“I’m sorry, Miss Isabella. I was out of line. Forgive me. You can trust me. I will protect you.” He stands in front of me, trying to reassure me.
“You’re right, Dante. You can’t trust anyone. I know that better than anyone.” I move past him and continue walking. It isn’t until we reach my house that he stops me and speaks again.
“I didn’t mean it the way it sounds. I will protect you. You can trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
“You’re wrong. I appreciate the thought, but you’re only here because Bash ordered you to be. If he called right now and ordered you to be somewhere else, you would go without hesitation. If he ordered you to put a bullet in my head, you would do it without blinking. Don’t think I’m naïve. I know how the family works.”
I head up the steps and go to unlock the door, but his voice stops me.
“You’re wrong, Miss Isabella.” He brushes past me and finishes unlocking the door. “Let me clear the house. Wait here in the hall.”
I wait as he clears each room of the house. Then he comes back and stands in front of me.
“It’s safe. I will be outside if you need anything.” He brushes past me before shutting the door behind me and using his own key to lock the door. I slide down the wall and sit on the floor, thinking about what he said.
Trust is an illusion. You can never trust anyone 100 percent. Not even yourself.
Giovanni
“Thank you so much for this, Gio. I appreciate being able to get out.”
I grimace at Greer. The way she’s dressed screams a bunch of trouble coming my way tonight.
Thankfully, her guard Enzo is coming, along with Matt.
“Anything for you,piccolo.Let’s go.”
Enzo walks into the room and frowns. “Greer, I have to insist that you change. Your clothes are inappropriate.”
I watch as she throws a smile over her shoulder at him.
“Insist away, but I’m not changing. I adore this outfit.” She turns and looks at herself in the mirror one more time. Apparently content with her look, she flips her hair over her shoulder and saunters over to Enzo. “Thank you for grabbing my purse, dear.” She leans up and kisses him on the cheek before walking past him. “Let’s get going, boys.”
Enzo groans and mumbles in Italian under his breath. I chuckle at him.
This woman will be the death of me.
Greer’s a force to be reckoned with, always has been and always will be. Aunt Catrina thinks that marrying her off to some higher-up in the family or into another family will tame the wild side she has. I know different. She will always be a wild child. She needs someone to complement that side, not tame it.
“Let’s get this night over with, boys. Remember the plan.”
The plan being we have several guards to watch her at the club on top of us three being by her side. It’s my way of letting her go a little wild but keeping her safe.
Within minutes we’re loaded up into two SUVs on our way to Ivory. Ivory isn’t my favorite club of ours, but it’s the safest and the closest.
“So, which one of you boys is going to be my dance partner tonight?”
I catch a groan from the front, making me smile.
“I’ll dance with you.” I chuckle as I watch her expression turn into one of disgust.
“Ew! You’re my cousin. No way.”
“What kind of dancing are you thinking? I was thinking of appropriate dancing for cousins. You have a dirty mind,bambina.”
She smacks me hard on the chest.
“Don’t you dare call me that! I hate nicknames,” Greer grumbles.
