Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“I’ll be right back. Wait here until he’s gone, and then head back to your room as discreetly as you can. I’ll come check on you soon,” I told her.
She nodded softly, and I got to my feet.
“I want you to be aware, too,” I continued, “that you’ll have two bodyguards at all times now. I don’t want anything happening to you, too.”
A look of protest crossed her face, and she opened her mouth to argue, but I sent her a hard look. She tensed, and her mouth fell closed. Finally, she nodded, even though she was clearly unhappy about it.
She took it much better than I thought. I was expecting a bit of a fight, but I was glad she was able to understand. That didn’t mean I liked the put-out look on her face. If I could, I’d make sure she was always happy, always safe and cared for.
But reality was a bitch, especially in the world I lived in.
“It’s only because I care about you,” I said, softly. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t invade your privacy like this. They won’t enter your space, and if they do anything you don’t like, tell me right away. I’ll switch them out.”
“I understand.” She sighed. “I don’t like it, but I get it.”
I smiled at her, pausing to give her one last kiss. She was the one who deepened it, entwining her fingers into my hair. I pulled away reluctantly, wishing I could stay in bed with her.
But I knew better.
I opened the door and walked out. Two of my men were standing outside of the door, and I nodded to them.
Elio was one of the newer recruits. We’d plucked him off the streets, an orphan with nobody left and nowhere to go. I was worried he wouldn’t be experienced enough to guard Olivia at first, but he’d come a long way since he’d been picked up as a punk teen.
Marco, on the other hand, was more experienced and one of our best. He was the silent type and had been with us since James had been the Don. He was well into his sixties, but that didn’t stop him from being a powerhouse.
Between the two of them, there wouldn’t be a single problem keeping her safe.
Some might call it overkill, but I wasn’t taking any chances. The last time I did, Dahlia got snatched up, and I wasn’t going to let that happen a second time.
“Follow Olivia if she tries to go anywhere, but otherwise, don’t show yourselves. Understand?” I commanded them fiercely.
They had no option but to agree, sending one another a meaningful look. They glanced at me, determined and willing to perform their mission, just like I expected of them.
“Yes, Don,” the two replied in unison.
“If you see or hear anything, call me right away,” I told them, turning my back on them as I headed to my office.
“Don?” Elio spoke up, an impatient look in his eyes.
I glanced at him, gesturing with my head to continue.
“If we do encounter a threat,” Elio started, and then he hesitated. He swallowed and plowed on anyway, his chin raised proudly. “Are we allowed to use lethal methods or do we capture them alive?”
I narrowed my eyes at Elio, crossing my arms as I faced him in the middle of the hallway.
“Do whatever you have to,” I said, darkly. “Just keep her safe.”
“Yes, Don,” Elio bowed his head.
“Good,” I nodded at them and finally entered the office. I shut the door behind me as Gabriele turned to me with a blank look.
“I see Marco returned safe and sound,” I started with a passive look as I rounded my desk and settled into the chair. “What about Enzo?”
“He took a bullet to the chest. He’s in surgery now,” Gabriele reported, casually. “Both were ambushed in the Piazza last night. Seems like the Russians knew just what to do to lure us out.”
“So all of it was planned,” I said as I gritted my teeth, “from luring her guards away and striking at the apartment. Still no sign of those stupid boys?”
“Yes, actually,” Gabriele replied. “One was found floating in the river. He’d drowned, apparently.”
“Which one?”
“The Adrian boy. Seems he truly was in the wrong place at the wrong time. No sign of Dahlia’s date, so we can only assume he knew something or was disposed of elsewhere.”
I crossed my arms, feeling only the tiniest bit of regret for the boys’ death. After catching him with his hands all over Olivia, my sympathy for him was zero.
Still, though… his death had been sloppy. Either he had just gotten in the way, or he’d been involved.
“We’d been meant to find him. A warning?” I asked, cautiously.
“I thought the same, but I doubt it.” Gabriele shook his head. “Not after this morning.”
I narrowed my eyes upon my old friend, folding my hands in front of me as I digested his words. “What do you mean?”
Gabriele gave me a dark look, one that did not promise any good news.
“The Russians finally reached out.”
*Olivia*
I kept my eyes on the clock as I waited in Giovani’s bed. When ten minutes passed by, I finally stepped out, dropping the blanket. I rushed into the bathroom to grab my clothes, pulling on my hoodie, and stuffing my underwear into the oversized pockets.
I pulled the ends of the hoodie down, hoping it hid enough and nobody saw me. I cracked open the door, my eyes trailing down the hallway before I opened it softly.
It was completely empty, with not a sound of anyone there.
I breathed out, relieved, as I crept into the hallway with light steps, and gently shut Giovani’s door behind me. I checked both sides of the hallway again, paranoid that somebody would walk around the corner and see me at any minute.
I grabbed the ends of my hoodie and rushed to my own room, throwing open the door and shutting it behind me.
My back to the door, I sighed, relaxing now that I was in my own space. I threw off the hoodie, letting it fall to the floor as I headed for the dresser. I pulled out a simple T-shirt and some shorts, which were comfortable and not nearly as revealing as the hoodie with no pants.
I slipped into my underwear first and then pulled on my clothes. I flipped my hair out of the way and headed for my bathroom.
Due to having slept last night without brushing it and then not having dried it after the shower this morning, my hair was a tangled mess. I stared into the bathroom mirror as I ran my brush through it, detangling it to the best of my ability.
Once I was done, I sat at the vanity in the corner of my room and did my makeup. I never used much makeup, and I only owned a few items including asimple eyeshadow palette, but I wanted to look a little special.
I pulled out the eyeliner and brushed it across my top lids, but my hands weren’t as steady as they usually were, so I slipped.
“Shit,” I cursed, dropping the eyeliner.
A black line was smudged across my face, horrible and ugly. I sighed. Dahlia was so much better at this. She was a genius with makeup, and I couldn’t help but miss her now. She’d be able to do this with her eyes closed.
No matter how much I tried, I just didn’t have the talent for free-handing eyeliner.
