Giorgio (Vigilance 1)

Fuck. I had to stop thinking like that. Lane was completely off-limits.

X told you not to put your hands on him. He didn’t say anything about watching.

Lane was his fucking son. If I messed with him, X would kill me, and he wouldn’t make it fast and easy. He’d draw it out and make me suffer. I’d seen him torture men before. I did not want him turning his anger on me.

That was why I needed to pass this job on to someone else. What did I say to X, though? I certainly couldn’t tell him the truth—that I’d already had my hands all over his kid. I couldn’t tell Lane the real reason I needed to back away, and there was Sandra to contend with. She was a force to be reckoned with, and no matter how annoying X found her, he liked to keep her happy. She wasn’t going to be satisfied unless I was the one taking care of her precious boy. What would she say if she knew how thoroughly I’d taken care of him a few weeks ago?

Fuck. I’d spent too long standing there arguing with myself. Sandra would flip her shit if I didn’t get over to Lane’s right away. I didn’t think Hendon was going to make a move on him at his home in the middle of the day, but protecting him was my job, at least for now.

And I was good at my job.

Unlike before, a visitor parking spot was free, and I pulled into the space. Before I got out of my SUV, I took a slow, deep breath and let my neutral work expression settle into place. I could not let Sandra catch even a hint that there was something going on between me and Lane. Fortunately, when I got to Lane’s apartment, she was no longer there. I wondered how he’d convinced her to leave before I arrived, but I didn’t ask. I wanted to keep talk to a minimum, though I doubted he was going to allow that.

“Gather what you need. I’d like to get out of here as quickly as possible.”

Lane raised his brows. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

Did he have to use that low, seductive voice? “I want to get to the cabin before dark. I’ve not had a chance to scout out the surrounding area or assess the security of the structure itself.”

He smiled. “I thought maybe you wanted to get me alone quickly and didn’t realize it’s just us here right now.”

I fought to hold my anger at bay. “This is a job, and I keep my hands off my clients.”

He smiled at me like he didn’t believe that, and I was absolutely sure he was deliberately standing in a way that showed his body to its best advantage. Fucker.

“Is that why you’re eager to hand me off to someone else?”

“I need to keep this professional, and I thought that would be easier for both of us.”

“Easier, maybe, but less fun. I mean if I’m going to be stuck in a cabin in the woods with someone…”

“Pack your things.” I was quickly losing patience.

“I see you’re just as controlling and pushy at work as you are in bed.”

Great. He wasn’t going to make this easy. “The person who’s protecting you needs to stay focused. They need to concentrate on potential threats.”

“I appreciate how distracting I can be and that you put all your focus into what you do. It’s definitely paid off for you, but surely you have to sleep and relax at some point. If we’re locked up in a cabin, we won’t really be in danger, will we?”

Was he really that naive? “I’m going to guess that up until now you’ve been fairly sheltered and led an easy life.”

His eyes hardened as he scowled at me. “You have no idea what my life has been like.”

“I know you’re wealthy, and I know you’ve had a lot of things given to you.”

“I’ve earned my place in the art world. No one gave that to me. I have talent, and I work fucking hard.”

Wow. I hadn’t expected him to be so fierce, though maybe I should have. He’d been very clear about what he wanted the other night. He wasn’t just a pretty spoiled brat whose mother supported his artwork. Damn if that didn’t make him ten times hotter.

“Maybe I don’t know everything about your life, but I know you’re not taking this situation seriously, and you should be.”

“Why? What does everyone know that I don’t?”

And there was another complication. X didn’t want me to tell Lane about the murders. He didn’t want him to be afraid, but since Lane wasn’t afraid, he wasn’t going to cooperate. What had I done to X to deserve this? Did he know how difficult his son was?