Page 43 of Thorns of Desire

“You can’t stay here,” I told her. “It’s too dangerous. We’re leaving.” When she didn’t move, I added, “Today.”

She blinked. “I can’t leave, not now when my friends need me.”

“Your friends would want you safe.”

She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them with resignation.

“I know you’re right, and I want to be smart about my safety, but I can’t leave Reina right now. At least give me until her engagement party, and then I’ll do whatever you think is best.”

I admired her loyalty to her friend, and while I knew it wasn’t the best decision, I heard myself answer, “Fine. But I’ll assignguards to keep watch over you and the apartment when I can’t be here myself.”

She nodded somberly. “Okay, but can they be invisible?”

I let out a sardonic breath. “You’ll never even know they’re here.”

I still couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something she wasn’t telling me. I would have called her on it right then, but my instincts warned me she wasn’t ready yet.

However, this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

I walked into the kitchen of Enrico’s home around noon to find Enzo and Amadeo drinking shots of grappa.

“Ma che—” I snatched the bottle from Enzo’s hands. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m having a shot right before an early afternoonsiesta,” Enzo answered like he was sipping on juice and not fucking alcohol.

“You’re Italian, not Spanish,” I gritted. “And you’re fourteen, Enzo. One day you’ll be head of the Marchetti empire. Act like it.”

This was the last thing I needed. There had been reports of the Triads being spotted in France, and although I got hourly updates from the men I’d assigned to watch over Athena, it still set me on edge.

“Okay,riposo,then. Stop getting hung up on semantics,zio mio. We need grappa to warm us up. Italianos aren’t meant to experience cold weather,” Amadeo interjected.

Winter in Paris wasn’t my favorite time of year either. It constantly drizzled, unlike in southern Italy.

Since the attack in Athena’s bedroom, I was getting increasingly impatient. I had men constantly on her tail when I wasn’t able to be with her. I’d also had cameras installed in her apartment, much to her dismay. Conscious of scaring her away with my overbearing nature, I promised her I’d only check the footage if there were reports of suspicious activity in the area.

Once her friend Reina’s engagement to the Leone brother was behind us, I intended to take Athena away. That was the only way I could really protect her.

“Cranky,zio mio?” Amadeo asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“I noticed you were eyeing ourmatrigna’s friend,” smartass Enzo added.

“Forget yourmatrigna’s friends. I better not catch you drinking grappa like it’s Fireball.Capisce?”

They both nodded gravely, giving me their full attention, but their eyes gleamed mischievously.

“Isla’s friend, Athena, will be ourzia. Davvero?” Amadeo was an expert at changing subjects.

I pointed at both of them, narrowing my eyes. “Don’t worry yourself about things that don’t concern you.” I reached for the espresso the cook had prepared and left for me on the warmer. “You better pray I don’t inform your father that you’re emptying his liquor cabinet.”

The little shits laughed.

“It will be fun with youngragazzearound rather than the usual old men,” Amadeo drawled.

I swatted his head. “Sono le donne. Voi due siete ragazzi.” They’re women. You two are boys.

Amadeo puffed his chest. “But we know what to do. We read one of the books you bought.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What books?”