The Darkest Devotion

CHAPTER FIVE

LEON

The next day, Salvatore calls to inform me that Tomaso had fixed a meeting in an upscale hotel in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I join him at a random parking garage we planned to meet at, and he smirks at my appearance.

“How old are you again? You look younger without your goatee and mustache.”

I had a clean shave this morning to look the part of a cold and dangerous bodyguard, although I don’t have to try too hard. I am already cold on the inside and dangerous to people who had been unfortunate enough to experience my wrath.

Tomaso is about to be one of those people.

I ignore Salvatore and slip in beside him at the backseat of his car. The driver, a buff, bald hunk of a man, is wearing thick, black goggles, but I know he’s staring at me through the rearview mirror. The man in the passenger's seat only turns to glance at me briefly before turning his focus back to his front.

The drive to the hotel is a short one, and throughout the drive, I try to tame my murderous urge. I would be meeting the man who ruined my life directly for the first time ever.

I know almost everything about Tomaso.

I know the big things, like how he is the evil bastard that has ruled the Cosa Nostra for more than three decades now. He is a powerful man with influence in several wings of society, including politics, even though he’s not a politician himself. He runs one of the biggest trafficking rings in the whole of Europe.

I also know the small things, like how he’s allergic to coffee, how he has a small scar behind his left ear, just below his hairline, and how he always wears a silver ring on his right pinky when he’s meeting someone he doesn’t trust as a signal to his men.

I have spent years watching and studying the man, but I’ve never been in direct, face-to-face contact with him. I know myself and how much in control I am of my emotions, but I don’t trust myself, not in this situation.

A few moments later, we arrive at the parking lot of the hotel. The afternoon sun is hot and scorching as we step down from the car and head into the hotel, towards the breakfast lounge.

Tomaso Rossetti is sitting at a private table near the window, a thick glass of whiskey in his hand. He looks exactly the same as I remember: cold, sharp, and unfeeling, but something in his eyes is different. Paranoia.

“Sal,” Tomaso says, standing to shake Salvatore’s hand.

They’re on a nickname basis. Cute.

Tomaso’s eyes cut to me. “This him?”

“This is Leon,” Salvatore says, clapping my shoulder. “He’s one of my best. Quiet, determined and focused. He’s good at taking orders and never gets distracted.”

I outstretch my hand for a shake. When he stretches his hand to return the handshake, his silver ring glints in the light. His firm hand slips into mine as he looks directly into my eyes, studying me. I try not to think about how easy it would be to kill him here. I could easily twist his arm and drive a dagger into his neck in seconds.

But like Salvatore said, I’m not stupid. I know his men are around and are waiting for the smallest hint that proves exactly why their boss doesn’t trust me. I’ve spotted four so far. They’re lounging casually around the premises, but the second they sense any fishy movement, they’ll be on me.

Tomaso keeps looking at me like he’s trying to place my face. He can’t. Of course he can’t. He never looks twice at the people he destroys. And even if he doubts my identity and tries to dig deeper into who I am, Kai has already cleaned up my background and built my file. I now have a military-grade training history and a full digital trail that leads straight back to Salvatore’s agency. Everything checks out.

Tomaso finally slips his hand out of mine and ushers us to a seat.

“I am leaving New York today,” he starts. “I wish I could stay longer, but I’ve got some serious business to attend to.”

His eyes flash to me. “You will be with her at all times.” His voice sounds like sandpaper. “She doesn’t go anywhere without you. If she tries, you stop her…without hurting her. She’s stubborn and kind of a brat,” he chuckles to himself. “She’ll try to make your job difficult for you. Ignore her. She’ll get bored. And if anything happens to her under your watch…” he trails off, a faint smile curling the sides of his lips, “I won’t hesitate to kill you myself.”

I nod once. “Understood.”

He nods stiffly. “I have your contact information. My secretary will send you a detailed list of rules you must make sure she adheres to.”

I nod again.

Tomaso gestures. “You start work today, and I forgot to mention, you’ll move in with her…”

My heart stops for a moment. I prepared for everything else, but not this.

“…I have made provisions for your accommodation. The penthouse apartment is big enough for the two of you. You have your wing, and she has hers. This is to ensure your eyes are on her at all times. A private chef has been hired to make all your meals. Every additional information about her will be sent to you.”

Despite the ringing in my ears, I nod.

He stares at me for a beat before standing. “I’ll introduce you to her. She’s upstairs.”

Salvatore waits at the lounge while I follow Tomaso.

We ride the elevator up in silence. My heart pounds, not from fear, but from the weight of what’s coming. She is just behind this door. The girl who stopped my bullet. The daughter of the man who ruined everything I know.

Tomaso unlocks the suite and pushes the door open. He heads in first, and I can see her from where I’m standing as she paces around the room.

The moment she spots her father, she marches towards him.

“You can’t keep me here. I’m not a prisoner! You took away all my devices! My friends can’t even reach me. They probably think I’m dead. I missed today’s classes, and I have an upcoming test! Do you know how important that is to me?”

Her face is red from anger, but all I can look at are her eyes, the eyes that froze me that day. They are hazel, glinting with flecks of green and gold. On a closer look, she doesn’t look very similar to her father, just a mild resemblance.

But they have the same eyes. The eyes that torment me in my sleep.

Just then, those eyes turn to meet mine, and she freezes. Confusion coats her features, and I see a hint of fear in her expression.

She doesn’t say anything, and neither do I.

Tomaso’s voice cuts through the room and breaks the silence. “This is Leon. Your new bodyguard.”