I look from Vito to Teresa and back again.
"That means I may have to make decisions that you don't like. That she might like, but you won't. If it comes down to her cooperation and her comfort versus your idea of control, I will choose her cooperation every single time."
"What does that mean?" Vito asks, his voice dangerously quiet.
"It means I'm not her father, and I'm not her brother. I'm not going to treat her like a child who needs to be disciplined. I'm going to treat her like an intelligent adult whose cooperation is essential to my mission. It means I'm going to ensure her safety, and you don't get a say in how that happens."
Teresa's eyes widen slightly, her gaze shifting back and forth between us, but she doesn't say anything.
Vito, on the other hand, looks like he's about to explode.
"You work for me," he says, his voice low and menacing.
"No," I correct him. "You hired me. I work for the safety of your sister. There's a difference."
"You're walking a very fine line, Adrian."
"I'm walking the line you drew for me," I say, my own voice hardening. "You want me to protect her. You brought me here for my expertise. Then you need to trust me to do the job. Even if that means doing it in a way you don't like."
I let that hang in the air for a moment.
"She's my sister," he says, as if that explains everything.
"And she's my client," I counter. "My only client. Not you. Not your father. Not the family. Her. I am her security. My loyalty is to her and her safety, no matter who signs the checks."
Vito stares at me, the muscles in his neck straining. He's not used to being spoken to like this. He's not used to people setting boundaries with him. Especially not people he considers employees.
But I'm not an employee. Not in the way he means it. I'm a contractor. A specialist. And my specialty is protecting people. Sometimes, that means protecting them from themselves. And sometimes, it means protecting them from their own family.
"And what if I don't sign those checks? What if I decide you're not worth the trouble?" he asks, a clear threat in his tone.
"Then it'll be your pride that gets her killed," I say simply. "I hope you can live with that."
Teresa lets out a soft, almost inaudible gasp.
Vito's face goes dark.
I don't back down. I hold his gaze, letting him see that I'm not bluffing. I'm not here to play games. I'm here to do a job. A serious job. And I'm not going to let him or his family dynamics get in the way of that.
The truth is, at this point, he can't undo the damage he's already done. Even if he finds another bodyguard this quickly, Caterina won't trust them either. She'll go into her next meeting, her next public appearance, with a target on her back, and she'll be alone.
And he knows it.
After a long, tense moment, Vito looks away. He turns and walks over to the window, looking out at the dark garden. His back is ramrod straight, a clear sign of his anger.
Teresa gives me a look I can't quite read. It's part exasperation, part gratitude, part something else I can't name. "You really know how to make friends, don't you?"
"It's one of my special skills," I say, my voice dry.
She lets out a small, reluctant laugh. "You know, for a minute there, I thought he was going to throw you out."
"He wouldn't," I say. "He's angry, but he's not stupid."
"No," she agrees. "He's not." She looks over at her husband, her expression softening slightly. "He's just... protective. To a fault sometimes. And he's used to getting his own way."
"We all have our weaknesses," I say, thinking of a few of my own.
She gives me a thoughtful look. "You're very good at this, aren't you?"
