Chapter 10 Older
The clear, bright blue sky makes me squint my eyes. My sunglasses don't seem to help in lowering the brightness of today's sunny weather. However, it's still a nice day to hang out by the pool while sipping a sweet, cool, carbonated beverage.
Today is a week after the function. After the long search my father did with his men, we finally found out who tried to kidnap me. It turned out that the Romanos are behind the order. It's not surprising, considering they attempted to abduct me a few months ago when I tried to run away. At this exact moment, my father is searching for Alvaro since he's nowhere to be found at his usual go-to places.
"Anyway, before my father chose you to be my bodyguard, what was your job?" I ask as I push myself to sit on the lounger. Dante, who's sitting on the lounger across from me, shrugs at my question.
"Nothing interesting. I was the head of security at one of his warehouses. I've worked there for almost nine years until your father chose me as your bodyguard," Dante says.
"Wait. You've worked for him for nine years already? How old are you actually?" I ask.
There's no way he's my age if he has worked for my father for that long. Being 21 years old is one of my father's recruitment qualifications. His reason is simple: he doesn't want young people or teenagers to work for him because most of them end up being egotistical and reckless. At least that was what happened when my grandfather first started this illegal business. They only work in the mafia because they want to be seen as cool by their friends.
Back to Dante, if he has worked for my father for nine years now, he must be at least 30 years old. Hot damn.
"I'm 31," Dante says.
31? All this time, I thought he was 27 years old at most. I didn't expect him to be already in his thirties. Oh wow. Dante, being in his thirties already, is not something bad, though. In fact, that only makes him even hotter. Fuck me. I have to stop thinking about Dante that way. I seriously need to get my head out of the fucking gutter. He's my bodyguard for fuck's sake.
"You're older than I thought," I say. Dante's eyebrows furrow after hearing what I said. His usual cocky grin slips away as his gaze shifts towards me.
"What's wrong with being older? You're old, too," Dante says.
Old? I'm old? Did he just say being a 25-year-old is old? Oh he did not. He's got to be kidding me.
"I'm not old. 25 is not that old, dude," I say as I roll my eyes.
"That's your opinion. However, people younger than you on the internet might call you unc, considering your current age," Dante says. His smirk comes back after those words leave his mouth. My jaw drops after hearing what he said. He did not just call me unc. Where the fuck did he even know about that word?
"Meanie," I say as I punch his shoulder. "You're an unc, too, you fucking unc."
"Hey! Language! Respect your elders," Dante says with a scowl. His smirk then comes back as he lies on the lounger nonchalantly. "I don't care about that. I know I'm old enough to be called an uncle anyway."
"Whatever," I scoff. "Anyway, why did you agree to be my bodyguard? Isn't the job at the warehouse easier than being my personal bodyguard? I mean, you have less time to yourself since you need to keep an eye on me 24/7 as my personal bodyguard."
Ever since he has worked as my bodyguard, he has basically lost most of his personal time and space. He barely has time to himself. All he has to do is work and work. Although the job of guarding me is more chill and lenient, as in it's not as rigid as being the head of security, doesn't he feel the need to have some alone time with himself sometimes?
"Indeed, it is easier, considering I only have to watch over the other guards and make sure they do their jobs most of the time. However, it was boring. That's why I'd rather be your bodyguard rather than cooped up in a warehouse watching the security cameras and keeping the guards in their places," Dante explains.
"Now that you've worked for me for a month, what do you think? Is this job boring like your old one, or is it actually as fun as you expected?" I ask.
"It's been rather fun, to be honest. You're quite an entertainer, and that's the best part of this job. As long as you don't try to run away, it'll always be as fun as it is now. If you run away again, the cost of it will be my life," Dante explains. I knew that with a great responsibility comes a great price. It's expected from my father because he doesn't want the only person he has left to leave him, too.
"You shouldn't have taken this job. I might try to run away again any day now," I say.
I hate to admit it, but it feels like a lie. Honestly, after Dante became my bodyguard, life here has been quite nice. He's the only reason I've stayed despite my past attempts. He makes living here as the daughter of a mafia boss feel more bearable. However, as much as I like having Dante around, I still want to leave this place and everyone in it and find a way out of this lifestyle as soon as possible. I don't want to live the rest of my life running an illegal business that I never even wanted from the beginning.
"It's been more than a month, yet you're still here. I'm calling it bullshit," Dante says.
"Damn it. I hate that you're right. You can't take this for granted, though. I might actually attempt to run away again in the near future and catch you off guard," I say.
"If that's so, I'll always catch you and bring you back here no matter what," Dante says. People in their right mind might think that it's scary, but for me, as insane as it seems, it sounds pretty romantic to me. It's probably just his charming nature, but he seriously makes it hard for me to leave this place.
"Alessandra."
I turn around, and my smile falls as I see the man before me. Antonio. When did he get here? What do I do now that he's here? Oh fuck. I'd rather die now than be anywhere near him. I'm not prepared enough to be near him just yet.