Giorgio (Vigilance #1) - Silvia Violet Page 0,8
want this handled by us.”
“Vigilance is—”
“I created this organization, so don’t try to tell me what it is.”
The ice in his voice made me shiver. He was the only man who could do that to me. “Sorry, sir.”
“I know you’re anxious to get back out on a mission, and you need that after what happened a few weeks ago. This is your assignment.” I heard him sigh, and I was sure he was running a hand through his hair which was now thick and expensively styled rather than buzzed like it had been when we’d served together. “I’ve made difficult choices as a father, but I care about my son, and I’m going to make absolutely sure he’s safe.”
“What about Niall or Leo?” Either of the other two senior members of Vigilance would be better suited to babysitting X’s kid than me.
“Niall’s on another assignment. Leo’s best artist just moved, and one of his others is out on paternity leave.” Leo ran a tattoo shop, and I remembered him mentioning that scheduling was going to be tight.
“Can I trade assignments with Niall?”
“His assignment involves negotiating between squabbling mafia families. It’s not your area of expertise.”
I’d prefer to just shoot them all. “All right, but why would you—”
“I put up with a lot from you, Giorgio, but questioning my leadership is not something I’ll take lightly.”
We might not be in the military anymore, but X still expected his orders to be obeyed. “Yes, sir.”
“Better. I have my reasons.”
“With all due respect, I’d be interested to know them.” I was absolutely not the right man for bodyguard work. I had no patience for being around people for hours at a time.
“You’re focused, and you never miss.”
“Do you want me to guard your son, or do you want me to find the bastard who’s after him and take him out?”
“I want you to stay with my son and keep him safe while I find out more about the guy stalking him, then we’ll put together a plan to destroy the asshole.”
“Do you think there’s more to this than an overly eager ex-boyfriend?”
“I know there is. Two other young men the stalker went out with are dead. Both deaths were ruled accidental, but the circumstances raise alarm bells for me.”
If it were one death, I might believe it was coincidence, but two? No way. “Did he stalk them too?”
“If he did, they never reported it to the police.”
“Did your son?”
“Yes. He has a restraining order.”
I snorted. Those rarely worked like they should.
“I need to know my son is safe.”
I let out a long breath. There were so many reasons I didn’t want to take this job, but I couldn’t tell X no. I would do this, and a hell of a lot more, for him. “Tell me where to go and when.”
“I set up a meeting for you and Lane at Leo’s shop.”
Lane. Did he have to have the same name as the man I couldn’t get out of my head? “Just for me? Won’t you be there?”
“No. I don’t want to meet Lane under these circumstances.”
“Anything else I should know?”
“His mother will be there.”
“And his mother is…?”
“Sandra.”
“Oh shit.” Sandra and X had had a volatile relationship—to put it mildly—though it didn’t stop them from helping each other out when they needed to. She provided him with the high-society intel he loathed seeking out, and he made sure she was always safe. Their families moved in the same social circles, and they’d been friends since childhood, but I knew few specifics about their history. X had made it clear that wasn’t up for discussion. I knew they’d dated off and on in college, and apparently they had a child together. No wonder things were contentious between them.
“Yes.”
“All right. I see why you don’t want to be there. How did you find out what was going on with your son?”
“Sandra called me. Lane doesn’t think he needs a bodyguard. He thinks the man will eventually give up.”
Great. Nothing like a reluctant client. “And he has no idea who you are?”
“Yes. As far as he knows, I’m an acquaintance of his mother’s.”
“This sounds like fun.”
“I’m counting on you, Giorgio. I need to know this man won’t hurt him.”
I might not want to do this job, but I would never break X’s trust. “I won’t let him out of my sight.”
“And when he tells you he doesn’t need protection?”
“I’ll tell him he does. How old is he?”
“Twenty-one.”
Perfect. Old enough to be on his own and young enough