Of course. Why did parents always think their kids were God抯 gift to humankind, highly talented and well-behaved altruists, when most of them were annoying, spoiled brats with egomaniac tendencies and a penchant for honesty that bordered on cruelty.
揑抦 sure she is.?
Steps rang out upstairs and a flash of brown hair popped up at the top of the stairs. Anna Cavallaro practically frolicked down the staircase, her ponytail bobbing up and down in the most annoying way possible. As icing on the cake, she was dressed in a checkered costume even a woman in her fifties would feel old in. She flashed me a smile. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. She pushed her hand in my direction, peering up at me. 揘ice to meet you.?
I forced a smile that felt like it might actually freeze over my fucking face muscles. 揚leasure,?I gritted out. It was a lie, but from the look in her eyes, she didn抰 realize it. Dante, however, seemed to look right through me. Yet, he didn抰 look displeased by my lack of excitement over meeting his daughter. He knew my ability to protect her didn抰 hinge on sympathy. I released her small hand the second propriety allowed it. Another thing I fucking hated: having to be proper. Now that I抎 spend my days around Dante抯 daughter, my unrestrained cursing and bursts of rage were a thing of the past.
揑t抣l be fun,?Anna said.
Maybe she thought I would be her friend or her personal playmate. The girl had a nasty surprise waiting for her. I would protect her. That was the extent of our bond.
揝o you抣l protect me with your life??she asked with a curious tilt of her head, her blue eyes trying to put me on the spot and test my sincerity.
And for the first time today, I didn抰 have to lie.
揑抣l protect you until I take my last breath.?
Or until your father shows me mercy and puts me out of my misery.
The first time I met Santino, I almost burst with excitement. I had only briefly seen him before but even then, his tallness and handsome face had made my belly flip for the first time in my life.
I was excited about having him guard me. He seemed like he could be fun to be around and not such a stickler to the rules. I thought he and I would get along well.
Soon I realized that wouldn抰 be the case.
In the beginning Santino had still tried to mask his annoyance over having to watch me, but it became apparent very quickly. He didn抰 like children, or people in general. He didn抰 like when I talked to him. Or when I laughed too loudly. Or when I breathed too close to him. He barely tolerated my existence.
I was pretty sure only his sense of duty kept him from strangling Leonas or me.
I was angry. Really angry. I抎 been raised to be well-behaved, polite, and think before I acted. Mom and Dad were both poised and controlled in public. They were what I aspired to be.
Santino sat at the table in the guardhouse with his dad and Mom抯 second bodyguard Taft. I swallowed when I stepped into the room but tried to hide my nerves.
揅an I have a word with Santino??I asked, my voice firm. I felt proud of how confident and adult I抎 sounded. People always told me I was an old soul hiding in the body of a twelve-year-old. That didn抰 stop them from treating me like a kid though.
Taft抯 mouth twitched and he got up. 揙f course.?
Santino抯 dad gave Santino a look I didn抰 understand before he rose as well. With a brief smile at me, both men left. Santino leaned back in his chair, one brow slanting upward in a way that was probably meant to insult me as well. I抎 learned to read the twitches of his face as a way to express what he couldn抰 say aloud.
I couldn抰 take it anymore. 揑f you hate me so much, why did you agree to become my bodyguard??Gone was the poise and confidence. I sounded hurt and childish, but I couldn抰 help it.
Santino released a momentous sigh and I could practically hear his thoughts 揾ere we go厰
揥hat makes you think I hate you??
揃ecause you find everything I do and say annoying.?
He didn抰 deny it, and that, too, stung. I wasn抰 even sure why I wanted his approval. He was just my bodyguard.
Santino leaned forward, his forearms casually propped up on his thighs. 揧ou don抰 know what hatred is if you think I hate you. I don抰。？
揃ut you don抰 like me.?
揑 don抰 have to like you to protect you.?
I pressed my lips together, feeling a treacherous burn in my eyes. 揧ou shouldn抰 protect someone you don抰 like. You should have told my dad no if you hate the job so much.?
揧ou don抰 say no if your Capo asks you to protect his offspring.?
People rarely told me the truth, unless it was pleasant or even flattering. Santino never spared my feelings. It was what I liked about him, but also detested because I wanted him to be nice to me because he liked me too.