So he wasn’t going to continue the escort. She didn’t know why that surprised her. Alessa plastered a smile on anyway, turned, and didn’t bat an eye when Ignazio opened the door for her. She dearly hoped he wouldn’t insist on that everywhere, but in his boss’s office, she would give it to him.
In the elevator, Alessa leaned back against the support rail and turned her head toward her soundless guard. “Are you sleeping in the hall or something?” The one line she would absolutely be drawing was if he insisted on sleeping in the same room as her. Comped or not, that was an invasion of personal space.
Ignazio glanced sidelong at her for a lingering second. “Of course not. I’ll make sure you get inside safely, then take myleave. If you could please text or call me before you head down for breakfast, I’ll make sure to be back at the hotel before you’re ready to depart.”
Well. That was entirely reasonable. Alessa relaxed a fraction. “I can do that.”
They didn’t speak further, and the elevator released them on the top floor with only one awkward intrusion. True to his word, Ignazio followed her into the suite, looked around as if to verify that nothing untoward had happened while they were out, then offered her a nod and took his leave.
And just like that, she was alone in a city she’d never even imagined stepping foot in.
Alessa found herself walking up to the glass paneled wall, letting her eyes drink in the sight. Bright lights blinked, flashed, and burned in all directions, announcing destinations she’d only ever seen in movies and teasing attractions she hadn’t fully believed were real. It was a shame she wasn’t there to explore. Casinos and gambling had never much appealed to her, but it would still be fun to visit such infamous places. Just for the sake of it.Maybe take a few selfies and—
She clamped a hand over her mouth and spun, putting her back to the nighttime vista. Her throat swelled once more as her eyes burned.
Stupid. Stupid, Alessa.It had been nearly four months already, and sometimes she still caught herself forgetting. Just for moments. Precious moments that let those stupid, heartbreaking thoughts slip back in.
It was a good thing she wasn’t there to explore. Playing tourist would only remind her of the pain waiting back home.
“I don’t remember us talking about me clearing my schedule,” Rocco said firmly as soon as Em had stepped from the room.
Rocco Senior sighed and made his way over to the shelf where his whiskey waited, pouring himself a glass. “Drink?”
Rocco frowned. “I’ll pass.”
His father shrugged, recapped the decanter, and made his way back toward the sofa. “Let’s be reasonable about this, son,” he said. “How’s one woman supposed to make a difference? She doesn’t even know this city.”
“As you pointed out, that’s what Ignazio’s for.” And Rocco was absurdly glad Ignazio had been his father’s choice for the job, because Ignazio had the lowest sex-drive out of any man Rocco had ever known. He’d never once seen the man so much as stare at a woman’s ass.
“Yes, yes, Ignazio will compensate for that to some degree.” Senior tipped the crystal to his lips, swallowing half the liquid down before he continued. “Whoever we’re dealing with presumably has muscle to spare, and makes seemingly sizable loans to once-wealthy men. They’re ignorant, thankfully, of whom they’ve provoked this time, but we can’t assume that will last.” He met Rocco’s stare with a furrowed brow. “The De Salvos will mop up that George fellow soon enough. We want to at least have made some noise in the rightneighborhoods by then, to keep them from simply sending out a replacement.”
Rocco sighed and perched on the arm of the sofa, letting one leg stretch out. “I get that, Father. I understand theimportanceof the job.” He certainly knew what the Dragon had done for them several years before, when he himself had been too green behind the ears to do anything useful.
That force of a man had only been one year older than him by age, but everything about him had carried on a different plane. It had been equal parts inspiring and terrifying. And the wake-up call Rocco had desperately needed to pull his shit together.
“So it’s the girl you question.”
Rocco locked his jaw for a beat. Then, carefully, he said, “It’s not as if I’m not generally busy. You expect me to just dump or reschedule all my appointments?”
Senior made a sound of dismissal and knocked back the rest of his drink. “That’s already done, Rocco. I’ll handle the few that can’t be rescheduled. The rest have been passed to someone else or delayed.” He leaned forward, set the crystal on the coffee table, and sat back at an angle to meet Rocco’s stare. “I’m not saying you have to actively babysit her. But stay in touch. Be available. Just as she ishisvoice here, I want you to be mine with her.” His brow furrowed. “Do you understand?”
Fuck.He understood, all right. He understood better than he would be able to explain to his stubborn old man. Rocco pushed to his feet. “Fine.” It looked like he wouldn’t be able to avoid the walking temptation he’d just brought in from the airport, after all.
Alessa saw her mother patting down the already-smooth lapels of a perfectly pressed black suit as if walking out of a haze. Nothing else was clear, not until her mother spoke.
“You look so sharp, Al.”
Alessa’s father chuckled, the sound tinged with a familiar smoker’s rasp. “Just like your old man!” His voice was full of pride.
She’d be able to see it if she could tear her own eyes away from the sharp-dressed man in front of her. When he smiled it was as if he lost half his age, going from a man just entering his thirties to a lanky teen of maybe sixteen. But no matter, because there was no denying who he was. Her treasured older brother, the one who’d held her hand every single time she’d been scared and the one who always remembered which flavor pie was actually her favorite. “Al…” Her voice choked as tears rushed her eyes.
He seemed to smile wider, brighter, almost blinding. “Did you hear, Lessa?” He raised his chin and puffed out his chest with visible pride, their father laughing again in the background. “I got promoted to the underboss’s private security detail!”
The excitement and relief pouring through her popped like a balloon, which only made her tears fall free.
“Oh, we’re so proud of you, Alfonso,” their mother crooned.
Al turned his smile in thedirection of her voice, before sweeping it forward again. “Today’s my first day on-duty, so I have to get going.”
