Christ, is he gonna be here the whole time? The guy really gonna screw up my plans to find dirt to use against Savio if he’s lurking in every corner for the foreseeable future.
I won’t be able to investigate anything if he’s constantly in my shadow.
“I’m going to get my jacket,” Kristina says, darting up to her bedroom and pulling Sofia inside.
Frank turns to look at me, a grimace twisting his thin lips. He shoves a finger at my chest. “Listen to me, Massimo, if that’s even your real name. I don’t like having you here. No, let me rephrase that. I don’t need to have you here.”
“That wasn’t your choice, was it?” I look down at his extended finger and then back up at him. “And if you ever lay that finger on me again, I will cut it off.”
“I’m not afraid of you, you little prick. I don’t trust Savio as far as I can throw him, and I am perfectly capable of keeping my eyes on what’s important, do you understand? And if you fuck with that, we’re gonna have big problems.”
This asshole isn’t talking about his nieces, that’s for damn sure.
And whatever I’m looking for might be the same thing he’s after, which means I’d better find it first.
I straighten myself to my full height, forcing him to glare up at me. “Are you threatening me, Frank?”
“Not you. That was a message to your boss.”
“Don’t be stupid enough to threaten what you can’t deliver on. It could get you killed.”
Frank leans over, dropping his voice. “Isn’t that what happened to my brother?” He steps toward me with a fierce glare in his eyes. “But guess what? I’m not the power-hungry bastard he was. And I’m about the make the same mistake he did. I won’t lose...to anyone.”
I watch him stalk into the kitchen.
Asshole.
You don’t even realize you already have.
Chapter Fifteen
KRISTINA
“That’s him over there,” Sofia says, pointing at a guy in the distance.
It’s been two weeks since my parents’ funeral, and now it’s the girls’ first day back at the high school. After thinking it through last night, I figured it would be smarter to approach Wade here than show up unannounced at his house where the possibility of us getting arrested for assault is pretty damn high.
There are lots of students wandering around the rolling green lawns outside of the high school and I peer through Massimo’s windshield at the crowd, the glare of the morning sun making it difficult to see faces clearly.
“That kid?” he scoffs. “He doesn’t exactly scream hardened criminal.”
“Definitely not your type, Sof,” I say.
We all stare at the tall, slightly dorky-looking guy as he lugs a heavy backpack across the quad. His longish dark hair falls over the side of his face as he trudges along the path toward the entrance. He’s dressed in a button-down and jeans and is wearing a pair of bright red Nike Air Jordans.
“He’s a nice guy.” Sofia frowns. “Or at least, I thought he was.”
“Maybe it’s all part of his act,” Maria pipes in. “You know, to lure girls in.”
“That’s exactly how you should think about it,” I say. “Always be suspicious because no matter how sweet you think they are, everyone has an agenda.”
“You sound pretty jaded,” Massimo mumbles under his breath.
“I’m in protector mode now,” I mutter back.
“The bell should be ringing soon. Maybe in ten minutes,” Sofia says. “Are you going to talk to him out here?”
I turn to look at Massimo’s profile. His jaw twitches when the kid stops to hoist his backpack higher on his shoulder. He avoids the other students, keeping his head down.
He doesn’t exactly scream killer but then again, everyone wears a mask.
Or a fucking backpack.
“I do my best work in private.” Massimo eases up on the brake, the Range Rover slowly rolling to the corner leading around the side of the school. “You girls get out and head right inside. “I’ll take care of Wade.” He rolls his eyes at Sofia. “That’s a fucking douchebag name if I ever heard one.”
“He’s huge into collecting Marvel comic books. He sells them online.” Sofia shrugs. “I don’t know if you can use that.”
With a few taps on his screen, Massimo nods. “Information is power, kid. Always remember that.” He nods at the door. “Now, get out. I’ve got shit to do.”
The girls scramble out of the car, phones in hand. I watch them make a beeline for the entrance and disappear beyond the security doors before I let out a relieved breath. The school is on alert and with the normal array of guards and retired cops watching over the school, I know they’ll be safe here.
Probably safer here than anywhere else.
“They’re in,” I say. “How do you want to handle this?”
“I told you, I’m the concerned older brother,” Massimo says, narrowing his eyes at Wade, who is sitting on a bench by himself. His nose is buried in a textbook, but I can’t get a look at his face through all that hair.
“I want to beat the shit out of that slimy little bastard,” I hiss.
“Relax, killer. I can tell you’re about to blow a gasket, but we don’t want to scare him away. We need information. Let me drive, okay?”
I let out a huff, frustration creeping into my voice. “Fine. But your plan had better work.”
“Or else?” He looks at me, the gold flecks in his deep chocolate irises igniting.
“Or else I’ll pound the shit out of you instead of the heavy bag later.”
“Threat or promise?” He waggles his eyebrows and pulls the car into a parking spot. He jumps out without waiting for me to respond.
My heart stills when I remember the last time I tried to do just that and in an unexpected twist, he completely dominated me.
Used my strength and will against me, just to prove his point.
The sick thing is, I liked it.
More than liked it.
The basement air was so thick with sweltering heat and pent-up lust in those moments.
I want to relive them again.
With my bodyguard.
Sick, sick, sick!
This flirty banter we have can’t develop into anything more. At some point, Aziz Shishani will be back to collect what he’s owed, and what that means for me and my sisters is still very much unknown.
And my God, I hate the unknown.
So I realize that I’m channeling my high-octane emotions into a very carnal distraction because this shit is scary as hell and I need a diversion from it all before I lose my mind completely.
But at some point, the sizzle between us will fizzle out because he’ll go back to working for Savio.
And I will have to stop resisting my new normal.
I bite down hard on my lower lip, following him with my eyes before I get out of the car.
I’d like to see what lies underneath.
Really badly.
I ball up my fists and pound them on my jean-clad thighs before running after him.
Wade picked a good spot for us to approach him since most of the students are heading to the entrance and that is where security is focused right now.