Soon it's just us.
"Emilio will coordinate security," Enzo tells me. "Invisible but comprehensive. Your friends will never know they're being watched."
"This is too much. They're only here for a visit."
"Nothing in my world is too much. Your friends are leverage that enemies could use against me. Through you. That makes them my concern. If you care about your friends, you should be equally as concerned."
"But, no one even knows about us!"
"Everyone knows. The village, my associates, my enemies. You became visible the moment you became mine."
"I'm not—"
He cuts me off with a kiss that's pure possession, pure dominance. When he pulls back, I'm breathless and flushed and several degrees less angry.
"You are," he says simply. "And now your friends are under my protection too. Be grateful I'm handling this delicately."
"Is this your definition of delicately?"
"Madison." His voice softens slightly. "I know this isn't the kind of visit with your friends you wanted. But this is what's necessary. Your friends will have a wonderful visit. They'll see beautiful sites, eat magnificent food, and go home with stories about their amazing Italian vacation. They just won't see anything that could put them or us at risk."
"And if Sarah figures out something's off? She's smart, Enzo. One of the top in her graduating class."
"Then we'll handle that if it happens." He touches my face, the gesture surprisingly gentle. "Trust me to keep them safe. It's what I do."
"Keep people safe, or control everything?"
"In my world, they're the same thing."
Looking at him now, seeing the absolute certainty in his eyes, I realize this is the best I'm going to get. My friends arecoming whether I like it or not, and at least this way they'll be protected, even if they never know they need protection.
"Fine," I say. "We do it your way."
"We always do it my way." But he softens it with another kiss, this one slower, deeper. "They're important to you, which makes them important to me. I'll take care of them."
It's as close to reassurance as I'm going to get from a man who sees the world in terms of territory and threats.
I just hope Sarah and Jessica never realize they're spending their vacation in a beautiful controlled simulation, surrounded by invisible guards, in the territory of a dangerous man.
Because if they do figure it out, I'm not sure even Enzo's protection will be enough to keep everyone safe.
Chapter 20: Enzo
After Madison leaves to prepare for dinner, I remain in my study reviewing the security arrangements Emilio has implemented. Her friends land in less than an hour, and every variable needs to be controlled.
"Boss," Emilio enters without knocking. "The lawyer made more calls. Three to her office, one to the U.S. Consulate in Naples."
"Content?"
"No specific concerns raised yet, but she's establishing contact patterns."
She’s building a network before she needs it.
"And the social media one?"
"Posted twice about visiting her friend in Sicily. Tagged the location as 'somewhere magical.' No photos of Madison yet."
"Monitor all posts. Shut it down if she photographs anything problematic."
