Free Mafia Secret by Angie Derek Page B

you see who's around her?"
    Lessa frowned, not understanding what he meant. "The family."
    "The two men standing about ten feet away are her guards for the event. She never goes anywhere without at least two guards. Do you see Nina and the kids? Now, Jio is with them so his guard is doubling as their guard, but there are four altogether assigned just to them. Lucia's guards have been with her for years. She probably sees more of them than she does her husband."
    His lecturing tone drew her gaze to his face. "What are you getting at?"
    "No one knows who you are. It's prudent to keep things that way. Do you like your life back in Florida? If you want it to bear any resemblance to what you left, I highly suggest we leave. Clarissa has to be protected not because she knows anything. If anyone asked her, she'll clearly tell them she has no interest in the business and knows nada . She has to be protected because a competitor of Jiovanni's could target her for revenge or to force Jiovanni into doing something."
    Biting her lip, she was suddenly glad for the breeze which kept blowing her hair into her face. "Where's your guard?"
    Marc's lips curved in humor. "I am a guard. Your guard."
    "You enjoy speaking in riddles."
    He shrugged and put his arm around her waist to urge her to walk away from the funeral. "As long as no one has any clue of your connection to the family, you can go back to your little life. If it gets out . . ."
    Turning her head to peer up at Marc, she noticed the family's attorney, MacDonald, walking briskly toward where the cars were parked. She followed the man's gaze to a young woman walking from the parking lot toward the gravesite. Even from this distance it was clear she was crying. MacDonald confronted the girl, grabbing her shoulders, keeping her from getting any closer.
    "Who's that?" Lessa asked.
    Marc frowned at the small drama. "Ryan's daughter, Opal. He said she was sick."
    "She doesn't look good." They drew parallel to Ryan and Opal.
    "Everything okay, Ryan?" Marc called out just loudly enough for them to hear.
    MacDonald jerked and looked at them briefly. "Oh, Marc. Yeah, Opal's not feeling well and shouldn't have come."
    "I'm fine," Opal cried. "I want to say goodbye."
    Her father put his arm around her shoulders and forced her to turn and walk back with him to his car. He spoke in a low voice in her ear, and the girl crumpled even more. Lessa's view of them was cut off as a car pulled in front of them. Silvio jumped out of the passenger seat and opened the back door.
    She slid in, noticing the driver was the same one who had brought them to the church. She wondered if he'd sat in the car through the entire service.
    Marc slid in next to her. "Back to the house."

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    M arc looked up the stairs for probably the fiftieth time in the last hour. He'd taken Lessa up and deposited her in her room just before the first guest arrived. She'd nodded distractedly as he'd given her instructions to stay in her room and not come out until after the last guest left. Yet, he kept waiting for her to come sneaking down. It was what he would have done in her position. She hadn't even attempted to make an appearance.
    The main door opened, and Marc frowned at the new arrival. He pushed away from his position on the wall and paced alongside the lead lieutenant of Jiovani's long-time rival Benito Romano. Rocco Paolo subtly gave him the middle finger salute just as he stepped into the parlor. Marc gritted his teeth, but followed him. Grabbing Rocco and throwing him out might cause too much of a problem. At least until Jio decided what he was going to do.
    He suspected that the external challenges Jio mentioned earlier were coming from Benito and his men. Rocco walked up to Lucia and took her hand, his face a false mask of sorrow. Jio made a beeline for his mother.
    Jio spoke quietly but forcefully into the man's ear. Marc held back the urge to go and assist, but this was a test. Jio would have to deal with