Luigi, moving ahead of her toward his study, stumbled and grabbed at the wall. She reached out to him automatically, but couldn’t make herself touch him. Bile rose and she had to force it down, force herself to breathe through the repugnance she felt being so close to him – the man who had raised her. The man she had loved and clung to. The man who had had his own brother murdered so he could have power.
“Tio Luigi, do you need help. I can call…”
“No!” He spat the word, glaring at her over his shoulder.
She ducked her head as she normally did when he reprimanded her. Her hair spilled around her face, covering her expression.
“I’m fine, Lissa.” He softened his voice. “This disease is… humiliating. I don’t like you seeing me this way. I thought I was better and we needed to talk so I came out before I was really ready, but the medicine is working. Soon I will be fine again.”
“I’m upset that Arturo isn’t with you, Tio. He has never been away from you, and now, when you need him most…” She trailed off, but her tone was very accusing.
Luigi held the door for her and she preceded him into the study. The nape of her neck tingled warily and she felt as if she had a giant target painted on her back. She kept her back to him, a study in discipline, as she walked to the most comfortable chair, the one where she always sat when they talked. Luigi liked to sit behind his desk. She realized it made him think he had an advantage. He looked in charge. A man of authority, and until she had discovered the truth about him, she’d always accepted that image he projected. Now she wanted to pull out one of the many knives hidden on her body and cut his lying throat.
Luigi took his time rounding the desk to sit in his extremely expensive office chair. He steepled his fingers and leaned back, looking at her. “What is it, Lissa? You look… upset. Did something go wrong?”
With everyone else she stayed in character. This was going to be much more difficult than she imagined. She shook her head. Leaned forward. “That man,” she hissed. “The bodyguard. Tomasso. Really, Tio Luigi, was it necessary to assign me that arrogant, bossy man?”
His mouth twitched in amusement. “Yes, it was. There is trouble right now. My enemies are circling. I will not lose you, Lissa, so you must give me this need to protect you. Tomasso is good at his job.”
“Too good,” she snapped, waving her hand dismissively. “I’m used to Arturo. Where is he?”
“He only takes a few days off a year. He was scheduled for the time off and of course I gave it to him. He couldn’t know I would have a relapse or that trouble would come.”
Lissa shook her head and huffed out her breath in exasperation. “You don’t know how truly irritating Tomasso is, Tio. You coming out of your apartment is the first reprieve I’ve gotten.” She rolled her eyes. “He left to go check out the hotel. I’ve got an appointment tomorrow and he wanted to go talk to their security. If he loses me that sale, I’ll kill him myself.”
“Now, now, cara, he is only doing what I asked of him,” Luigi soothed, his voice indicating he was well pleased with himself. “His job is to make certain you’re safe at all times. Arturo will be back soon, but in the meantime, let Tomasso do whatever he deems necessary in order to protect you.”
She glared at her uncle. “Do you really think, after all the years of training, that I can’t take care of myself?” It was necessary to stay in character, and Lissa would never want a full-time bodyguard, especially one as bossy as Tomasso. She also needed to distract her uncle and make him believe Tomasso was the reason for her being upset.
“I know that you can, Lissa, but I’m not going to apologize to you for wanting to make certain you’re protected. I lost my entire family once. You’re all I’ve got now.”
Lying bastard. Her fingers inched toward the knife hidden inside the form-fitting jacket she wore over her bright blouse.
“You will put up with Tomasso for a few more days. Especially at the hotel.” Luigi made it a decree, as he did quite a lot of things.
He liked control, Lissa realized. He craved it. Issuing orders made him feel very powerful. She made herself sigh and then shrug. “Fine, but I don’t have to like it.”
“Tomasso is a good man, Lissa. Treat him with respect. He’ll be of great use to me.”
“I said I would put up with him. I’ve never treated any of your men with less than my full respect.”
He nodded and let it go. Lissa rarely had an edge to her voice when she spoke with him, and he couldn’t help but hear it. She could only hope that with the fuss she’d made, he’d put it down to her dislike of her bodyguard. She knew her protests would only cement Tomasso’s position with Luigi. Luigi would believe that the new man was one he could count on and bring deeper into his organization.