I turned. He strode toward me with a stern look.
揇ad, is this really necessary? Why couldn抰 Santino come in through the guardhouse entrance and pick me up like he did in the past??
揃ecause this time he doesn抰 pick you up as your bodyguard. He抯 here to pick you up for a date, and that requires him waiting at the door and greeting your parents.?
揧ou won抰 send a chaperone along, right??
Dad didn抰 say anything as he walked past me.
揥e spent three years alone in Paris,?I reminded him.
Dad opened the door and greeted Santino with a stern expression. Mom headed for us as well.
揘ot you, too, Mom, please.?
She touched my shoulder as she passed. 揥e have certain rules, and even if you and Santino did a detour around them for a while, this抣l change now.?
I rolled my eyes. I was twenty-two, and had practically dated Santino three and a half years. It was too late to protect my virtue. And nobody in the Outfit would believe Santino and I had only just started seeing each other. They would put two and two together as soon as we appeared in public and link my broken engagement to Santino.
Mom and Dad barred my view of the entryway and Santino. I approached them to make sure they didn抰 give him a too hard time. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw Mom accepting a gorgeous flower bouquet from Santino who gave her a charming smile before he handed Dad a bottle of what looked like a very fine bottle of Barolo. I stifled a smile. Mom finally stepped back so I could take her place. She rubbed my back with a knowing smile.
My eyes met Santino抯 and he quickly scanned my outfit. It was a dress I抎 worn in Saint Tropez. I抎 had to modify my outfit for the colder fall weather in Chicago though, and added a cropped blazer and over-knee boots.
揝aint Tropez,?Santino said without hesitation, then threw a glance at my dad, who raised one eyebrow.
揜emembering gives you bonus points, but where are my flowers??I asked with a teasing smile.
Dad shook his head with a small smile before he bestowed another warning look on Santino.
揑 knew you抎 ask,?Santino said and bent down to pick up another beautiful bouquet of flowers, roses and another beautiful flower with many small petals that I didn抰 know in reds and oranges. I took the flowers from him, resisting the urge to kiss him. I didn抰 want Dad to see it.
He was still angry at Santino, and probably would have punished him harshly if it wasn抰 for the fact that I loved him. Santino was on a sort of probation so to speak, with a possible punishment still hovering over his head, and he could no longer work as my bodyguard. His dad had taken the job for now until Dad had found a suitable replacement for Santino.
Steps rang out and Leonas appeared, dress in a black dress shirt, black pants and black Budapest shoes.
My face fell. 揙h no. Don抰 tell me he抯 going to be our chaperone.?
揑ndeed, sis,?Leonas said. 揂nd I抣l take my job seriously.?
I gave Dad a disbelieving look. 揇ad.?
揝antino isn抰 the only one who has to regain lost trust. I expect you back at home at eleven.?
揈leven??It was already seven. 揇ad, I抦 twenty-two.?
Dad tilted his head. 揂nd Santino is a man you抮e not married to, so you and him shouldn抰 be going on a date at all.?
I pressed my lips together. Mom and Dad weren抰 very conservative. He did this as a sort of punishment for me.
I took a deep breath and stood on my tiptoes to kiss his cheeks. 揟hanks for allowing us to spend time together.?
He nodded then exchanged a look with Leonas before he disappeared from view. I turned to Santino with a smile, unable to hold it back. I had missed him so much in the last few weeks. But now that nothing stood in our way, not a coma, a wedding or Dad抯 word, I wanted to spend every second with him. My mind and body yearned for him. I only needed to figure out a way to get rid of Leonas so Santino and I could really enjoy each other in every sense of the word.
I didn抰 have to be a mind reader to know what Anna was thinking. It was probably the same thing I抎 been thinking the moment I抎 seen her in the tight dress and boots. Fuck, I抎 missed her so much. My injuries still hurt like hell but I sure as hell wouldn抰 let that stop me from taking Anna tonight.
What might, however, stop me was Leonas. His shit-eating smirk didn抰 bode well.
揝o where are you taking us for dinner??he asked. 揑 hope I抦 not underdressed for the occasion.?
As if he and his parents didn抰 know exactly where I was going to take Anna. Dante wanted to know every detail of our date to anticipate how the press and the Outfit would find out and might react. I didn抰 mind, or rather I wouldn抰 disagree. I was already more than grateful that he hadn抰 put a bullet in my head the moment he抎 found out about Anna and me. I supposed me almost dying for Anna had made the difference. Or maybe the ring I抎 give Anna later.