Page 34 of Fall
“Boss wants you in thirty.”
I hear the gravelly announcement from one of my men through the wooden barrier and bounce outof bed, my feet hitting the solid ground hard.
“Coming,” I groan.
I head to the door of my private shower, already regretting that I have to wash off Natalia’s scent before I dare walk into her father’s house.
Twenty minutes later, I’m showered, dressed, armed, and walking out of my quarters. My trip to the main house is different this time.
I’m tense.
Hesitant.
Bracing for more than the usual.
Swallowing the tightness in my throat, I shake my head with recognition. It’s because today, as I walk the halls of the space that my men and I are protecting with our lives, I’m not just facing an outside threat.
There’s a new target on my back.
One that I mounted there and strapped into place the second I touched Natalia Romano.
The mental image of her kneeling on my bed flashes across my brain, and I force it from my thoughts the next second.This shit can’t go on, I think. I’m on my way to the boss’s office, for fuck’s sake. I stride down the vast, gleaming marble hallway that runs the length and width of the massive house, trying to act normal. I see Vinny standing at his post at Natalia’s door. He catches my movementout of the corner of his eye, and when we lock eyes in the distance, I see him mouth the words, “Dead fucker.”
Or at least that’s what it looks like he said.
He’s not wrong.
And I'm not surprised he called me out on my recklessness.
As I close in on him, Natalia's head and small shoulders pop out her opening door, and she flashes me a knowingly smile.
Fuck.
She’s going to get us both killed this very day if she’s not careful.
Shaking my head with disapproval, I keep walking. My face turns stone cold. At least one of us needs to take our emotions out of the equation, and I see from the glint of blissfulness in her eyes that it has to be me.
Casting my gaze straight ahead, I ignore her. I offer her no acknowledgment, no encouragement,no sign of what we shared last night.
It’s a forbidden secret.
And for as long as I can, I’m going to keep it buried while eyes are on us.
Even if she comes to hate me for real.
