I sighed. “I suppose you don’t have to worry anymore.”
Dad tore his gaze away from the street. He was usually a very vigilant driver and didn’t let anything distract him, so this meant I had to really worry him.
“Anna and I have been together for the last three years.”
I could see the color drain from Dad’s face, but he didn’t interrupt me for which I was grateful. I needed to get this off my chest.
I needed to share this with someone. Maybe because it made it more real, made it seem like more than a figment of my imagination. Sometimes the last three years had seemed like a dream. I didn’t have a single photo of Anna and me together, not a single proof, which was for the best but at the same time, it made it feel like the last three years hadn’t happened, as if I was waking from a coma and life had passed me by.
“But it’s over now.”
Dad cleared his throat, probably trying to stop himself from giving me a tongue-lashing. “That’s the right decision.”
“It wasn’t mine,” I said.
“Anna ended things?”
“She did, because she’s loyal to her family and the Outfit.”
Dad pulled up in front of my apartment building but we didn’t get out of the car. He regarded me silently. “You never wanted me to look for a wife for you, but there are many families who’d gladly give their daughters to you.”
“You never dated seriously after Mom died.”
Dad searched my eyes then touched my shoulder. “Sonny, I always feared one day you’d lose your heart to a married woman.”
“See, I knew better and chose an engaged woman.”
Dad didn’t smile. “You have to accept Anna’s decision for both your sakes.”
“I know,” I said. And I fucking did.
The next day, Dante asked me to come over for a final conversation about my Paris assignment. I’d already called Arturo for a meet-up in the evening and chat about us working together again. Anna moved on with her life, and I would too.
I entered through the guard house entrance and headed through the underground corridor toward the mansion. I felt fucking anxious.
The second I entered the house, I knew why. Anna lingered in the corridor in front of Dante’s office. That was definitely not a coincidence.
I strolled toward her, trying to keep my cool, but my heartbeat sped up as it always did when I saw her. She wore the last dress she’d sewed in Paris, a form-fitting, long-sleeved mini-dress with an asymmetric neckline. It was the first time I saw it on her. She looked marvelous in it.
Our eyes locked. “Ready to resign?” she said quietly.
I didn’t say anything, only walked past her and knocked at the office door. Anna walked off without another word. It took all my self-control not to chase after her and kiss her.
During our meeting, Dante expressed his gratitude and satisfaction over the work I’d done in Paris. I couldn’t deny it. I felt guilty for betraying my Capo, but I knew I’d do it all over again, even knowing the end result. I didn’t want to miss a single moment I’d spent with Anna.
Dante browsed through a few papers on his desk, only briefly glancing up to ask, “I assume you still want to put down your position as bodyguard and return to working as an Enforcer?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I won’t lie. I’d prefer to have you as Anna’s bodyguard. I trust you. But I’ll honor my promise, so if you want to be Enforcer, the job’s yours again.”
“I’ve actually been thinking about remaining Anna’s bodyguard. That way I can keep working together with my dad.”
What did I just say? Had I lost my fucking mind?
Dante gave me a small smile, no longer interested in his papers, his attention now fully on me. “I’m glad to hear that.” He came around the desk and held out his hand. After rising to my feet, I shook it, knowing I’d just made a huge mistake.
“Do you need a few more days off before you work again? I realize you haven’t had a real vacation in three years.”
“A few days off would be great.”
I needed to get a grip. Working with Anna was a fucking risk. I could only hope she’d make good on her words and keep her distance from me because I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself if she made a move.
After four days off, I stepped into the Cavallaro mansion to guard Anna. She came down the stairs and paused briefly when she spotted me before she proceeded. She stopped a few steps from me and crossed her ankles. She only ever stood like that when she was nervous. “My dad told me you haven’t resigned.”
“I’ll stay your bodyguard for however long you need me.”
Anna smiled, and fuck, my insides lit up like the tree in front of the Trump Tower in New York before Christmas.