RYKER
CHAPTER FORTY
THEN
THREE MONTHS AGO
Camilla De Marco is not what I expected at all, especially considering the stories I’ve heard about her.
But at five-foot-nothing and in an oversized shirt that I’m pretty sure belongs to one of her boyfriends, she looks more like a school girl than a mafia queen.
“Have there been any direct threats to your housekeeper?” I ask, my tone more bored than I intend it to be.
I don’t want to be here, and although I take the orders my boss gives me seriously, I can’t help but feel like I’ve done something wrong to get assigned to glorified babysitting duty.
“House manager,” she corrects me, moving papers around the desk she’s sitting at.
I’m almost positive this wasn’t her father’s office, but seeing as he was killed in that room, that probably makes sense.
“And no. But she is perhaps the only person on this earth my enemies can use against me, and therefore I want her safe.”
“And your army of security you have surrounding this place won’t suffice?”
Camilla sighs and looks up at me though gray eyes.
She’s unamused by my questions, but they have merit, regardless of what she and the boss think.
“Listen, Ryker. I know this isn’t your usual jam, but when I reached out to your boss to ask about security for Chloe, he assured me you were the best. That you can kill someone before they have the chance to lift a hand in defense.
He was also adamant that you were the only person he would trust with her safety if she were in danger, which means you are who I want guarding her, even if you think this job is beneath you. ”
I open my mouth to argue, but quickly snap it shut again.
I assumed this girl must mean something to my boss, but for him to tell Camilla there’s no one else he trusts with her safety is a huge compliment, and I’d be stupid to take it as anything other than exactly that.
“I know very little of Chloe’s past and I haven’t been able to find much in Dad’s files, but from what I can gather is that she ran from another crime family. She rarely leaves the house, even after being here for years, and when she does she takes the time to disguise herself.”
I nod along, thinking back to the file I was sent but not recalling any information to contradict what Camilla is saying.
“I’m hoping to have this current threat neutralized within the coming months, but politics in mafia families is complicated, and I want to ensure her long-term safety throughout this transition.”
“I’ll make sure she’s safe,” I tell her, earning me a slight smile.
“One other thing, if she finds out I hired her a bodyguard, she’s going to lose her shit. So I need you to be discreet about being her personal guard. We’ll tell her you’re a new member of the team, and you’ll need to tail her to make sure she’s okay outside these walls.”
This job just gets better and better.
“Sure,” I reply, trying and failing to keep the annoyance out of my voice.
There’s a light knock at the door, and then it swings open a moment later.
I turn to look over my shoulder at the same time the person steps into the room, and I swear all the air evaporates from my lungs.
Because standing in the doorway with a tray of coffee is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I have no fucking clue how I’m supposed to keep my hands off her.