Bend Me, Daddy

Serafina

I didn't see Enzo for a week after the night he shot Luigi and took me back. When I asked Veda about it while we were going through some of her clothes she was letting me borrow until the stuff I'd ordered online came in, she told me as far as she knew he was out of town on business for Luca. I was surprised he'd left without telling me. But then again, the last time he saw me, I didn't exactly make him think I cared.

And I didn't...or, at least, that's what I kept telling myself.

My back was feeling a lot better. The welts had gone down and there were only a few red marks scattered across my right side and back of my hip where the belt had hit me the hardest. After that first night, Veda and Lisa had helped me when I needed them. By the third day, the pain was more tolerable, and I was able to do everything on my own. I tried to keep myself busy helping Veda take down the Christmas decorations, and not think about the man who had caused such an uproar in my life these last weeks. But it was impossible. No matter how much he'd hurt me, he'd also saved me. More than once.

Why would he do that if he didn't care?

He'd found me when no one else could. He'd killed for me. He'd shown up on my damn wedding night just to watch me through the window and make sure I was okay. And when I wasn't, he'd come smashing through the window like some kind of knight in dented armor to save me.

He'd killed the mafia boss to save me. Without a thought for himself or what could've happened to him.

But he'd also done some real asshole things that weren't so easily forgiven. And I wasn't sure that I wanted to, even if I could, because forgiving him would make it that much harder to leave him.

I was eating dinner at the table in the kitchen with Luca and Veda when Enzo returned from wherever the hell he went. As soon as he came into the room-dressed in his usual fitted black suit, black dress shirt, black shoes, tie, and sunglasses- every cell in my body went on alert like I was a vampire and his blood was the only thing that could sustain me. I felt starved for him. My mouth watered, and I was suddenly entirely too warm as my blood raced through my veins in anticipation, but I clenched my teeth together and returned my eyes to my plate.

Without a word, Enzo came to stand beside me. My skin prickled, all too aware of his nearness. I heard a crinkly sound and glanced over to find a plastic grocery bag in his hands I hadn't noticed when he walked in. Opening it up, he reached inside and grabbed something, then dropped it on the table beside my plate.

It was a human hand. The stump was still bloody.

My stomach heaved, and I shoved my chair back from the table as Veda slapped a hand over her mouth. Luca kept eating his dinner as though there wasn't a bloody body part on the table. As a matter of fact, when I looked at him for his reaction, he didn't seem surprised at all. "What the hell is that?" I asked Enzo.

Instead of answering me, he reached back into the bag and pulled out something else, dropping it beside the first one. It was another hand. Only this one wore a ring I recognized. It was the ring I'd stolen from one of the men who'd raped me in the house in Mexico. The ring I'd given to Enzo when I'd asked him to kill them for me, along with the money clip and the watch.

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He dug around at the bottom of the bag and retrieved the last item, dropping it beside the two hands. "I took this first, while he was still alive. He screamed in terror until he lost his voice. I recorded it for you on my phone." It took me a second to realize it was a shriveled-up penis.

"I've been hunting this man since you gave me his ring. I recognized the crest on it right away and knew where to find him, but somebody tipped him off that I was looking for him and he wasn't easy to chase down. I would've brought him to you alive, but it was too much of a risk. I didn't even have time to get rid of the body before I had to make a run for my plane and get the hell out of there. Luckily, I was prepared and didn't leave any evidence. I'm still working on the other two."

"You're sure you left no reason for the authorities to look this way?" Luca asked.

Without taking his eyes off me, Enzo nodded.

I was still staring at the penis in shock. "You've been hunting them?"

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"I told you I would," he said simply. "I promised you I would kill the men who hurt you. And I keep my promises."

"Not always." Tearing my eyes away from the evidence of my revenge, I stared up at him, daring him to deny it.

"Why don't we go to the other room?" Veda said to Luca.

He must've agreed, for they gathered up their plates and drinks and left the room. Neither Enzo nor I even glanced their way.

"You promised me you would never give me back to my father, and then you handed me over to him like it was nothing. Like I was nothing." My voice broke.

With one hand, he took off his sunglasses and set them on the table. His dark eyes burned with bloodlust and sorrow. "I was trying to protect you."

I looked around the kitchen, searching for these invisible threats that were so dangerous to me. "From what, exactly?" I asked him. "You brought me here because it was safe. That's what you told me. So, what the hell did I need protecting from that would make it worth it to give me back to my father?"