The Protector 2

Chapter One Rafe The determination to show Mr Bertone my usual serious-professional face that I wear on a security-escort job fails pitifully the moment she makes an appearance in the office. Until ten seconds ago I could have sworn that there’s nothing in this world that could distract me from this role, but I was very wrong. There’s only one person who can pull the rug from under me. It’s this girl, who’s no longer a girl; she’s much more like a mind-blowingly beautiful, insanely sexy, twenty-six-year-old woman. The only person for whom I ever lost my mind and for whose sake I made a complete fool of myself at university. The woman I was ready to marry, but who dragged my feelings through mud. Are my senses playing a trick with me, or is it really Raven, my young love, standing in front of me, in Emilio Bertone’s house? Paralyzed, I stare at the fully impossible scene as Alessandro Bertone, with his hand cosily on her shoulder, walks her into the office; then the other Bertone kid also comes over to her and hugs her. As if under a spell, my eyes are glued to the beautiful face, on the lush line of her mouth, on the widely open bluish green eyes that are fixed on me now, and in which I can immerse myself forever. As we stare at one another, for a few moments I perfectly fall out of my role, which doesn’t happen to me normally. Especially not if it’s about work. What the f**k is going on? Are they having fun with me? Or is this a prank? – Such questions are echoing in my dizzy consciousness, although, seeing the sheer astonishment on Raven’s face, I don’t think she expected to see me either. The old Bertone man’s voice hits my ear from afar, like a roar. “Mr. Harlan, this is your client, my niece, Miss Raven Bertone.” By the time I can finally close my mouth, my throat feels so tight that I can hardly squeeze a sound out. Hoarsely, I ask a question without averting my eyes from Raven. “Y… your niece? Did you not say… your daughter?” I stammer, because when we spoke on the phone, he actually mentioned his daughter. “Raven is my niece,” he waves his hand with annoyance, as if not understanding why I’m messing with such details. “But she could be my daughter too, since my wife and I have been raising her since her childhood. She grew up with my sons, they are more like siblings than cousins.” I watch the woman who used to mean everything to me, as the two dark-skinned Bertones hug her from both sides, and a sinister suspicion wakes in me. The hands of the men are resting gently on Raven’s shoulders as they push her closer to me, and as I watch the scene, my heart seems to miss a beat. Two men and a woman. Siblings. Cousins. Relatives. Raven Bertone, the mafia boss’, Emilio Bertone’s niece. The girl I fell in love with at university, a member of Cosa Nostra. And some people want to kill her. The edge of my mouth painfully jerks as mental images from eight years ago occur to me of a girl who, in the company of two young men, drives off in a red sports car, right in front of my eyes. I feel the blood leaving my cheeks, my hands make two fists, and my breathing becomes heavy. This can’t be true! Please, somebody say that it’s not true! I completely lose my sense of time, I have no idea how long my eyes have been moving from one to the other, when Chris steps up to me, and places a hand on my shoulder. “Is everything all right, dude?” he asks with concern. I look at him with embarrassment, then turn towards the window and close my eyes. I dig my fingers into my hair, and curse out in thought. I have no idea what the f**k is going on, but I have to compose myself if I don’t want them to take me for an unskilled i***t. I take a deep breath, then slowly let the air out, and before turning back, I try to conjure the security escort pro mask on my face. I clear my throat, and speak up with a firm voice. “Everything is great.” “Do you think you can do it?” Sandro interrupts with a furrowed brow, and although it’s not obvious whom he’s talking to, I respond. “Absolutely. Everything will be as we’ve discussed,” I say, reaching out a hand to Raven. “Miss Bertone.” She stares at my hand for a while, then looks at me, and stretches out her hand towards me with uncertainty. When she speaks, I can hardly hear it. “Mr. Harlan.” Her fingers are ice cold, and my palm is hot as live coal as our skins touch again after eight years of separation. Her hand perfectly nestles into my grip, her touch wakes long-slumbering emotions and confusing impulses in me. Before I get too comfortable, though, she withdraws her hand, and takes a step backwards. She turns away, and begins to fidget with her hair, just like long ago, whenever she was nervous. I break out in sweat; I need all my self-control to keep myself together. Raven is standing as far as possible from me, with her arms and legs folded in front of her, in a defensive pose. She turns towards the bookshelf, as if studying Bertone’s collection, but her whole body is tense like a pulled bow. Meanwhile I manage to pull myself together, so I can communicate with a decent voice, and confirm the details regarding the departure. The Bertones – considering their circumstances – are acting perfectly normal. Nothing suggests that they might have the foggiest idea about Raven and I knowing one another. I bet she’s never mentioned my name to her family, or else I would be long dead, no doubt about that. “The sooner we leave, the better. Three men will be escorting us from my team. That means, we will be five people. Is everything okay with the house?” I turn to Emilio, but Sandro answers for him. “All is as we’ve discussed. The equipment is also there. The rest of it, bulletproof vests and the automatics are in the embedded part of the trunk.” “You’ll take the A T-98. It can get through a wall, if need be,” Chris joins in, referring to the shell-proof vehicle, then he glances at Raven apologetically. “Of course, it’s quite unlikely you’ll need anything like that. But let’s be careful.” Raven pulls a little smile, and glances in the door’s direction. “We can only take the absolute necessities,” I say, turning towards her, surprised at the way my voice noticeably softens when I talk to her. “A suitcase is out of the question. A rucksack would be most ideal. The sturdy, military kind, with pockets and a waistband,” I say, listing the details. Raven raises her eyebrows, and her grumpy stare that says ‘Are you taking me for a fool or what?’ is almost piercing me through. Oh God. I’m done. This is too much. I quickly take my eyes off her, and look at Chris inquisitively. “No problem. We’ll have it in an hour.” “I’ll be back at two forty-five. We’re leaving at three, sharp,” I look at Raven significantly, who shrugs her shoulders with irritation, and makes a show of turning her back on me. “I’m off to pack, then,” she says, addressing her words strictly to her uncle. “All right,” the old man nods, and I hear unusual tenderness in his voice. “Claire will help with everything you need.” “Thank you,” she mumbles, and stepping up to him, she plants a kiss on the old Bertone guy’s cheek, then with a half smile, she waves to the boys. Finally she turns to me, and speaks with such an icy voice that even the air freezes in the office. “Mr. Harlan.” She doesn’t give me her hand. “At three, Miss Bertone,” I repeat with strictness. Mr. Bertone waits until the door closes behind Raven, and only speaks afterwards. “The boys will take you to the state border, to make sure nobody unwanted is following you.” “Discretion is critical in this issue, Mr. Bertone. Other than me and my people, nobody can know of our whereabouts.” “That’s clear,” Sandro snorts. “Other than the three of us, nobody knows about the safe house.” “That’s correct,” the old man confirms. “And I transferred the money this morning. To two separate accounts, as you asked.” “Okay.” “And this, here,” he says, taking a thick envelope out of his desk drawer, “this, you’ll take with you. You never know. There’s no better friend than some cash in the hand, my boy.” Seeming perfectly calm, keeping my emotions and movements in perfect control, I leave the Bertone estate. But when I drive out of the gigantic iron gate and reach the nearest side street, I step into the brake right after the turn, and swerve the car to the side. I squeeze the steering wheel with the strength of a bull, pressing the back of my neck strongly against the head rest. Loudly, I let out the air that – I feel – I have been holding in from the moment I found myself facing Raven, in the old Bertone man’s office. I recognized her at once. I wasn’t far from dropping to the floor when I saw the face that had burnt into my retina forever. The same girl I once knew, and yet, not the same at all. She has filled out, and gained some shape all at the right places. She looks more sensual than ever. I recognized her with my brain, my eyes, my senses, and my d**k that hardened on command, God damn it. I’m just staring in front of myself, and think I’m only beginning to realize what’s happened. The previous hour was a crazy emotional roller coaster, and I’m only beginning to wake up from it. This morning as I got out of my bed, I was preparing to do a risky, but super well-paying job commissioned by the most influencial mafia boss of Pennsylvania. Personal protection. My field. I’ve been working with the very best for years. There have been risky situations, but I have never ever lost a client. I would never have believed in this life that the person whose life I will be entrusted with is the only woman on this f*****g earth with whom I was so much in love that I almost died. Her life, from now on, is only in my hands. The woman I have loved, hated, cursed, adored and despised at the same time, for eight years. Up to this day, I have considered myself the one who was cheated on in this ugly story, but I’m not sure about anything anymore. Seeing her with her two cousins, a horrible suspicion woke inside me, and if the situation is indeed what I’m suspecting, then I’m the most miserable loser of this universe. Raven As I step out of the office, I close the door behind me and push my forehead against it from the outside, with exhaustion. I don’t intend to eavesdrop, I simply want to let the steam out after this shocking scene, but when I hear the noises from inside, I just can’t resist. I begin to listen, pressing my ear against the door. They’re talking about the safe house and the money. Looks like, out of all the existing security escort firms, my uncle has specifically chosen Rafe Harlan’s, to entrust him with my life. That’s just grand! Of course, they didn’t share with me how much his fee is going to be for the accomplished job, but I’m quite sure my uncle is not a miser when it comes to my security. And if he is ready to entrust Rafe Harlan with my life, then the guy must really be the best in the profession. Of course, this also means that Rafe is a paid employee of the Bertones. As a consequence, he’s my personal paid employee as well. My bodyguard, if you like, and I am his boss. And I can be a very unpleasant boss if necessary – I ponder silently. I hear some movement inside, so I quickly pull away from the door, and start for the flight of stairs at great speed. While going through my stuff in my room, I try to work out what it is that I really feel, but I can’t seem to put into words the chaos that’s inside me. It’s something near shock, surprise, fear and anger. Or perhaps, a mixture of all these. Rafe’s unexpected recurrence after eight years is waking long-buried feelings inside me, and it rips wounds that I’ve considered fully healed. I thought I’d never see him again in this life, and now, here he comes again, in one of the most shocking periods of my life. I don’t have the foggiest idea how things will be from now on, but there’s one thing I promise myself. From now on, the situation between us will be completely different.