“Boss?” Francis asks, looking at me through the rearview mirror.
I wave my hand through the air. “Fine. But make it quick.”
Natalia squeals at her win.
Not exactly a win.
If she wants tacos, she can have fucking tacos.
I’d have had them brought to the mansion if that was what she wanted.
But I suppose this is more convenient.
“Give Rocky your order,” I tell Natalia when we pull up to the no-parking curb in front of Paco’s Taquerias.
“No, I’ll go get them. I’m picky about my tacos.” She swings the door open and jumps out—nearly face-planting—before I can stop her.
“I’m going to strangle this woman,” I mutter.
“Cristian—” Rocky starts, but I tune him out, step out of the car, and follow Natalia before she gets herself killed.
Protecting her seems to have become my full-time job, of which I’m also working overtime.
I grab her arm, jerking her toward me, and her back hits my chest. “If we’re doing this, you walk with me and don’t leave my fucking side.”
With her back still against me, she tips her head up and smiles. “Aye aye, hubby.”
“I’m never letting you drink again.”
From my research on her, she’s never been much of a drinker. Her newfound attraction might be my fault. I’ve been known to drive people to drink—as well as throw themselves off buildings and disappear from their families.
I flinch when she slides her hand into mine, threading our fingers, and steps toward the taqueria. Her hand is warm, soft, and I can’t stop myself from squeezing it.
When was the last time I held hands with someone?
Benita. And that was a rarity.
All eyes are on us when we step inside the cramped taqueria. Every table is full of people talking, yelling, and shoving food into their mouths. I’ve had Paco’s plenty of times, but this is my first time being inside. I’m a takeout guy.
Tonight is also the first time I’ve stood in line for tacos.
For anything really.
There are many luxuries of being a monster people fear—one being, you’re always taken care of. Normally, I wouldn’t stand in line. I’d either go straight to the front, ignoring those waiting, or have someone else do the waiting for me.
As much as I want to skip right to the front, something tells me Natalia would bitch about cutting in line. I keep aware of my surroundings as we wait.
“Shoot,” Natalia says. “I forgot my wallet.” She slips me a guarded look. “Can you spare your fiancée some taco change?”
I force myself not to crack a smile. No one has ever talked to me, defied me, the way she does.
I pat her shoulder. “I can pay for your tacos, sweetheart.”
She grins, tapping my chest before shoving her face into it, surprising the shit out of me.
“Mr. Marchetti!”
My attention flies to the front counter at the sound of my name to find Paco, the taqueria’s owner, waving his hands in the air. “I didn’t know you were in line. I’m so sorry. We would’ve helped you right away.”
The one time I want to remain in incognito, and someone calls out my name.
“Keep your head down and stay close to me,” I whisper to Natalia before leading us toward the front, where Paco is waiting.
Natalia recites her order—a large one, so I’m sure she plans to share with everyone.
“Nuh-uh,” Paco shouts when I go to pay. “On the house! A Marchetti never pays here.”
Businesses yearn for my family to frequent them. It shows it’s a place we respect and is protected. But I don’t like my name being yelled when I’m with a woman with a damn bounty on her head.
With my hand still in Natalia’s, I use the free one to grab my wallet and shove two hundreds into the tip jar. “Can you just make it quick?”
Paco nods, grinning from ear to ear. “Of course, of course.”
Minutes later, Paco hands over a bag of tacos.
“Let’s get out of here,” I tell Natalia, speed-walking us out of the taqueria.
Just because I’m protecting her doesn’t mean she can act so reckless. She’s not safe any longer. I’m sure with Vinny, getting tacos wasn’t a big deal. It’s different now.
Natalia eats her tacos in the SUV and sips on her soda.
Francis saves his for later.
Rocky and I decline.
When we return to the mansion, I tell Rocky I’ll chat with him in a minute and take Natalia upstairs to our bedroom.
“I don’t know if it’s the liquor, but I’ve never had tacos so delicious,” she says around a hum before sinking back onto the bed, taking off her shoes, and tossing them onto the floor.
When I stand in front of her, she pulls herself up, bringing her hands to my pants and attempting to unbuckle them.
I retreat a step. “You’re drunk.”
“And you are very smart for noticing that.” She reaches forward again, but I stop her. “I’m not fucking you while you’re drunk.”
Her shoulders slump. “What happened to all the behave or I’ll fuck your face Cristian? In times like these, he’s more fun.”
“I’ll fuck your face in the morning.” I blow out a breath, and my cock hates me for turning her down. “Don’t you dare get sick in our bed.”
And as much as I’d love to fuck her face now, especially with the carefree mood she’s in, I leave the bedroom.
“I like her, Cristian,” Francis says when I walk downstairs to find him eating his tacos. “She’s good for you.”
Francis and Benita formed a friendship during our marriage. As her driver, he became one of her closest confidantes.
This is the first time he’s approved of any woman he’s driven for me.
“Don’t let the tacos bribe you,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “She’s a pain in the ass.”
He waggles his finger toward me. “But she’s also … fun—something you need to learn to have.”
If this were anyone other than my loyal-as-fuck senior driver, I’d have already kicked him out of my home. Francis will most likely work for me until he can no longer drive. Then, I’ll take care of him and his wife so they can live the rest of their lives comfortably. He’s a good man.
“I need to learn how to have fun like I need a bullet to the brain.”
“She also has great taste in tacos.” He drops the bag onto the foyer table. “I saved you two, but do you mind if I bring some to Quinn?”
“Take all the tacos to your wife. She deserves them for you having to put up with us.”
I snap my fingers, interrupting the guys gossiping in the corner of the room like a damn boy band, and whistle toward my office.
Rocky, Lorenzo, Benny, and Luca situate themselves in my office.
“First off,” I say, pinning my glare to Luca, “anything Natalia-related goes through me.”
Lorenzo shoots his son a hard look for his disobedience. Just like Francis, my brother-in-law is a good and loyal man to his family.
Luca firmly nods. “Got it. My apologies, and it won’t happen again.”
I glance at Lorenzo. “Did you get rid of the body?”