By Virtue I Fall （Sins of the Fathers #3）
Cora Reilly
Love is an inconvenience Anna Cavallaro doesn抰 have time for.
She only has one goal: to become a fashion designer. Chicago抯 elite already copies her style religiously, not least because she抯 the daughter of the city抯 notorious mafia boss.
When she抯 accepted at a world-famous fashion institute in Paris, her father抯 condition is to take her bodyguard along.
Anna definitely wouldn抰 mind a few weeks of no-strings-attached fun with her brooding protector.
Santino Bianchi became the Outfit抯 enforcer because he liked the thrill of the hunt and kill.
Babysitting his capo抯 daughter is an honorable assignment he can抰 refuse. His thoughts about Anna? Not so honorable.
Santino抯 ignored Anna抯 persistent flirting for years. Now, far away from home boundaries begin to blur. But Santino doesn抰 have any intention to be the reason for a failed engagement and the ensuing scandal.
A summer fling in Paris.
Only two things stand in Anna抯 way.
Santino抯 iron will.
And?her fianc?
I was a loyal soldier.
Being Enforcer for the Chicago Outfit had been a matter of pride. That I enjoyed breaking bones and my task allowed me to do so had been an additional bonus. I was good at it. I enjoyed it.
What I didn抰 enjoy was listening to the inane chatter of a teenage girl.
Unfortunately, my brutal talents had led to my Capo asking me to become his daughter抯 personal guard.
Playing bodyguard slash babysitter to his oldest spawn had never been my idea of serving the cause.
揧ou can抰 say no,?my father had argued, his eyes wide with alarm when I抎 told him I was considering to do so.
揑抦 not like you, Dad. I don抰 have the patience to hover beside a spoiled mafia woman and listen to her endless bitching with her friends. I抦 a soldier, not a nanny.?
揧ou can抰 say no to your Capo. It抯 an honor.?
I shook my head. 揑 want to work with my hands. I want to break bones. I want to destroy our enemies.?
揧ou should reconsider your decision,?Dad said imploringly. 揑f your Capo asks you to become his daughter抯 bodyguard, there抯 only one viable answer, Santino, and that抯 yes.?
I had absolutely no intention of reconsidering my decision or say yes, no matter what Dad said. Arturo and I were a good team. We had been working together as Enforcers for years and yet it never got boring. Why would I give that up for a job I would undoubtedly despise?
No matter what Dante said, I would stand my ground and remain Enforcer.
揥hy don抰 you come over to our house to tell me your decision??Dante had said during our brief call. 揊ive o抍lock.?
He hung up before I could tell him my answer over the phone. Sighing, I resigned myself to a fucking awkward meeting with my Capo. Dante had a way with words plus a subtle cunning that made people do what he wanted.
I rang the bell, glancing back at my black 1969 Camaro, hoping I would be back inside it, racing down the streets of Chicago soon. These kinds of social engagements were the bane of my fucking existence and I usually avoided them.
It wasn抰 Dante who opened the door, nor a maid. In front of me, smiling in a sophisticated, polite way, stood Valentina Cavallaro. She was tall, with long brown hair and green eyes that trapped you like a cat did a mouse. That she could make me feel like one of these small fluff balls of vermin made me even more wary to work in their household.
I gave her a nod and polite smile in return. 揧our husband asked me to come over.?
揙h, I know,?she said. 揑 thought it would be a great idea to have you meet our daughter right away. Why wait??
I cleared my throat, about to say what I抎 come here to say, when Dante appeared behind Valentina and put a hand on her shoulder. 揝antino,?he said with a curt nod.
揑抦 glad that Anna will have such a capable bodyguard at her side,?Valentina said, not missing a beat, giving me the smile of a woman who had a subtle way to get her will, and seeing it I knew exactly why.
揟he thing is,?I began as Valentina ushered me in. Both Dante and Valentina looked at me.
揧es??Valentina asked.
My father抯 words flew around my brain like an annoying fly you couldn抰 swat away. Standing in the Cavallaro抯 mansion and seeing their expectant faces, I realized there was no way I could refuse their offer. At least not yet. Maybe I could work as bodyguard for one or two years and then ask Dante to put me back to the task of torturing people for information.
揔ids usually can抰 stand me,?I said, which wasn抰 really the truth. Kids were drawn to me like flies to shit but I didn抰 have the necessary patience to stand their presence.
Valentina laughed. 揙h, don抰 worry. Anna gets along with everyone. She抯 a very social and empathetic girl.?