Rhett intervened. “Anyway, we wanted you to stay here, shadow her until the threat is neutralized.”
Draining my glass in a single move, I exhaled audibly. “Fuck!”
“Indeed.” Rhett placed his glass on the side table before continuing. “She knows nothing about this, and we prefer it that way right now. She’s come out of her shell with a lot of effort. We don’t want her to feel unsafe or retreat again. She’s the heart of this household, and we don’t want anyone or anything to dim her shine.”
I sighed. “I’m not sure it is advisable to keep this information from her.”
“It isn’t up for discussion.” Noah growled, his eyes turning icy.
“Okay,” I nodded, my thoughts racing at the prospect of a threat. Could it be the Vikings again? The war between the Vikings family and the Falcones had been on for a decade. First, it was Katy’s kidnapping. Resulting in the death of the youngest Viking heir. They’d waited for their revenge, striking again two years ago, killing the senior Falcone. That’s when Noah had taken over and peace had reigned. Briefly.
“Don Viking passed away because of cardiac arrest last month. Their eldest has taken over. I’m guessing he’s the one who is starting this shit all over again. Fucking menace..” Gio supplied the information, ever watchful about security for the family.
“I’ll stay back until this is dealt with,” I promised, nodding at Gio. “Ryker and my other partners will take over my projects until I get back.”
“Thank you.” The relief on Noah’s face was palpable, making me feel uneasy. If the man himself felt he needed me, it had to be bad.
Right on cue, the staff announced dinner.
“Let’s regroup after dinner, and I’ll show you the contents of the email.” Rhett promised.
We left together toward the formal dining area, where a table was set for all of us. Moving to the farthest seat from the head, I stilled at the sweet fragrance of vanilla with a hint of berry filling the air. Intrigued, I turned to look at the source. And felt my world go still.
My breathing halted, and my entire body came alive at the sight of the curvy woman with long, dark, silky hair and full, pink lips. Her eyes were dark and mysterious, fringed with huge lashes that made her eyes look exotic. The maroon dress she was wearing defined her perfect hourglass figure, simultaneously making my heart pound in my chest. Mesmerized, I couldn’t take my eyes off of this beautiful woman who walked into the dining room with a seductive sway of her hips.
Helpless against the onslaught of emotions that crashed in me, I watched as her mouth parted before she breathed, “Barun?”
Shit, shit, shit!Two things happened at once. Her breathy whisper turned my dick to steel, and I recognized that voice. It was Katy. She looked fucking fantastic and nothing like the scared girl. I couldn’t help but notice her regal stance and sweet smile. A smile that was directed at me. Christ in heaven!
“Was this the surprise?” She smiled expectantly. Her cheeks turned pink as she looked at me in awe. Moving forward, she gave me a hug, her smile faltering when I held myself stiffly. Absentmindedly, I noticed she barely reached my chin, tempted to crush her to my body.
Mercifully, right at that moment, Noah came forward and pulled her into his arms, leaving me equally bereft and shocked. Thetouch of Katy’s soft and curvy body nearly electrocuted me. Her vanilla scent teased my senses. Only the fact that there were three other men, two of whom would unalive me if I revealed my reaction, made me bury my true feelings toward Katy.
“Congratulations, darling. We are so proud of you.” Noah kissed his sister’s temple gently before Rhett pulled her for a hug.
I offered my own congratulations rather formally before proceeding to sit through an hour and a half of torture. Where I could see her, inhale her scent, and feel her warmth radiating across the table. During dinner, I asked myself only one thing. How the hell was I going to survive as her personal bodyguard without getting killed by her brothers?
#3
Katy
One month was a relatively short time when you wanted to spend the time with your favorite person. It was also the worst form of torture when the said person morphed into a stranger.
On the day of the celebratory dinner, I didn’t realize Barun had been invited, not until I watched his tall, muscular form walk to the study. At the unexpected sight of him, my jaw had nearly dropped. Four years of longing to see him, and it had unexpectedly come to fruition. It was a miracle I didn’t melt into a puddle.
When he’d crossed the foyer, my heart had literally stopped beating. The sheer magnetism of the man sent a spark of electricity through my body. For the first time in my twenty-one years, I felt my heart twirl and dance. For the first time, I felt something other than affection or disgust towards a man.
I didn’t realize I’d been smiling until one of my brother’s men threw me a strange look. A feeling of euphoria had taken over. I felt I was floating and don’t remember how I’d gotten back to my room. All I knew was I needed to take special care to dress up for Barun.
Not that he’d noticed. He’d barely spoken to me that night. And remained aloof ever since. I didn’t expect Barun to fall in love with me instantly, nor did I expect him to unravel the mountain-sized crush I had. But to pretend he wasn’t even a friend was crushing. And heartbreaking.
Swallowing my hurt, I paused with my blogging, reflecting on the changes that had happened in the Falcone household in the past month.
My elder brother, Noah, fell in love with Jasmine, a sweet florist. Apparently, they’d first met two years ago, on the day my father had been killed. Funny how fate works, though. After two years of silence, Jasmine had reached out to Noah to settle an issue related to her shop. Which had culminated in their happily ever after.
What was even more surprising was the whirlwind marriage of my other brother, Rhett. He had married Alia, an heiress from a rival mafia family, solidifying our position in and around New York. Alia was an absolute sweetheart as well, and it was a pleasure to have another woman in this household. For years, it had only been me. The female friendships I’d craved were finally beginning to materialize.
Yet, that didn’t seem enough. After seeing my brothers with their women, I felt even more lonely. I wondered for the first time what it would be like to have a family of my own. The only problem with that? I couldn’t picture anyone but Barun whenever I dreamt of a man by my side.
