Page 79 of Tailored for You

After a minute or so, her shoulders stopped shaking, and her breathing evened out.

“Tesoro mio, we need to move.” I stood and put her on her feet, holding her steady as she swayed. Reaching into the closet, I grabbed the first dress I could find. “Arms up,” I instructed.

Serena let go of the blanket she had been clinging to and raised her arms. I slipped the dress over her head, continuing to block her view of the body.

“Sir,” one of the men called, entering the room. “The threat is neutralized. We have the dinghy pulled up and ready to go.”

I looked over my shoulder, allowing my anger to show on my face. “I want to know how this happened.” I wrapped an arm around Serena, leading her to the door. I glanced down and found her face ashen, staring down at the body.

“Hey.” I tipped her chin up to look at me and not the mess on the floor. “I told you that anyone who tried to harm you wouldn’t breathe for long, si? I meant what I said.”

Her eyes filled with tears, but none fell as I urged her to move.

“Okay, Lorenzo. I think I believe you now.” She spoke so softly, I almost missed it.

We walked down the steps and to the hull, which was clean of the bodies I had left.

My men stood in a line, hands behind their backs, heads bowed.

One took a step forward. “We apologize. This will never happen again.”

“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to her for putting her in danger with your lack of diligence,” I snarled.

As if they practiced it beforehand, all five men got down on one knee, heads still bowed, hands fisted and pressed against their chests. It was a pose of subservience, of an apology that didn’t need words because in my world, actions spoke louder than words.

I glanced down at Serena. Color had come back to her face, and she no longer looked like she was seconds from screaming and running away in fear.

I leaned down and whispered in Serena’s ear. “They’ll stay like this until you tell them to rise, and not let it happen again.”

“I have to say it? Not you?” she replied, keeping her eyes on the men.

“Yes. This is for you, not me,” I said.

“What should I say?” she asked, reaching down and squeezing my hand.

“Whatever you want,” I said, wondering what she’d come up with.

She took a step forward, gripping my hand so tightly I was sure she was going to break a knuckle, and stared at my men.

“Rise.” Her voice was raw from crying but held strong.

The men obediently rose and lifted their heads, but kept their hands fisted over their chests. As one, they said, “Improvements will be made.”

I nodded in approval, though none of the men were focused on me. They stared at her, waiting for her instructions.

She turned back to me and said, “I’d like to leave now.”

I bowed, and the other men followed suit, then jumped into action. “Come vuoi, mia regina.”

helped her into the dinghy and pulled away from the yacht.

Hopefully, my plans weren’t ruined as I steered us to our next location.

One that was locked down completely.

CHAPTER 25

Enzo