Her Mafia Bodyguard

Now, I don’t know that for sure, and I could be making shit up to have more reason to hate him. But I’m starting to wonder. Either way, I can’t afford to trust anybody.

Pretty soon, their chatter fades into the background while I play a game on my phone. Maybe I’m the problem here. I’m too protective of her. Jealous of anybody who looks at her in a way I don’t like. I would never in a million years admit I’m second-guessing myself since I don’t want her getting the wrong idea. But I can’t shake the feeling.

To my surprise, a plate of food slides in front of me after a while. “The calzone’s cold,” Mia informs me in a low voice, “but it’s still good.” I don’t have the chance to thank her before she continues to the fridge. Is this a peace offering? I’ll accept it, at least for now.

“She got him food, did you see? I told Dean. She’s not into him.”

I pretend I can’t hear what Brad and Pete are muttering back and forth, munching on an apple slice with my eyes on my phone. Really, I’m focused on them. I can’t even taste what’s in my mouth.

“Seriously, he needs to move on. If it hasn’t happened yet…”

The other one snorts. “Redhead would drop her panties for him here and now. I keep telling him. Stick to what’s easy.” Can Zoe hear them? I don’t think so—she’s talking about her part in their project, totally oblivious. I swing my head slowly in their direction, staring at them with a blank expression I’ve perfected over time. Eventually, one of them notices and starts choking on whatever he’s eating. The other one hits him on the back until the choking stops. Fucking assholes.

This confirms what I already knew: he’s into her, so much so that he’s told his friends about her. That doesn’t bode well.

What bodes even worse, I realize as I swing my attention in her direction, is the way she leans against him while she laughs at a joke I didn’t hear. The way she touches a hand to his shoulder and the way he smiles when she does it.

Mine. She’s mine. Nobody else’s.

But how can I keep her for myself? She was never meant for me.

But she is meant for me. Just for me. Nobody else comes close.

That’s when it happens.

When Dean goes from smiling at Mia to looking my way—and when he finds me watching, his smile widens. We don’t need to exchange a word for me to know what’s on his mind. See this? I’ve got her. She’s mine.

“Hey, Mia?” I stand fast enough to almost knock the stool over. I don’t say another word, heading for her room. If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll follow me without making a big deal about it.

She murmurs something but joins me a moment later. “What now?” she whispers, arms folded. “I thought things were going well.”

I open my mouth but realize I don’t know what I want to say. I didn’t plan anything to say. I only wanted to get her away from him. How am I supposed to explain that?

I can’t. At least, not in words.

This is why I explain the only way I know how to.

By taking her by the back of the head and pulling her in for a hard, deep kiss.