Soon, I was driving up the narrow driveway and parking. The lights were on. Of course, Carlo would be waiting for me. I got out and took a deep breath to clear my head. A few times I’d thought I’d fall asleep during the drive, and I was glad I’d brought Sofia here safely.
I hovered in front of the passenger door. Sofia’s forehead was still pressed up against the glass, her face peaceful. I was glad she was asleep so I didn’t have to look into her sad, broken eyes, but carrying her seemed like a bad idea given what had happened. Shoving my qualms aside, I slowly opened the door. Sofia sagged forward but still didn’t wake. I picked her up, glad when her soft breathing fanned over my throat, and pressed her against my chest. She didn’t wake as I carried her into the house. Carlo awaited me in the foyer, his eyes going wide when he saw Sofia.
“Boss, I—”
“Shut the fuck up. We’ll talk later,” I growled.
I headed up the wooden staircase and carried Sofia into her bedroom, which Carlo had described to me. I lay her down on the bed. I didn’t tuck her in, and only removed her shoes. It felt too personal to undress her, as if I were invading her space without permission, even if I’d already done worse before. I only lifted her mask so the elastic strap wouldn’t cut into her skin. She’d kept it on during the drive. Sofia looked peaceful in sleep, not to mention absolutely stunning. I’d never taken the time to really look at her face. It had seemed inappropriate before our wedding, especially considering our age difference. I straightened and moved to the door.
With a last glance at her sleeping form, I extinguished the lights and closed the door. My phone vibrated in my pocket. Instantly, I wondered if someone had found out. I doubted Santino had let anything slip, but you never knew who might have noticed something at the party and immediately told Dante to better their position. I relaxed when Marco’s name flashed across the screen.
I took the call.
“Where the fuck are you?”
“I had to leave.”
“Leave? Why? What the hell, Danilo? I organized this fucking party for you so you could have one last hurrah before you’re bound to one woman forever. Don’t tell me you went off with that blonde chick. Since when do you let a pussy make you forget your best friend?”
“Careful,” I growled, out of instinctual protectiveness. Of course, that raised Marco’s alarm bells.
“What’s going on?”
“I can’t explain now. I need sleep. We can meet tomorrow afternoon.”
“All right, but you better have a good explanation.”
“And you better stop grating on your boss’s nerves.” I ended the call without another word. I dragged myself downstairs, despite the bone-deep tiredness. Carlo was waiting for me in the living room in front of a roaring fire. “Had a cozy night while my fiancée could have been kidnapped, raped, killed?”
Carlo shook his head. “Santino is Dante’s man. I thought he was trustworthy.”
“He obviously isn’t. And neither is Domingo. I don’t care if Pietro thinks he’s good enough to protect Sofia. Until the wedding, you won’t leave her side. Understood? I don’t give a fuck what kind of drugs you have to take to stay awake, but you’ll watch her wherever she goes, or I’ll cut your fucking balls off.”
Carlo nodded. I would have given Domingo a piece of my mind as well if he weren’t Pietro’s man.
A car pulled up in the driveway. Carlo’s hand immediately went to his gun, but I knew who it was. Confirming my suspicions, Anna and Santino entered the house. Santino was holding Anna’s arm in a tight grip as if she were a toddler about to storm off. She looked like one in her strange doll outfit.
“Where is she?” Anna demanded. Did she think I would answer to an order from a spoiled girl?
I turned to Santino. “Make sure your ward doesn’t wake Sofia. She needs to rest. They can chitchat tomorrow.”
“What did you do to her?” Anna hissed, trying to free herself from Santino’s grip but he didn’t release her.
“Go to bed.”
“Tell me what happened, or I’ll tell my father—”
I narrowed my eyes. “What? That you tricked him into letting you attend a party? That’ll go over well.”
“That you dragged Sofia away and did God knows what with her. He’ll punish you. He won’t stay mad at me for long.”
I smiled. “She’ll be my wife soon. Nobody will punish me. And maybe you’re right and your daddy won’t be mad at you . . .” I looked at Santino. “But he’ll be fucking furious at your bodyguard. I can already imagine the public dismemberment. So, unless you want to be responsible for your bodyguard’s very painful death, you’ll go to bed like the good girl you always pretend to be.”
Anna peered up at Santino’s face. He was stone-faced, but his eyes were burning with fury. At me, definitely at her, and probably at Dante for making him a spoiled kid’s bodyguard when he’d loved being an Enforcer so much.
“Good night,” I snapped and headed upstairs toward a vacant bedroom, glad to get some rest. It had taken considerable effort not to lose it completely in front of Anna and Santino.
I undressed, clothes but before I stepped into the shower, I caught the hint of pink on my cock. I turned on the water and let it wash away the proof of my transgression. “Fuck.”
I’d never really considered Sofia in a sexual way, not even after she’d flashed her boobs at me. I hadn’t allowed myself to think of her sexually, but her body had called to me tonight. I’d wanted her.
