Bend Me, Daddy

Serafina

After two full days of hanging out in Enzo's hotel room, it was time for us to leave, and I was surprised to find I didn't really want to go. I was getting comfortable here, and I could be myself with just Enzo around as I tried to adjust back to a normal life. He never made me feel like a victim or a freak. He held me when I woke up from a nightmare that paralyzed me with fear. He talked to me when I needed to be distracted. And he left me alone when I just wanted to zone out and watch some stupid crap on television and worry about someone else's problems for a while.

The one thing he didn't let me do was be without him.

Little by little, I was learning to deal with the things that happened to me. But I still had a long way to go. And sometimes I wondered if this freaked out woman with the roller coaster emotions was just who I was now.

But the thing that really got me? He left things lying around the room for me to steal when my anxiety got the best of me.

At first, I didn't realize what he was doing. I thought he just decided not to put his watch on one day and left it on the nightstand. Or that he'd emptied his pockets in the bathroom, leaving money on the counter, and forgotten to put it in his wallet.

But the more I watched him, the more I began to understand that Enzo didn't do anything carelessly. Everything in this hotel suite was neat and orderly. Nothing went without his notice. So it was safe to conclude that he knew exactly what it was doing by leaving this stuff lying around. And he never said anything when I returned the missing items to where I'd found them. He'd just pick the watch up and put it back on his wrist.

I asked him again about my money, and this time he showed me a safe where he'd locked it away, opening it so I could see the tote bag. Pulling it out, I peeked inside, relief flooding through me when I saw the money I'd worked so hard to save up. Enzo waited patiently until I placed it back inside the safe, and then he locked the door and straightened, leveling those intense brown eyes on me. "I have no need of your money, Sera."

"I know that," I told him. "That's not what I was worried about."

He cocked his head and waited for me to explain.

Fine. He wanted honesty? I'd give him honesty. "I wouldn't put it past you to take it from me so I wouldn't be able to leave."

"And you'd be right. That's exactly why I took it," he told me without an ounce of shame. "But I don't plan to keep it. You can have it back when the time comes."

"And when will that be?" I asked him.

"I can't tell you that. We'll just have to wait and find out."

I was learning pretty quick that Enzo was nothing if not straight up with me. He didn't beat around the bush. And he didn't throw a bunch of pretty words at me. So I believed him when he told me that I would get my savings back when the time came. It wasn't what I wanted, but it was the best I was gonna get. And I was going to have to learn to live with it or leave without a dime to my name.

"Are you ready?"

I took one last look around the bedroom, checking that I hadn't forgotten anything. Although, I'd be surprised if I had since I'd never unpacked, and just put anything I'd worn right back into my suitcase in the dirty clothes section. "Yup." Back in his work clothes, Enzo was quiet on the drive to Luca's, which wasn't unusual for him, but I could sense tension in the air that wasn't usually there, and it didn't do anything for my nerves. I was about to meet the notorious underboss who ran this city with a sharp blade and a no second chances attitude. Rumor had it he was about to usurp his father out of his position and take over as boss. I'd heard my father and his cronies talking about it before I came here. I'd also heard them say that Luca's main competition, his brother Mario, had mysteriously disappeared over the summer.

I turned from the scenery passing by my window as we headed out of the city and toward the lakes. "So, what's he like?"

Sunglasses in place, Enzo never took his eyes from the road except to check the mirrors every once in a while. "Who? Luca?"

"Yes."

"He's an underboss, Sera," he told me, as though no other explanation was necessary. "But he's also someone I've known nearly my entire life. You have nothing to be scared of." "Nothing?"

He knew what I meant, and he didn't respond.

"Tell me again why I have to go here."

"Because it's where I need to be, and you'll be safer here. With me."

"But I thought you said you killed the asshole who shoved me in his trunk." "I did."

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"Then who am I hiding from? My father doesn't know I'm here."

"I told you, Luigi knows. Luca told him before he knew about us."

"But he hasn't told my father yet, right?" I knew I was acting like a child, but I couldn't stop myself.

He glanced over at me, then took my hand as he returned his eyes to the road. "I don't know what Luigi has done by now. But if he did, you'll be safe at Luca's. His home is off the main road and surrounded by guards. No one can get in or out without him knowing about it. Not even your father's men. It'll be okay." I felt his eyes on me. "Hey. Look at me."

I'd been twisting my hands in my lap nervously, staring straight ahead out the windshield without really seeing anything as he talked. I had the nearly uncontrollable urge to leap from the vehicle and run. But at his command, I took a steadying breath and turned to look at him.

"No one will take you anywhere you don't want to go."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak around the bubble of fear rising in my throat.

Enzo reached over and grabbed my hand, lifting it to his mouth and kissing the back. He didn't let it go the rest of the drive.

A few minutes later, we arrived at Luca's. Enzo had told me how even his own family didn't know the location of his home, and the fact that he didn't blindfold me told me more than words ever could.

Guards greeted us at the gate, opening it immediately when they saw it was Enzo. We drove down a long drive crowded by trees, but between breaks in the branches I could see men with guns patrolling the grounds. We drove on until we came upon the house, a great, sprawling, two-story stone home easily twice the size of my father's house. A large fountain surrounded by native Texas plants sat in the center of the circular drive, adding to the grandeur.

Enzo pulled the SUV up to the front of the house. Before we could even get out, the front door opened and a man with short dark hair, a closely trimmed mustache and beard, and dead brown eyes came out to greet us. I vaguely recognized him as the man who'd been with Enzo when he came to rescue me from the house in Mexico. At the time, I'd been too out of it to think much about him. But now I realized that I should've paid much more attention. Because he scared the ever-living hell out of me.

"This is Tristan," Enzo told me as he helped me out of the vehicle. "Tris, this is Sera."

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He didn't offer his hand, and I was grateful. "I remember," he told me. I gave him a timid smile. With a nod, he went to the back of the car and helped Enzo with our suitcases. "I'll get your stuff," he told him. "Luca is in the kitchen with Veda. They're waiting for you."

"Thanks," Enzo told him. Taking my hand, he led me into the house.

My eyes went wide as we walked into the foyer. It opened onto a great room with ceilings that reached all the way to the second floor, edged with crown molding. Straight ahead, a glass wall overlooked the lake. A small sitting area made up of a few comfy-looking chairs sat directly in front of it. Tiled stairs rose to the right with a beautiful wrought iron banister that extended along the loft-like walkway of the second floor that ran along the entire circumference of the room. Four great, rounded columns helped support it, giving the room a majestic feel.

On my left was a bar made of the same marble tiles as the floor, and just past it was another, larger, sitting area made up of a couch, a few more chairs, and a fireplace.

I was so enthralled that Enzo's voice startled me when he spoke. "There's a heated pool you can use year-round, a media room, and a gym downstairs. I'll show you around once we check in with Luca."

I realized my mouth was hanging open and slammed it shut. "This house is gorgeous."

He looked around as though he'd never noticed before. "Yes. It is. I normally stay here at night, monitoring the guards outside and the security cameras. It's part of my job."

I immediately felt a sense of loss that he wouldn't be lying beside me while I slept. "Oh."

"Along with my other duties," he added.

"When do you sleep?"

"Whenever I get the chance." He tugged on my hand. "Come. Let's go say hello to our hosts."

He led me to the other side of the room until we reached a couple of doorways. One led into a large kitchen made up of warm earth tones. A man and a woman sat at the table talking quietly, both with light hair-hers an ashy blonde and his darker and sprinkled with gray above his ears. His sharp blue eyes met mine the moment we appeared, and if Enzo hadn't been holding my hand, my automatic reaction would've been to take a few steps back.