Salvatore

14. Ice

"No," he snaps. "What do you need to talk to your friends so much for?"

I pretend to slap my forehead, "Right I forgot, you don't have friends so you don't get it."

"I do," he bites out, holding the door open. "In fact, I've chosen one of my friends and most trusted men to be your bodyguard."

My mouth drops open as another guy walks into the room. I can't believe Dante has friends. The other guy looks sorta like frat boy Harry Styles if you squint and look at him from a distance. He's slightly shorter than Dante and a little less built. He's probably around Dante's age too, but he looks less serious.

"Technically we're cousins," he grumbles, walking past Dante.

"Your only friend is your cousin?" I raise an eyebrow, and Dante fumes. I quickly put my hands up, "No shame in that, for a while my only friends were my cousins too, I doubt you have time to make friends since you're too busy being a criminal and what not."

The guard watches mine and Dantes interaction with interest. Dante seems like he wants to strangle me, but he takes a few measured breaths to calm himself down.

"Meet Ice." Dante says, gesturing to the guy.

I snort, both guys looking at me. "I'm sorry did you say his name was Ice?"

Dante and Ice nod.

I laugh again. "Ice? Like Ice Spice?"

"Who?" Dante glares, and something flashes in Ice's eyes. I just can't get over the fact that his name is Ice.

"Ice Spice? You know? The rapper?" I say.

Dante stares blankly, and Ice shuffles his feet beneath him. He definitely knows something.

"You know the he say that I'm good enough, grabbin' my duh-duh-duh, thinkin' 'bout shit that I shouldn't have..." I trail off, because Dante is still staring blankly. I shake my head, and look at Ice. "Why's your name Ice?"

Both of them look at each other and Dante's mouth quirks up slightly. Ice gives him a look that says don't-think-about-it, and I watch with blatant interest because this is the first time I've seen Dante act somewhat normal with another person.

It's interesting to see him having, like, an average cousin interaction 'cause Matteo and I have had this exact nonverbal exchange before, usually when one of us is about to say something embarrassing about the other.

Ice gives Dante a warning look, and Dante shakes his head, still smirking slightly before returning to a straight face. "He's called Ice because he has an ice-cold heart."

I can't help it, I laugh again. "I'm sorry, that's just so stupid. Did you make that nickname for him or did he come up with it himself?"

Ice speaks up for the first time. "Dante came up with it," he glares at him. "Somehow, it stuck."

Dante looks like he's holding back a smile. "It's a good nickname, and makes sense for who you are."

"You're really bad at nicknaming," I say. "I mean, your nickname is Ace and you named him Ice, you're not that good at this."

Dante glares at me again, before clearing his throat. "Anyways, Ice is now your bodyguard, he will be with you throughout the day, you will take him with you wherever you go."

Ice crosses his arms and scoffs, not making eye contact with me. It looks like we're both unhappy with this arrangement.

"What if I don't want him to come with me?" I stare Dante dead in the eye.