I haven’t so easily concealed my expression. “You look revolted by the idea. Come on, Lorenzo. Love might not look so bad on you.”
I stare at him. No, I don’t understand my boss at all anymore. Because love and boyfriend are not words that often appear in our vocabulary. We take, torture, scheme, and bury bodies to grow our power and wealth. Anything outside of that is not where my preferences or skill set lie.
“We’ve done plenty together over the years,” Luca says, straightening his paperwork and placing it to the side. “But I’ve never seen you look like you’re about to vomit at a given task. Even then, you will do as I say and follow the plan.”
I swallow, trying my hardest to push away the volatile mix in my stomach.
And suddenly, it tastes like sunshine and rainbows in a package of Lily fucking Taylor.
It’s not her fault. It’s not her plan. But anything that seems to include her has caused me nothing but grief, and this is going to be my biggest trial of all.