"What do you want us to do?" Rafa asks, his tone all business now.
"Just watch her when she's around. Listen to her conversations. Report anything that seems off," Vito says, slipping back into his Don persona—cold, calculating, protective of what's his.
Both men nod and head for the door, but I can see the reluctance in their movements. None of us want to spy on Elena, but orders are orders.
Vito turns to me when the door closes behind them, and I can see the conflict in his eyes—the man warring with the leader.
"I need you to watch Elena," he says, as if I didn't just hear the entire conversation.
"Not a problem. I'll put an extra guy on her." I nod and start to stand, assuming we're done here, but his next words stop me cold.
"No, I mean I need you to watch her every move. Stay close to her. She's been sneaking past her detail, and when they go looking for her, it's like she vanished into thin air." He pauses, and I can see the frustration building in his expression. "She may be able to get past them, but not you. I need you personally on this one."
The words come out like both a question and an order, and I understand why. He's worried about how this assignment could affect our business operations, how it might impact Rina if the worst-case scenario proves true. I don't blame him for that worry—I share it.
"Consider it done, V." The response comes automatically, born from years of loyalty and trust, even as I internally question exactly what this might mean for me.
Vito reaches out and pats my back in that brotherly way of his, the gesture carrying more weight than words ever could. "I already do," he says with a slight smile.
His faith in me has never wavered, not once in all the years I've served as his right hand. I've always looked up to him—as a leader, as a brother, as a mentor. I'll never let him down, no matter what this assignment with Elena might cost me personally.
The irony isn't lost on me. I've been watching her for months now, drawn to her in ways I had no business being. Stealing glances across crowded rooms. Memorizing the curve of her smile when she thinks no one's looking. I knew it was dangerous—knew I should've kept my distance. But now Vito's handed me a reason to get closer, to justify what I've been doing in the shadows all along.
I'll get to the bottom of whatever she's hiding, even if it means discovering that the woman who's occupied far too many of my thoughts is everything I hoped she wasn't.
Vito walks back to his desk and settles into his chair, effectively dismissing me. He looks up and gives me a single nod—our communication refined over years of partnership. I return the gesture and head for the door, my new mission crystallizing in my mind.
Elena Messina. The sassy-mouthed, strong-willed woman who's been pushing her way further into our lives with each passing day. She's fiercely protective of Rina and Sofia—they're the only family that truly matters to her, which is exactly why there has to be more to this situation than simple rebellion.
As I walk toward the elevator, one thought keeps circling through my mind: if Elena is playing a dangerous game, I'm going to be the one to find out exactly what the stakes are.
And God help us both when I do.
CHAPTER 2
Marco
I walk downthe hall to the elevator and hit the down button, my mind already shifting into tactical mode. The conversation with Vito replays in my head as I step inside and swipe my key card. Floor ninety-six—my sanctuary, my solitude. The only place in this building where I can think without the constant hum of activity that surrounds Vito's penthouse.
Getting off the elevator, I take a deep breath, finding immediate comfort in the silence of my home. There's no chaos here like upstairs—no constant stream of people coming and going, no phones ringing every five minutes, no urgent conversations bleeding through the walls. This space is mine, peaceful and controlled.
I head down the hall past the kitchen to my office and grab the laptop from my desk. The weight of this new assignment settles on my shoulders as I carry it to my bedroom, setting it on the bedside table for later review. Right now, I need to process what just happened, and I can't do that effectively while staring at a screen.
It's been a long day filled with the usual territorial disputes and business negotiations that come with being Vito's righthand. My body craves the hot spray of a shower and the oblivion of sleep.
After a shower that's not nearly long enough to wash away the tension, I sit on the edge of my bed in just a towel and contemplate whether to dive into researching Elena now or wait until tomorrow when I've had the sleep I desperately need.
The smart play would be to wait. A tired mind makes careless mistakes, and I can't afford to be careless when it comes to Elena Messina.
But I've looked into her before—when Rina was in danger, we needed to know everyone in her orbit. We discovered that Elena knew Liam from his visits to see his brother Finn at college, the same university Elena and Rina attended. Then I looked into her again when Sofia's situation escalated and we needed all hands on deck.
Since it's been about a month since I last ran a background check on her, I decide to at least get the ball rolling. I pull the laptop onto my lap and start typing, getting her information loaded into our system and hitting enter.
Elena fucking Messina.
Even thinking her name sends something dark and possessive through my chest. She's a dark-haired, sinful beauty with mystery swimming in those caramel eyes of hers. There's something about her that's always pulled at me—the way she carries herself like she's not afraid of anything, the way she looks at our world like she sees right through all the carefully constructed façades.
What have you been up to, little fox?
