Page 32 of His Assistant

It’s probably for the best. This weekend may have just gotten us back to a normal place, and I’m not willing to give that up. Not even for the most mind-blowing sex of my life.

“You need to focus on the Calderone problem,” I tell him sternly. “Find out how they got their hands in my business and make sure they don’t get any closer.”

He stands and hangs his head in disappointment. “One day, you’re going to have something juicy to share, and I won’t want to hear it,” he threatens.

I simply roll my eyes.

“You’ll be like a fucking dog with a bone,” I say, because it’s the absolute truth. Rafe just can’t help himself.

He shakes his head and smirks on the way out. Sofia doesn’t come in, thankfully. It gives me time to think. It also means she actually listened to me. Another small miracle.

I sit at my desk and lean over just a bit so I can see the corner of Sofia’s empty desk. How is it possible that I already miss her? I saw her less than twenty-four hours ago.

Nina is covering her desk again, and she’s still about as comfortable with me as a lamb waiting for slaughter. She jumps whenever the phone rings and writes things down so furiously I worry about her pens. I’m sure she does better at her own desk, but she’s no Sofia.

I look down again at the contract still on my desk and start to feel fury bubbling up in me. Not only is Calderone sticking his nose in my business, Sofia is the one who caught it. Nobody else is going to know that, but it worries me. I killed that deal. I made sure Marble Ridge doesn’t get a cent of their “consulting fee.”

I sit up suddenly and consider the retaliation. I can take anything Enzo Calderone throws at me, but Sofia can’t, and she shouldn’t have to. She’s already been close enough to them because of her father’s foolish financial decisions. I won’t let her get hurt because of me.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that Sofia is already more entangled than I want her to be. Armand worked with Calderone and he put his hands on her. I put him on the floor for it. Andante held Marco Bellini’s debt and washes money for Calderone. There are more than enough reasons that Enzo could potentially target her.

I pick up my phone and call Rafe.

He answers on the second ring. “Miss me already?”

“Put someone near Sofia’s apartment,” I tell him without saying hello.

He goes quiet on the other end of the line. His silence speaks volumes. He doesn’t like this. He wants answers I can’t give him right now. But he’s not going to question my authority.

“Visible?” he asks finally.

“No,” I say automatically. “I don’t want her to know.”

“Dom.” He sighs, the judgment thick.

“Don’t,” I warn.

“She’s going to lose her shit if she finds out you’re having her watched.”

It’s a good point, but that isn’t going to stop me. I’ve got more than enough evidence for why this has to happen.

“She isn’t going to find out,” I counter. “You’re going to make sure of that.”

“I think she’s probably more perceptive than you think she is,” he answers. “But I’ll get it done. There will be someone on her door in half an hour.”

“Good,” I say before I hang up.

I hear a crash outside, then Nina’s soft “Sorry.” It occurs to me that as well as Sofia knows my schedule, I’ve been paying almost no attention to hers. That needs to change immediately.

“Nina,” I call.

She stumbles into my office like a drunk chihuahua.

“Yes, Mr. Vieri?” she asks in a small, eager voice. “How can I help you?”

“I need you to get me a copy of Sofia’s schedule,” I tell her. “I imagine it’s saved on her computer.”

She nods thoughtfully. “Right away, sir. Anything else?”