“You know all there is to know about my family, ah?”
Thandie grinned. “I’m sure I’m about to know more.”
Rocco nodded seriously. “It does a person well to know who their enemies are and what they are about—you should always know more about them than they do you, as a general rule.”
She nodded. “As I said when we spoke, I’ll know about both sides now, and even though I’ll be loyal to you and yours, I won’t double-cross my country.”
“We understand each other then. As far as I am concerned, I do not need you to get involved with my relationship with the American government.”
“We still have an understanding then.” She picked her cup up and took another sip of coffee. She set it down gently, the glass hardly tapping against the porcelain coaster. “Does my friend know why I’m here?”
All eyes turned to me. I looked at Rocco.
My husband cleared his throat. “I invited Ms. De Pradines here as your personal security. She is one of the best, and since you two are close, I thought you would be more comfortable with her as your lead security.”
“Not to mention, I’m a woman.” Thandie took another drink of her coffee and seemed to smile at Rocco behind the cup. “And since your men have eyes and passionate hearts…they can’t get close enough to Aria Bella Fausti to fall in love with her.”
“Sì,” my husband said seriously.
I squeezed his hand. “I’m truly flattered you invited the best of the best to watch over me, but…” I turned to Thandie. “Do you really want to do this?” I glanced at Giovanni, and he was staring straight ahead, almost automatically taking a drink of his bourbon every few minutes. It was almost like he had it timed—to make him seem more human.
Thandie glanced at Giovanni. “Yeah, I refused to come unless Rocco accepted my terms.”
At Thandie using Rocco’s first name, Giovannisat up taller, stronger, like he was going to pounce if Rocco attempted to correct her.
“Ms. De Pradines is my wife’s friend,” Rocco said to Giovanni in Italian. He waved a hand. “She needs no formalities with me.”
Giovannirelaxed some, going back to his timed drinks, eyes in the distance.
I cleared my throat. “I don’t know how I feel about this…it feels more complicated than it should.”
Rocco shook his head. “The sister of my heart and her friend Viola had a working relationship as well as a personal one. It was successful for many years.”
“Did Violet have to put her life on the line for Scarlett?”
“I want to do this, Ari. Protecting is inside of me—it’s what I was trained to do, and I don’t think I can give it up.” She glanced at Giovanni. “Not now.”
Rocco went in a direction that shocked me when he said, “My father is still king of thisfamiglia.He prefers that couples are married.”
“We will be married,” Giovanni said.
My eyes swung to Rocco before they swung to Thandie. She nodded at me. “Giovanni loves me even though he hates that I need this job.”
Giovanni reached out and took her hand, bringing it to his mouth.
My eyes burned with unshed tears, and I smiled at her. I wiped my eyes before the tears could fall. Giovanni had convinced Thandie he’d love her forever, and that alone made my heart happy. I wanted for her what Rocco and I shared. I wanted her to have the same kind of family experience I was having. Especially since we both knew how it felt to be alone in the world.
My only concern was the fact that I could tell there was a lot of tension between Thandie and Giovanniover her coming into the family as a…soldier? It seemed like something she needed to do, because it was all she’d ever known, and something he was internally battling with.
They were adults, though, and I knew they would work it out. Maybe Giovanni wasn’t all too pleased about how Thandie was entering the family, other than being his wife, but if he loved her enough to accept all of her…I knew he would be there for her forever. Fausti men weren’t the type to commit to forever without knowing they’d be there forever—till death do us partmeant something to them if that’s the commitment they gave.
I also worried about Thandie putting her life on the line for mine. We were friends, and if something terrible happened to her because of me…that was a heavy burden to carry.
Most importantly to me, though, was Ermanno. If he fell in love with Thandie, which I had no doubt he would, and something happened to her… I bit my lip. He’d already lost one mamma. And what about Giovanni? His job was dangerous too.
I said all this because it was suddenly weighing on my heart.
Giovanni nodded. “I thank you,SignoraFausti,” he said in Italian, “for caring for my son. I have considered this as well. I have spoken to Thandie about this. We agree with you.” This was when he looked at Rocco. “With your permission, I am asking if it would be possible for Ermanno to keep his position with you andSignoraFausti, since my wife will be the head of personal security forSignoraFausti.” He cleared his throat. “This will give my son and my wife time together. Occasionally, or whenever he wishes, he could be with us.”
