It is a tiny expression. A microscopic twitch of his lips, perhaps remembering the rumors of the ruined Genovese girl, or perhaps just enjoying the view of the Don's supposedly despised bride half-naked in the hallway.
The snap of my control is instantaneous. It doesn't even register as a conscious thought.
I move so fast it’s a blur.
I cross the five feet of space between us, my hand shooting out. I grab Marco by the tactical vest, lift his feet entirely off the ground, and slam him backward into the plaster wall with a force that actually cracks the drywall.
"Cassio!" Noemi gasps, jumping back in shock.
Marco’s eyes bulge, his hands flying up to grip my forearms, but I am immovable. I draw the 1911 from the small of my back in one fluid motion and jam the hot steel barrel directly under his jaw, pinning his head back against the wall.
"Boss!" Matteo barks, stepping forward instinctively, but he stops when I shoot him a look that promises death to anyone who interferes.
I turn my attention back to the gasping, terrified guard pinned to the wall.
"Where the fuck are your eyes, Marco?" I whisper. The unhinged violence in my voice makes the kid start shaking uncontrollably.
"B-boss, I swear, I didn't—"
I press the barrel harder into the soft flesh beneath his chin, cutting off his pathetic excuse. I cock the hammer back. The metallicclickis the loudest sound in the hallway.
"I saw where you looked," I tell him softly, leaning in close so he can see the certainty of his own death in my eyes. "You looked at my wife."
"Please, Don Cassio, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!" A tear leaks out of the corner of the kid's eye. He knows his life is over. He knows I kill for less.
"Cassio, stop," Noemi’s voice cuts through the red haze.
She steps closer, her hand reaching out to touch my bare arm. Her fingers are trembling, but her grip is surprisingly firm. "Stop it. You're scaring everyone."
I don't look at her, but the feel of her skin against mine acts like a grounding wire. The feral, psychopathic beast roaring in my head settles, just a little bit.
"Listen to me very carefully, Marco," I breathe, never breaking eye contact with the guard. "I am going to let you live today because my wife asked me to. But if I ever catch your eyestracking above the floorboards when she walks past you, if I ever catch you looking at a single inch of her skin again, I will gouge your fucking eyes out of your skull with my bare hands and feed them to the dogs. Do you understand me?"
"Yes! Yes, Boss, I swear on my mother's life!"
I unlock the hammer and shove him away in disgust. He stumbles, collapsing against the opposite wall, gasping for air and clutching his throat.
I holster my weapon and turn to Noemi.
She is staring at me, her dark eyes are wide, her chest is heaving under the thin fabric of my shirt. She is terrified of the violence, but I see something else flickering in the depths of her gaze. She realizes exactly what just happened. She realizes the cold, indifferent man who ignored her existence for a week just nearly executed one of his own soldiers for looking at her legs.
I step into her space, crowding her against the doorframe. I reach out, my hand cupping the side of her neck, my thumb stroking the damp hair at her nape.
"You aren't staying here anymore," I tell her, my voice dropping to a low, possessive murmur meant only for her.
"You really meant it?" she whispers, her pulse fluttering wildly under my fingers.
"You belong with me, in my suite." I don't give her room to argue. I slide my hand down to grip hers, interlacing our fingers perfectly. "The east wing is closed. Your cage just got an upgrade,moglie."
"I told you I don't want to be around you twenty-four hours a day," she tries to protest, but she doesn't pull her hand away.
"And I told you that you breathe when I tell you to breathe," I remind her, bringing her knuckles to my lips and pressing a kiss to her skin.
I look over her head at Matteo. "Get her things moved. Now."
"Yes, Boss."
I gently pull Noemi forward. We walk down the hallway, leaving the terrified guards and the sterile guest room behind us. Her bare feet pad softly against the hardwood, her small hand is swallowed completely by mine.