Protected By the Monster

I leaned down and kissed him. I tasted myself on his tongue and didn’t care.

He stood, kissed me back, and held me tight for a long moment.

“There,” he said, kissed me one more time, and left my room.

I sat there, head swimming, body flushed, breathing hard. I’d never come like that before in my life, never had a man get me off with such ease.

I wanted to call him back. Wanted to beg him to take me, or at least to wrap his muscular arms around me and hold me tight.

Instead, I flopped back on the bed and stared up at the gauzy curtains that hung at the top of the four posts, crowning the frame, and wondered how I’d come so far.16LucaI woke up with the girl’s taste still on my tongue and couldn’t shake it. I used the bathroom, showered off, put on fresh clothes, and was about to step out into the hall to explore our little wing of the Don’s absurd mansion when the small black phone next to my oversized bed began to chirp.

I paused for just a second before picking up. “Yeah?” I asked.

“Good morning, Luca,” the voice said. It was feminine, a little bit older, thick Philly accent. “Don wants to speak with you.”

“Yeah, right, sure. I can do that. Who, uh, who is this?”

“My name is Eunice,” she said. “I run the Don’s household.”

“I thought that’s what Roberto did.”

She didn’t sound amused. “I’m sure he thinks that. Please make your way to his study. Out the door at the far end of your hall, take the first stairs you find, then turn right. His door will be at the end of that hall.”

“Got it,” I said and hung up.

I followed Eunice’s directions, headed down the hall, took the stairs, turned right, and ended up outside a pair of double doors that I recognized from previous visits to the Don’s house. I hesitated, not sure what to do, then decided to knock a few times.

I heard a muffled sound from inside and cracked the door open.

“Don, sir?” I asked.

“Come on, come inside.”

I stepped in, closing the door behind me. Don Leone sat at a table on the right, what was usually a card table covered in green felt, but was currently covered by a flat, polished slab of hardwood. There was a plate of eggs and toast in front of him, along with a gleaming silver carafe, a steaming mug of coffee, and half a grapefruit. He gestured at the chair across from him.

“Sit,” he said. “Eat.”

I walked over, pulled out the chair, sat down. The plate in front of me was covered by a silver dome, which I removed and placed on the floor. I had an identical meal in front of me, except mine included bacon. I caught the Don eyeing my bacon with a hungry stare, but he quickly looked away.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you, Don Leone,” I said. “I really appreciate you letting me bring Clair and her mother here.”

The Don waved a hand in the air. “No problem at all,” he said. “I have the room to spare. Truth is, I should’ve had them here sooner, but I’ll admit to being a little selfish. I knew Clair’s mother would give me trouble, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.”

“I’ve met the woman, sir, and I can understand your reluctance.”

He smiled at that, speared a chunk of grapefruit, tossed it into his wet mouth. He chewed and narrowed his eyes at me, brandishing his thin silver fork.

“I understand you’ve been busy,” he said, “that you had a very eventful night.”

“Yes, sir,” I said. “Although one of ours got hit. Do you know if he’s okay?”

“Steven checked in a half hour ago,” Don Leone said. “Asked about you. Said to inform you that Alex is doing fine.”

I nodded, relieved. I was afraid that wound was worse than it looked. “That’s good news.”

“I suppose it is.” The Don looked at me for a moment, speared more grapefruit, ate it. “I need to ask you something, Luca. Something important, and you need to swear you’ll be honest.”

“Of course,” I said.

“Do you trust Clair’s mother?”

I frowned at the question, not sure how to answer. I stalled by flipping over an overturned mug and filling it with coffee. When I finished, I took a long sip, then nodded my head.

“Yes, I do.”

“That was a very long pause,” he said.

“I had to consider it,” I said. “Because I don’t know her very well.”

He nodded slowly. “Prudent. And why did you eventually decide the way that you did?”

“Because she’s Clair’s mother,” I said. “And she clearly cares about her. Even if she’s difficult and she hates the family, I don’t think she’ll do anything that goes against Clair’s best interests.”

“So long as our interests align with Clair’s, then we will be okay in her eyes,” Don Leone said.