Curiosity is the lust of the mind.

Thomas Hobbes

Haven Pierce's POV

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Santi stiffened while trapping me in his arms. It seems that my question caught him off guard. He drew back from our embrace and immediately avoided my gaze. "Nothing," he muttered. "Nothing, at all."

I studied his face for a moment, I knew that he was keeping something from me and he didn't want to share whatever it was. The thought made me curious about his obsession with my safety because as far as I can remember we didn't lay eyes on each other before he came to pick me up at the university parking lot.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" He fired the questions while checking me from head to toe. "Why did you suddenly run away without Vito? Didn't you promise me that you would not let him leave your side during this trip? Why did you break your promise?"

Now I feel awful for breaking my promise and his trust because of my fangirling moment with my celebrity crush. But how can I let the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Gray Everett slip away? I am fully prepared to accept the consequences of my actions. I bit my bottom lip and looked at him apologetically. "What are you doing here, by the way? I thought you had an important meeting today?"

He let out a loud sigh. He placed both of his hands on each side of his waist like a reprimanding father to his wayward daughter. "I was on my way to the meeting when I received a phone call from Vito telling me that you ran away because you heard that a certain American singer is here in Sicily and you want to take photos of him."

I threw a remorseful look at my bodyguard who probably had a panic attack while I bolt like that from him. He was under strict instruction by the Don who never let me out of his sight and yet I behaved badly. I feel sorry for him. 

"That's correct," I answered my fumingly mad guardian. "I forgot my promise and ran to see Gray Everett. I have had a huge crush on him ever since."

"You have what on him again?" He asked in a dangerously low tone while giving me a thunderous glare. For a moment, I got scared at the dark expression on his face.

"Crush," I giggled nervously while gauging his reaction. "He became my celebrity crush since his rise to stardom. I am one of his avid fans with that looks and voice...oh, my goodness."

For some reason, it seems that my answer fueled his fury even more. He was now looking every inch of a savage mafia boss even Nico and Vito were now starting to look alarmed at his expression while standing from the distance.

"Is there something wrong, Santi?" I asked curiously because I now started to feel uneasy about his brooding presence.

He took deep a breath and smiled in my direction but I knew how fake that smile was on his face right now. "So you are a big fan of his?"

"Yes!" I replied enthusiastically. "It is on my bucket list to see him in person and attend even one of his concerts. That reminds me, he even told me that he would DM me soon to give me free tickets to his upcoming concert."

"DM? What is that?"

I grinned at him merrily. At the same time, getting excited at the thought of having the chance to watch his highly coveted concert. "Direct message. He said he would message me on my Instagram on how to get the tickets."

"Oh?" He asked pleasantly while nodding his head. "Maybe I should do a background check on this fucking celebrity that's flirting with you."

I laughed at the way how his mind works. My goodness! I couldn't believe this man. "I don't think so, Santi. Beautiful actresses were linked to him daily. I don't think he would spare me a glance compared to those actresses."

"You don't see yourself—"

I blinked at him unexpectedly. What does he mean by that? "What are you saying? Do you think I am beautiful?"

He cursed under his breath and rubbed his nape warily. "Never mind. I meant I needed to check on his background to ensure he did not harm you. We can never be sure about people's intentions."

I groaned in protest while giving him a dirty look. "Leave him alone. I assure you that he's completely innocent of your claims. Besides, I don't think I'll ever see him again in person our lives are worlds apart. He's a celebrity while I am an ordinary college student."

"Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to something. I believe that you can always get what you want if you desire it."

My lips twitched with a smile while looking at him. "Why? Is that a word of wisdom coming from the mafia boss?"

He arched a brow, looking at me with intense eyes. "Are you mocking me, Signorina?"

"No. Not at all." I answered with a straight face. I couldn't believe that I had the nerve to tease the fearful crime boss like this but I liked the feeling because it felt like I was one step closer to him the huge wall between us gradually crumbling down. "I wouldn't dare."

Santi was looking at me with dubious eyes. He exhaled a deep breath. "Very well," he looked at his expensive wristwatch. "Let's go home."

"Home?" I repeated with a frown. "Aren't you going to attend the meeting? I think it's not too late to be there."

He looked at me with sharp eyes. "I already cancel the meeting on my way here. I thought I had to turn Sicily upside down just to find you. Besides, I already lost the appetite for that business deal we might as well go home now."

"Are you sure that's okay? I mean, I thought you told me that this is an important meeting that's why you cannot come with me?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't matter. Another opportunity will come better than the one I lost today." He looked at me with a sexy smile on his face. "So you don't have to worry about it, little one."

Now I feel awful about my actions that caused him probably thousands of dollars—if not a million. I looked at him with remorseful eyes. "I'm truly sorry about today..."

"If you're sorry never do this again. Never leave the premises without a bodyguard to protect you, Haven. Your safety is my number one priority. I don't think I'll survive the second time if—"

"Second time?" I repeated curiously. "What do you mean the second time?"

Emotion fitted his typical emotionless eyes. It was the first time I probably saw him uneasy about something. He shook his head unable to meet my searching gaze. "Nothing. Let's go home."

"Wait," I stopped him when he started to pull me by the wrist. "My gift to Greta I need to get it in the shop."

Annoyance flashed on his face as he looked at Vito and instructed. "Get the gift in the shop for her and we'll meet you in the mansion."

"Certainly, Signore."

I was about to shake off the large hands that were holding my wrist but he just merely tightened his hold. I felt a weird tingling sensation on my belly while he was touching my wrist like this. I don't know if I should feel this way but it was hard to ignore. "My hand, Santi, I assure you that I will not bolt. You can let go of my wrist, people are now starting to stare at us curiously and I don't think you want the unwanted attention."

"Let them stare," he answered dismissively, still pulling me to follow his lead. "I will not take my chances with you. You are elusive to catch, after all."

I was puzzled by his words. He was acting weird today. While he was walking ahead of me holding my wrist like a prisoner in his strong hand I had the chance to study his frame. Santi Marchesi commanded presence whenever he went without even trying and it was not his reputation alone to be one of the most fearful mafia bosses in Sicily but his appearance also, his six-foot-four frame, chiseled jaw, and straight-as-arrow nose, high cheekbones, and arresting dark eyes. No wonder female eyes were drawn to him like now women across the street enjoying the sun and a cup of coffee in the café nearby watching him with longing in their eyes.

Maybe they wouldn't care about his reputation and work if they had the chance to get to know him. He was one gorgeous Sicilian guy who could compare to a Calvin Klein underwear male model.

I scoffed to myself when I realized how I sounded while studying his back. If I didn't know better I would assume that I was about to worship his looks. Which was absurd because he wasn't my type at all and besides he was my legal guardian for the next four long years. I would be under his tyrannical care for, one thousand four hundred and sixty days.

That was equivalent to four birthdays, four summers, four Thanksgiving, and four Christmas of my life!

"Done staring?"

I blinked when I was dragged back to the present time. "What?"

I heard him let out a low chuckle which my body made involuntarily shiver at the sound of it. "I said, are you done staring at me?"

I could feel that heat starting to spread through my cheek. How on earth did he know that I was staring at him? Does he have an eye at the back of his head? "I don't know what you mean. I am not staring at you."

"Oh, yeah?" Laughter was visible in his voice. He turned his head to look at me, he was smirking like the very devil that made my heart flip. "I will not surprised if you leave a hole in my back with your stare. I know when someone is staring at me."

I decided not to reply and just remained silent on our way to his mansion. I forced myself to look only at the car window as we traveled back, I also tried to keep my occupied space on the back of his car as minimal as possible because it felt like his SUV was cramped today when we were just the two of us sitting at the back of the car. Is it just me, or he was intentionally crowding my space right now?

I wanted to ask but then again I might just overthink and he would mock me. I eyed our almost-touching knees sideways. His legs were somewhat wider apart than the usual position he was sitting in when he was traveling with me which made him invade the space in the car that was supposed to be mine.

I unlocked my phone and went to my camera roll to admire the picture that I had with Gray Everett. Should I make this wallpaper on my home screen and lock screen? His handsomeness should be considered illegal. I nearly let out a cry of distress when my smartphone was taken away from my hand. "Hey!"

"So you manage to snap a selfie with this celebrity crush of yours."

I tried to snatch back my phone from his hand but he was holding it at a good distance making sure I couldn't reach it while still examining the most precious photo in my camera roll. "Give it back to me!"

"You should delete it." He suggested darkly.

My heart sank in the pit of my stomach as the blood on my face started to drain. "What? Why?"

He stared at me with undistinguishable emotions in his eyes while his jaw clenched. "It's not healthy to be obsessed with a celebrity. You should forget your infatuation with this guy and forget about him."

"Huh? Why do you care?" I tilted my head to the side while searching for an answer. "Why are you forcing me to give up fangirling to Gray Everett when it doesn't hurt anybody?"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt." He stated with visible anger on his face. "I can see stars in your eyes while you're looking at the picture on your smartphone."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You are not making any sense, do you know that? You're acting like a strict father once again. If I didn't know better I would assume that—"

"That what?" He demanded with a severe look.

I sighed deeply and shook my head. "Never mind. Just give my phone back." Santi gave me an evil smirk as I watched in horror the way he long-pressed the selfie I have with Gray Everett and my phone gave options of 'delete' and 'cancel'. "You wouldn't dare..." I stared at him in disbelief.

With triumph on his face, the evil bastard pressed the 'delete' option and tossed my smartphone back to my waiting hands. "There," he said with such satisfaction. "I help you with your first step towards moving on. You can thank me later."

"You son of a bitch..." I muttered under my breath. I have to thank my guardian angel because I think Santi doesn't know the recently deleted folder in the camera roll that's where all deleted photos will be stored for thirty days before the phone automatically deletes them. I will just recover the photo when I'm all alone in my room.

Once we arrived at his mansion, I immediately got out of the SUV and ran to my room. I'll just wait for Vito to arrive for the custom-made gift for my friend, Greta. I lay on the bed and straightaway recovered the most precious photo of me and my crush.

I don't know how long I was staring at the picture when I heard a knock on my doorway. I jumped out of bed and saw who was in my doorway it was Vito holding the item I ordered at the shop in town. "Thank you!" I said with a smile and then the smile faded to some extent while looking at him. "Uh...I'm sorry about today."

He permitted himself to smile faintly. "It's okay. I should be the one to apologize for informing Don about the situation when I should just come after you bolt like that to meet that famous singer. I panicked a little when I couldn't see your pink hair in a sea of crowd, that's when I realized that you are now missing along with that singer. I thought that you run away with that singer I don't know what the boss will do to me if that happens."

I smiled shyly in his direction. "Yes, that was unexpected." I held out my hand in his direction. "Can we start again?"

He looked at the hand that was outstretched in front of him. For a moment, I thought that he would not accept it but then he shook it briefly. "Very well, Signorina."

"What the hell is the meaning of this?"

I was forced to let go of the hands of Vito when I heard the booming voice of Santi. We looked in the direction where the voice came from and I saw the way Vito paled beneath his tanned skin while I stared at the dark-looking figure standing a few feet away from us.

"Let go of her hand or I'll break your hand. Which one do you prefer, Vito?" He threatened menacingly.

"You can't be serious!" I protested at him. "He didn't do anything wrong for you to threaten him like that!"

He threw an angry stare at me. "I am, Haven. I am."