“I’m going to um … check on the food.”
Gunner tightens an arm around her, and Roman pulls her leg up to check her knee. He lets out a sharp breath and narrows his eye on the band-aid. It’s not soaked through or anything. That’s already a good sign.
“We want to protect you, Bambina. Please let us do that.” Roman lowers his voice.
“But you’re supposed to be enjoying Italy too. I made a dumb mistake. That’s all.” Her eyes flick to me again. “Holden was there and-”
“We’re not going to enjoy being here if we’re not sure you’re taken care of. Please.” Roman insists. “We want to be here for you, to protect you, to make sure you’re happy.”
Gunner nods. “It’s entirely selfish. We want this like we want you.”
Her cheeks start to go pink. Nick nods in agreement. “You talk about bodyguard duty as if its pain for us, but we like it. We like knowing we can protect you, keep you safe, that we’re here for you.”
She shivers a little. She already has all three of them piling on, and I’m worried she’s going to feel hurt or ashamed or overwhelmed. So I smile. “And I’ll teach you to use a knife.”
Roman pins me with a look. “That will be helpful, but let’s not leave her alone again, okay?”
“I don’t want to be a burden on your shoulders or anything. We’re all adults and I …” Sophia starts.
“You’re not a burden. You make me feel needed.” I reach across the table and take her hand. “Knowing I can offer something other than …” There are a number of people coming out now. “you know … it’s nice.”
She smiles softly. “You offer more than … excitement.” She looks around the table. “All of you do.”
Gunner rubs Sophia’s sides. “Nothing like this is going to happen to you again.”
“We’re here for you if you’ll let us, to protect you and then some.” Nick agrees.
Roman glances around then looks at me. “Remember the guy?”
I flex my knuckles. “That case has been resolved.”
Sophia looks between us, and instead of being afraid or upset, she almost seems … relaxed. She smiles ever so slightly and shakes her head. “You guys have already done so much for me, in general for others. Don’t you just want to relax and enjoy life when you get the chance?”
“I think Sophie wants us to start a fight club.” Gunner chuckles and bounces her on his legs.
She rolls her eyes. “Absolutely not. I couldn’t handle you all being injured all the time. There’s only one of me to take care of all of you and … and I don’t like the sight of blood.”
Nick chuckles. “Well, now we have a plan when we get back. Regular training and a whole lot of quality time.” He smiles.
Once breakfast is served, Sophia takes the chair Massimo left behind, between Roman and me. The guys talk about our plans and how we won’t be letting Sophie out of sight again, how we can be sure we’re always there for her, what we can do to make sure she never has to deal with assholes like the one last night again.
Sophia takes my hand and kisses across my scabbed muscles. “You were right. Even if I didn’t like it.”
“I don’t overstep often,” I wink.
She leans against my shoulder. “I know. I just worry about you guys, your needs, your wants. I don’t want you to have to kick someone’s ass because of me.”
I rub her fingers, then pull her hand to my face. I kiss the inside of her wrist. “Let us take care of you. Just let us do that. Keeps us young, and keeping you safe … It makes me happy.”
Her hand softens against my face and I sigh. I press my lips to her forehead, and then my stomach growls, eager for some food after last night. The fight alone stretched my muscles in the best way.
I’ve spent too much time cooped up in my room, too much time hiding from the world, and Sophie is giving me a reason to be involved again. I can do more than reach high scores in video games, and honestly, being out and about here has been easier than I thought it would.
There’s some good in what Sophie went through last night – namely that it didn’t go any farther – and that now we can shamelessly have an excuse to make sure she’s okay, whether it’s at work, in the city, on these trips, or in general.
I’d love to teach her to shoot a gun, to show her everything I can offer. After breakfast, Sophia and I linger. I know Roman and Massimo are having a talk with their grandmother, who I know will be twice as pissed as they are, and Gunner said something about sleeping off the rest of his hangover. Nick says he’s going for a run, then assures Sophia that no one is going to come after him in the middle of the morning, considering he’s a man.
Sophie leans towards me and traces a scar on my jaw. “You know, with all of you fighting. I’m going to get to play doctor.”
I shake my head. “That’s not the point of this.”
“Well, it’s not going to stop me. Trust isn’t a one-way street, Holden. I trust you to keep me safe, even if last night … happened, but I need you to trust me too. I want to take care of you too, even if my ways are different.”
I brush my fingers over her jaw. “You can’t just take what we give?”
“Without giving something back?” She shakes her head. “You want to feel needed. I want to feel like I add something too. I can’t just take and not give. It’s not me.”
No wonder I can’t get her out of my head. That she’s weaved her way inside our hearts deeper than Bella ever did. Sophie isn’t just a sweet girl who satisfies in bed. She’s … she’s precious and determined, and she cares so deeply.
“If I’m accepting protection, you’re signing up to accept all my versions of that too.” She kisses my cheek softly. “Better get used to it now, big man.” She chuckles lightly.
Something tells me I’m going to enjoy every second of her attention and her methods of taking care of us. She wraps some ice up in a napkin and presses it to my knuckles. “How’d it feel to punch a real person?”
“Freeing.” I wink at her. “Much better than doing it for XP.”