He's in the living room, and Aurelio is no where to be seen. Has he left again? Is that why Enzo is taking me with him? I decided to wear plain black pants and a navy top, with a black trench coat. Since I don't know where the hell we're going, I want to be prepared for anything. I tied my hair in a ponytail and didn't bother with make-up. He looks up and glances at his watch. "Ready?" he asks. I follow him out the door. When we reach the lobby, the men he planted there watch us intently. Enzo approaches them and says, "Take a few hours off. Make sure you're here by eight." Eight in the evening? It's just one in the afternoon. Where is he planning on taking me, and why are we going to take so long? There's a car parked in front of the building and he unlocks it. It wasn't the one he was using last time. He walks over to his side and I open the passenger door and climb inside. "Where are we going?" I ask. I can't hold my curiosity back any longer. He presses the key to the ignit
I expected him to take me back to the apartment, but he parks the car in front of yet another bar. It's fancier, though, and in the city center. I can tell from the vehicles parked outside that this isn't your average bar. I'd ask, but we haven't said a word to each other the whole ride here. Everything between us is tense and there's this horrible feeling in my chest and I don't know why. He climbs out and I wait a beat. I don't know if I should follow him out. But he stops in front of the car and shakes his head at me, so that's a clear indication that I need to get out. I do so and he heads in, leaving me outside by myself. I know that what happened in the car was serious, but I won't stop defending myself all because he has anger issues. He shouldn't kiss me and that's final. What's the point of it, anyway? He says he doesn't want me, that he couldn't care less about me, yet he's always trying to crawl under my skin. He wants to tell me how to run my life, as if we were a real c
I start shoving him. "Enzo, not again!" "Calm down, I'm not going to kiss you. You don't have to be afraid. You already told me you aren't attracted to me." He takes a step back, but is still holding my arms. "My intuition failed me for the first time ever. For that, I'll apologize. I'm sorry, Chiara. I didn't mean to touch you without your consent. I'm not that kind of man."I'm taken aback by the sincerity in his words I find myself wondering if perhaps this is some kind of game he's trying to okay, but he looks sincere enough. "What are you up to? I don't believe you. Nothing you ever say is sincere.""Well, it's the truth. I was reading the signs wrong this entire time. I thought you were attracted to me. I thought you were playing hard to get." He scoffs and looks away. "Judging by the way you reacted whenever I kissed you, I could've sworn that we were on the same wavelength. But a man makes mistakes, after all."Ugh, he's too cocky for his own good. We're not going to get into
Aurelio arrives. He looks back and forth between us as she shoves his sunglasses inside the inner pocket of his blazer. Vito and the guys who guard the building are already here. Aurelio moves closer to Enzo and they exchange a few words before entering the building, leaving me alone in the car. The air is frosty and this coat I'm wearing isn't enough to ward off the night's chill. I step inside the car and close the door. I blow into my hands in an effort to warm them. This is going to take longer than I expected. How are they going to clean that place up? There's probably blood everywhere by now. There's a tap on the window and I jerk. Did I fall asleep? I feel warm and my eyes feel heavy. It's Enzo. I open the door and sidestep my vomit. He says, "You can go back upstairs now. Aurelio is up there, I've asked him to prepare something for you to eat." I rub my eyes. "Where are you going?" I stop myself. I must still be asleep. Why would I ask something like that? I don't care whe
I wake up to Enzo watching me. He's standing by the door. I rub my eyes and pull the covers up to shield my chest from him. When did I fall asleep? What time is it now? How long has he been standing there like some creep? "What do you want?" I ask. He responds, "It isn't safe for you here during the day anymore, not without someone around you to protect you. Aurelio has things to do. I'm taking you someplace else."I sit up. If he even thinks of taking me back to Giotto, I won't go. I'd rather stay here and risk getting killed. "I thought you said there wasn't anywhere else safe. Where do you plan on taking me?"He pushes himself off the doorframe and turns his back to me. "Just get dressed."I take my time. I'm in no hurry. I take a shower, detangle my hair, then pick out a comfortable outfit. Sweatpants, tennis shoes, an oversized pale pink hoodie I found lying at the bottom of the suitcase. I don't remember seeing it that day, but those assistants at that store must've added it.
I'm waiting by his car. He's taking an eternity in there. Maybe he's with Flavia, laughing about how much of a fool I am. I am a fool. After everything I've been through, all the horrors I've faced, I'm bothered because Enzo said he would discard me. But isn't that what I want? I want him to leave me alone. I wish I had never met him. So why am I offended? Why did that insignificant word cut me in half? Although I feel sorry for Flavia, it isn't because Enzo doesn't love her back. It's evident that he doesn't. It's because she's crazy in love with him, but she's making excuses about her family name. Maybe that's what her brothers are fighting for, but not her. She wants his love and affection. She wanted to buy me a ticket out of this mess so she wouldn't have any competition. She can rest assured. I'm not competition. As soon as it's convenient to him, he'll leave me. Discard. I scoff. It seems he treats every woman in his life like trash, especially the ones he has no affection
He comes into the room to give me an ice pack. I stare at it in his hand. "But the doctor didn't say anything about ice."Enzo makes an impatient sound at the back of his throat. "It's for the bruise on your cheek. I don't care what they say. Ice helps, I've been using it for years."I take it from him and press it to my cheek. I didn't even know I had a bruise there. I'm much calmer now that all of that mess is behind us. Sometimes, though, when I think about how close they got to abducting me, chills race down my spine. Nowhere is safe, and this has fueled my paranoia. Thinking about who might have sent those men is pointless. I can't imagine myself walking through the streets without looking over my shoulder, or even leading a normal life. Will I always be persecuted by Mafias and old family feuds? All I've ever wanted was a peaceful life. "How are you feeling?" he asks. I shrug. "I'm tired of this. It's exasperating.""We don't know who those men were. I'd stay there to questio
I've been in and out of consciousness for a few days.Enzo refused to take me to a hospital, because he doesn't believe it's safe. Whoever tried to kidnap me could still be out there, and that person is probably the same person who sent that young man to kill him. Well, that's what he thinks. So there's been a doctor coming to see me, and I feel much better today. The wound on my neck got infected, but it's all been taken care of. I'm recovering.As for the issue between Enzo and I, we haven't talked about it.I get uncomfortable every time he comes into the room. I haven't looked him in the eyes in days. He's looking for confirmation in mine and I can't give that to him. I can't love him. I can't bring myself to love him. It's just the way it is. Enzo enters the room carrying a bowl of soup. I take it from him and mutter a 'thank you'. It's rich and delicious. I have one spoonful after the other. He's still in the room watching me, and I don't know what to make of it, so I keep my e