“He’s apparently already protected you before.” Frankie raised a delicate brow. “Anything you care to tell me about that?”
She knew that look her mother was giving her. It was her patented “I’m-your-mother-and-I-gave-you-life-so-you-better-tell-me-the-truth-right-now” look. But she refused to buckle. “Just because he inadvertently got me out of harm’s way doesn’t mean I want him protecting me now.”
“What is the matter with you?” Frankie asked, frustration straining her voice. “Why are you being so stubborn about this whole bodyguard thing? You’ve refused any sort of security detail even after two attempts on your life. Is it because of Shane—”
“Stop!” She put up her hands. Oh, God, she didn’t want to think about it. About what happened in the past. It was long ago, but the guilt and pain still seemed fresh, like a wound that had never scabbed. “Sorry.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve been fine all this time. I don’t need a bodyguard.”
Julianna clenched her teeth. “You can’t mean to have that … that oaf come here and keep an eye on Adrianna? How will we know he won’t try to harm her?”
Her inner wolf protested, as if telling her that Darius would never hurt them. What is up with you? But it merely yipped at her in response.
“He won’t,” Frankie said. “If he did, he would have already done it.”
“How could you trust him?” Julianna berated.
“I don’t. But I trust you.” Frankie put a hand on both her daughters’ shoulders. “I trust you both. Adrianna,” she began. “I’ve seen you duke it out with temperamental chefs and asshole CEOs and you’ve never given up. And you, my dear Julianna,” she smiled softly, “you’re tough and smart. The two of you can handle whatever life throws at you. Your last name may be Anderson, but you’re both my daughters, descended from a long line of female Alphas. And the women in our family don’t back down.”
Her mother’s confidence shook her to her very core, and as she looked over at Julianna, she saw in her sister’s eyes what she felt: pride and determination.
“Corvinus’s nephew,” Julianna said. “Do you want us to use him to our advantage?”
Her mother’s lips curled into a smile. “Yes. Keep him close. Try to find out more about The Family. He may inadvertently give us information his uncle might be keeping close.”
“Doesn’t seem like a chatty Cathy to me,” Julianna snorted.
“He’s probably not the type to respond to direct questioning,” Frankie said, then turned to Adrianna. “But see what you can get out of him.”
“Me?” she asked. What was her mother suggesting?
“You’ll be spending a lot of time together. Give it some thought,” Frankie said cryptically.
She pondered her mother’s words. As much as she didn’t want a bodyguard, it wasn’t like she actually cared about what happened to Darius. He’s basically cannon fodder. If he was so good at his job, then the mages could get to him first.
Her wolf did not seem to like that one bit.
Oh, shut up.
She slapped her hand on her forehead. Was she going to start talking to her wolf now?
“Are you all right, Adrianna?” Frankie asked.
“I’m fine.” She massaged her temple. Darius exuded danger, and every single cell in her brain screamed at her to turn tail. Yet, she couldn’t stop thinking about him and how close they were going to be in the next few days. The thought made her body hum with anticipation.
Stop it. She couldn’t dare think of him as anything else except a dangerous ally. Stay close, but not too close. They couldn’t trust Anatoli Corvinus and by extension, anyone in The Family. Would their gamble pay off? She sure hoped so, otherwise, it would be the end of the New Jersey clan.
Chapter Four
Darius followed Anatoli out of the restaurant silently. The two burly enforcers who usually accompanied his uncle were already waiting by the black SUV parked by the entrance.
As one of them reached for the door to the passenger side, Anatoli shook his head. “No,” he barked, then turned to him. “You drove here?”
He nodded.
“I’ll ride with you. Follow us back to the compound,” he told the bodyguards, then gestured for Darius to lead him to his car.
It was a strange request, but he just shrugged as he complied and walked to where he parked his car at the end of the lot. Anatoli waited impatiently, and he dutifully opened the front passenger side for him, then shut it before walking around to the driver’s side.
He moved slowly, gathering his thoughts, wondering why his uncle wanted to ride with him. Perhaps he’d get an earful about being late. Unfortunately, he had underestimated the time it would take him to get to the restaurant, but still, he didn’t think he had been delayed too long.
He’d already been angry and frustrated at having to be at the ridiculous meeting in the first place; he was an enforcer, not a negotiator.
And then he’d arrived and saw her.
“Darius!” Anatoli roared from inside the car. “Stop dawdling.”
He hurried inside, started the engine and then put the car into gear. He could feel Anatoli stewing next to him but didn’t dare say a word. Of course, he himself was trying to gather his thoughts and control the maelstrom of emotions inside him.
Tonight was the closest he’d gotten to her since the ball. Had he forgotten how smooth her skin was? Or how lovely her face looked? And those mismatched eyes. He could barely drag his gaze away from her.
His uncle never mentioned that she would be there. If he had, he wasn’t sure what he would have done. But the moment he’d walked into that room, he knew one thing for sure: Anatoli could never know about how much he was drawn to Adrianna.
“That bitch!” Anatoli suddenly burst out. “How dare she tell me what to do!”
“She is Alpha,” he pointed out. “You had no choice.” Empty words, but what could he
