by Cala Riley
“I have a single serve coffee machine. Here, come look.”
I gently pull her from her chair and take her over to the three racks of coffee varieties we have.
“That seems like overkill.” She mutters to me as her eyes scan the selection.
“My men like different flavors. If I can buy the coffee they like, why wouldn’t I?”
I lean against the counter as I watch her pull her lip between her teeth while she looks. She does this a lot when she is thinking. Every time I catch her doing it, I want to lean down and take a bite of it myself.
“I suppose you are right. That is actually really nice of you.”
She plucks a flavor out and then turns to hand it to me.
“Okay, so it’s already got water in if. You pull this up here and place the cup here. Then you close it and put the cup down here. Then you press this button here.”
I show her how to use the machine, but the look on her face tells me she already knows.
“Thanks for the instruction teach.” She smirks up at me.
She stands and waits for it to finish before taking it back to the table.
“Do you want sugar and milk.”
“Yes, on the sugar. Do you have any creamer?”
“Yep. Looks like I have French Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Regular.”
“French Vanilla please.”
I bring her the creamer and sugar and watch as she doctors her coffee. She pours about 2 tablespoons of creamer then puts two spoons of sugar in before stirring it and taking a sip. I commit that to memory, then take the creamer back to the fridge.
“So, when do I get to meet my new body guard?”
She is a pistol. I had already planned on changing her body guard. Lo said he growled at her and I couldn’t have that. I reassigned him to Queens and planned to pick her replacement today.
“I was going to take you home, but I guess I could let you meet a couple of the candidates and let you choose for yourself.”
She gives me a wide smile.
“That would be great. Thanks, Bash.”
If that didn’t make my day, I don’t know what would. For some reason, her happiness means something to me. If I were a different man and the situation was different, I might even think I was falling for this woman. Too bad things weren’t different. The villains never get their happy ending and as much as I would love to be the prince in her story, I am going to be nothing more than the monster under the bed. She will realize that soon enough.
“Lo!” I call out to him.
He walks in within seconds. I knew he wouldn’t have gone far. I rarely have privacy. He just provides the illusion of privacy when needed. Honestly, I think he is soft on Sofia too. I can pretty much guarantee he only did it for her.
“Yes, boss.”
“Can you get Matteo, Stefano, and Luca.”
“Will do.”
Five minutes later, the men line up in front of us in the kitchen.
“Sofia, let me introduce you to my men.” I gesture to each one as I say their name. “Matteo, Stefano, and Luca.”
She smiles and goes to shake each man’s hand. I bristle as she makes contact with each one but remind myself that she is not mine. She will be with another man one day and I will have nothing to say about it. I clench my fists.
She steps back to me and I relax.
“Sofia here is in need of personal protection. I was going to choose one of you, but Sofia wants to choose for herself.”
She is beaming up at me as I glance down at her. I wrap my arm around her shoulder.
“Ask them questions. Get a feel for them.”
She looks up surprised. She didn’t think about how she would choose them.
“Okay. Um. Bachelor number 1.” I chuckle as she points at Matteo. “If I were being kidnapped on the street by four men, what would you do to protect me?”
I watch as the man in front of me smirks at her. He looks to me to see if it is okay that he answers. I nod. Matteo is in his early 20’s. He is a made man, but only just recently so. He still feels the need to prove himself.
“I would take each one of them out, then put you in my car and bring you here.”
“What if I was hurt?”
“Then the doctor would be waiting when we got here.”
She nods her head once.
“Stefano?”
“Same, Ma’am.”
Stefano is older than I am. He has been with the family for a long time. You can tell by the stiff way he responds that he is more old school. That can be good, but it can also be dangerous for her. I cross him off my list immediately.
“Luca?”
Luca is my age. He is calm and steady, but I haven’t been around him much. He is a part of Gio’s old crew, so when Gio asked me to give him a shot, I did. I might not know the kid well, but I trust Gio with my life. But he is not a made man yet.
“I have to say the same. There isn’t any other way to handle that situation.”
She narrows her eyes as she looks up at me.
“Okay. Fine. Matteo. Would you be comfortable taking a drug test?”
I chuckle as do everyone else in the room.
“Hey, it is a legit question.”
All three nod their head.
“My men do not do drugs, Tesoro.”
“How am I supposed to know that. I don’t know anything about your men.”
She’s wrong. She knows more than any other outsider. I have a hard time saying no when she asks a question.
“Are any of you CPR certified?”
They all look to me with a confused look.
“No.” Stefano answers. “What would be the need for it?”
She scoffs, “What if I need CPR? You are supposed to protect me from dying right? Well not everyone dies in a suspicious manner.”
I pull her closer to me as I try to hide my laugh. She is random.
“Okay fine. What do you do in your free time?”
She points to Matteo.
“I try and get back home to see my mom and sister. When I am not doing that, I play video games.”
I notice the look of pain that passes his face. His dad passed away two years ago. That is the assumption. He was never found. I have my suspicions on who did it, but without proof there was nothing I could do.
“Stefano.”
“I hang out with my men.”
He doesn’t say that he is usually drinking with them then laying pipe with every female that walks into the bar. His eyes take a quick look at her body and I tense. She reaches up without looking at me and lays a hand on my chest.
“What about you, Luca?”
He looks to me as he speaks.
“My whole life is this family. I never have free time because I am always doing what I can for the family.”
The desperation from him concerns me. I take a closer look at him and notice him sweating. Poor sap is nervous. I look down at Sofia. She can intimidate most men. I am not surprise she intimidates Luca.
“Who would you choose, Bash?”
I see the surprise flash on each guys face. They know only those closest to me call me Bash. I curse internally at the message this sends.
“This is your choice, Tesoro.”
I suppose calling her Tesoro doesn’t help either. We are almost acting like a real couple.
“I know, but your input is important. Who would you choose?”
I look down into her eyes as I think over each man.
“Matteo.”
She nods. She walks out of my arms and to Matteo.
“You have the job, Matteo. Looks like we will be getting to know a lot of each other. Be prepared, I like to talk and I have an attitude problem.”
I snort.
“That’s putting it lightly.” I mutter loud enough for her to hear.
“Quiet in the peanut gallery.” She throws a glare over her shoulder.
“It would be my pleasure, Ma’am. You can call me Matt.”
“Okay, Matt. You
can call me Sofia or Sof. No need for formalities. We are going to become friends, me and you.”
He gives her a small smile, but looks my way as if to say he is just being nice. I wasn’t worried about him. I knew he wouldn’t make a move on her. Especially now that they thought she was mine.
“Thank you, Stefano and Luca. You guys can go. Matteo, Lorenzo will give you more information. You will start immediately, so soak in what you can.”
He nods and heads out of the room with Lo.
“You almost ready to go home?”
She smiles and nods.
“Good. Listen, I have something for you.”
She gives me a suspicious look.
“Why?”
“Do you ever stop asking questions? I swear you are worse than a child. Just accept your gift and say thank you.”
I set the phone in her hand. She looks at it then back to me.
“I already have a phone.”
I shake my head. Sometimes she can be so smart and other times she shows how ignorant she is to my world.
“This is a secure line. There are only three numbers in there. Four, once Matteo puts his in. You will have direct access to Lorenzo and Giovanni. You will always be able to contact me.”
“Wow. You are trusting me with your number? Better be careful. I might go sell it to the highest bidder.”
“Very funny. You are an everyday comedian. I would change my number once I got the first unsolicited call anyways. Listen, you can text and call on that phone, but that is all. No internet, no apps, nothing that could have malware on it. This will give you a way to contact Matteo if you need a ride anywhere. Lo and Gio can provide help if you need something or if I am unable to answer. You can call or text me anytime. Got it?”
Something tender passes her eyes before her wall clicks back into place.
“Got it.”
Sofia
What are you wearing?
I roll my eyes. I have been checking my new phone every time I get a chance. Bash made it obvious this morning that he wants me. His texts since then reinforce that idea. He has been texting me dirty things all day. When he isn’t telling me what he wants to do, he is asking me questions about myself.
I shake my head as I respond.
A potato sack. Over my head. Oh no I’ve been kidnapped.
I slide my phone back in my pocket as I head to the kitchen to pick up my order before delivering it.
“You look awfully happy. What happened to you last night?”
Mia asks as I stop back in the side station. I didn’t tell them I had a meeting with Bash last night. When I got here we were in the middle of the lunch rush. Things have just calmed.
“I had a meeting with Bash about all this protection stuff. I didn’t like my body guard.”
Mia giggles.
“Mine isn’t so bad. Well, when I see him that is.”
I chuckle. “Bash has someone other than Lorenzo watching you, you know, that right?”
She scoffs. “Yes. He looks like he is like 80. He couldn’t give me a young hot one?”
I have a feeling Lorenzo has something to do with that.
“Maybe all the young hot ones just couldn’t stand your beauty. You know it takes wisdom to truly appreciate something as gorgeous as you babe.” I wink at her.
“Stop sucking up, I already forgave you for making me do your closing work last night.”
I feel my phone vibrate. I pull it out and smile.
Just got off the phone with Matteo. He says you are safely inside the restaurant wearing your normal uniform. Nice try.
The smile on my face grows. He called to check on me.
“When did you get a new phone?”
“Oh. I broke mine. I got it yesterday.”
I want to tell her the truth, but ever since that conversation with Bash I have been extra paranoid. I have watched everything I say, even to the girls who have become my best friends.
“It’s so plain. I’m surprised you picked that out. You usually love color.”
She’s not wrong. It is just a black phone. Even the case is black.
I shrug. “I like it.”
I type out a quick response to Bash as she heads back to her tables.
Aww he is watching. I knew he cared about me. I need to get back to work. Stop fantasying about me.
I add a kiss emoji before I head back to work.
Izzy has the night off, so I go and greet the new customers that walk in. Mia and I take turns when Iz has the day off and Gina is not here, which is usually the case.
“Hi. How many?”
I look at the couple. They seem normal, but the man is looking at me weird. I have an odd feeling about them.
“Two please.” The female says with a pleasant smile.
She is smiling and looks like she is having a good time. The make-up on her face is a bit too heavy and the dress she is wearing is a bit short for her age, but she doesn’t seem off. The man she is with is dressed in a suit, but not like Bash’s. His looks much too cheap. I turn and escort them to one of Mia’s tables before turning to walk away. When I glance back, creeper still has his eyes on me. I walk up to Mia as she walks towards the kitchen.
“Hey, I just sat a couple at 14. The man is giving me a real creeper vibe. Keep an eye on him. I think I am going to text Matt and ask him to come in.”
“Are you sure?” She glances over to the table.
I follow her eyes and see the man is looking at his menu, but I get the feeling he is watching me out of his peripheral.
“Yeah. Bash always says better safe than sorry.”
I go into the kitchen and pull out my phone. Bash never texted back which gives me a slight disappointment, but I go to the contact in the phone. No one is labeled by names. Bash explained their code to me loosely this morning. I go to the number label P. and text Matt.
Hey. This customer is giving me a creeper vibe. I know Lou is watching, but I would feel better if you were in here.
Lou is the man who sits in here all day and drinks coffee. I hear he volunteered for the job. He is older, which is fine, but it doesn’t instill confidence in me.
“Everything okay, Sof?”
I look up and smile at Eddie.
“Yeah, just a customer giving me a bad vibe. Just giving myself a minute before I have to go back.”
“If he gives you any problems, just let me know and I will tell him to leave.”
Eddie is such a sweet guy. He doesn’t know about Matt or Lou or Bash. I am better protected than he could ever know.
“I have it handled.”
I grab the food sitting in the window and deliver it to Mia’s table. She is over there talking to the couple and I can tell that she is uncomfortable. Matt walks through the front door so I head towards him.
“I am going to go sit with Lou. Who is it?”
I can feel eyes on my back so I don’t look over at him. I grab a menu and escort Matt to Lou instead.
“The couple Mia is talking to. The girl seems ok. The guy just gives me the creeps. I think he gives Mia the creeps too. She is usually so bubbly and she seemed on edge.”
Matt nods at me.
“Go back to work. I got your back. You are safe with me and Lou here.”
I smile over at Lou.
“Sorry, Lou. I trust you, I swear. I just feel more comfortable with two since Mia is here too. That way you can focus on her while Matt focuses on me.”
The lie slips easily from my mouth.
He grunts in response. He never even looked up at me. I feel much better about my decision to text Matt.
I walk away and continue to work. It takes a while before I am able to catch Mia in the kitchen.
“That man is creepy. He asked me about you.”
I stiffen at that. “What did he ask?”
“He just asked if you were single. The girl he was with didn’t seem too happy about that, but he said he was asking for a friend. I told him you were happily taken and th
at your beau was a little crazy. Hopefully he got the hint.”
“Hopefully.”
I stayed on edge right up until mystery man left with his date. The entire time he was there, I could feel his eyes on me. The couple times I refilled Matt’s drink, he also seemed on edge. I tried asking him a question, but he just shook his head no. Seemed my new buddy wasn’t in a chatty mood.
When the man got up to leave, Matt got up and followed behind him. I don’t know what his plans were, but I hoped he would be safe.
“Creeper is gone.” Mia calls as she passes me.
The night is slowing down.
“Thank goodness. Hey, I was thinking. Why don’t we have a sleepover tonight? I can go home and get some clothes and come stay at your house. My body guard can chat with yours and have their own little sleepover.”
She laughs at the thought.
“I am sure they would love that. Yeah let’s do that.”
I love Mia. She is such a beautiful soul. Always happy and bubbly.
“Great. You text Iz. I am going to go turn the sign to closed.”
She nods as she heads off into the kitchen. I go to the front window and look out as I turn the sign. Matt is standing there talking to Lorenzo. I step out front to see what is going on. They immediately rush to my side.
“You should go back inside. You shouldn’t be out in the open.” Matt says to me once he reaches my side.
“What is going on?”
It doesn’t escape my notice that Matt and Lorenzo are using their bodies to shield me from being seen.
“We aren’t sure yet. You were right about that man. Good call calling Matteo.”
Lorenzo opens the door and we all three step in as the last couple is exiting.
“Have a wonderful evening.” I say as I lock the door behind them.
Matt is the first to talk.
“He watched you all night. He didn’t take it his off you once.”
A chilling feeling races down my spine.
“I noticed that too. Mia said he asked if I was single. When his date complained, he claimed it was for a friend. Mia told him I had a boyfriend.”
Lorenzo nods.
“Lorenzo, what are you doing here?”
I turn to find Mia’s face light up in a way I have never seen before. She really likes him.
“I am here for you, mio piccolo angelo.”