Casimir kept his gaze on Luigi, wondering where this was going. He nodded, only because something was expected of him. That seemed enough for Luigi, who took it that any of the men he employed would agree with him.
“I received word tonight that a good friend of mine died in a tragic accident. I don’t always believe in accidents. I have learned not to be the most trusting of men with good reason. My own brother and his wife were murdered by a family I believed to be my friends and allies.” Luigi watched him closely for signs of reaction.
Casimir nodded again. “I heard of this tragedy.”
“The point is, when my niece visits me, Arturo generally watches over her, but I’ve got him watching out for my friend’s widow. I would trust no one else with her. That means, while I assess the danger to this family, I will need someone protecting my niece. She’s very precious to me. She won’t like it and she’ll protest, but she isn’t to leave this house without protection. While in it, I want you close to her.”
“Of course. No harm will come to her.”
“Until I give the order, I don’t care how much she protests. Sleep outside her door if you have to. If she knows I’ve set you on her, she’ll try to sneak away,” Luigi warned.
He shrugged. “I’ve never lost a client yet. But, she despises me. I don’t know if Arturo has told you, but she definitely has an aversion to me.”
“I’m well aware of that. I’m hoping by giving you this job and giving you whatever authority you need to make her behave, you’ll keep her distracted. I’m worried she’ll end up in the line of fire. She has an important meeting coming up soon at a hotel, a very public hotel. I don’t want her going anywhere else but to that meeting until I say the word. You don’t leave her side while she’s in that hotel no matter what she says.”
“In that case, I am more than happy to take on this job for you.”
“She is a treasure to me, but she is a handful,” Luigi said. “I don’t want anything to happen to her.”
“I understand the trust you’re placing in me, Don Luigi, and it is not misplaced. You have only to ask those I’ve worked with.”
Luigi beamed at him. “Good. Good. Arturo said to place Lissa in your care. He thinks very highly of you. You do this for me and we can talk about a permanent home. I think you’re just the right kind of soldier I need in the coming weeks.”
Tomasso managed a smile as he slowly stood up. “Thank you, Don Luigi, I won’t let you down.”
He liked the assignment just fine, although he was more certain than ever that Luigi and Arturo were up to something. Luigi didn’t want his niece poking around or leaving the property because she was too intelligent to miss much. She was no longer a young, traumatized child, or teenager being indoctrinated. She was a grown woman with a moral code of her own. She would never accept her uncle’s plan of absolute power. He couldn’t afford to make a single mistake around her. She was too sharp-eyed.
Tomasso sauntered out of the room, looking for all the world like an arrogant, important, Italian bodyguard. He knew he was good-looking. He made his way into the small study where Lissa liked to curl up on the couch with a book. He draped himself against the wall, a pose that always annoyed her.
She kept her nose in the book for a few minutes and then with a little huff of annoyance glanced up. “What? What are you doing?”
“Looking at you.”
“Well don’t. Go away.” She wiggled her fingers at him. “Don’t you have another pool game to play? You’re wasting my uncle’s money just standing around. He doesn’t seem to mind, but I do. Go stand somewhere else.”
He faced the camera they both knew was in the room and smirked directly at her. “I have new orders, Lissa. I stick to you like glue. You don’t go anywhere without me and if you try, I can use whatever means available to me to stop you.” His smirk widened into a taunting grin.
She hissed at him through her teeth and tossed her book down on the couch. “We’ll see about that.”
“Your uncle has retired for the night. Do I have to remind you that he’s ill?”
“You know very well he isn’t my real uncle. I’m a grown woman and I can do whatever I want or don’t want. I don’t want a bodyguard.”
She was good, Casimir had to admit. Throwing that bit about not being his niece to protect that cover as well. The men weren’t supposed to know Giacinta Abbracciabene was alive. He gave her the most insolent look he could, one that he played straight to the camera. “Throwing a tantrum because you don’t want a bodyguard is a little childish, isn’t it?”