by Anna Widzisz
She was mortified, frozen. She couldn't believe it had happened, and in front of people too. It was wrong on so many levels that her head began to spin. Not caring didn't come as easy as it did for Elio. He was even hardly moved by the kiss. However, she couldn't really blame him. He was so used to this and so much more that when they would go their separate ways he would forget it instantly. Nothing to write home about. And she had just had her first experience with someone who didn't give a fuck about it.
"I could corrupt you, Savannah. It would be easy," he declared.
It came as salvation when her phone rang at that exact moment. She reached into her pocket, seeing it was Kate calling her. Worry took over as the girl rarely ever called her. There was never any reason for it while babysitting Aiden.
Elio took a step back, giving her some space.
"What's wrong?" she answered.
Quick breathing sounded through the phone. "Can you come to the park? Aiden fell down from the monkey bars and he keeps crying and I'm freaking out because he is not telling me if something hurts," she cried, clearly terrified.
"I'll be there soon. Just keep talking to him until he calms down," she said and hung up.
She looked up at Elio, cursing her bad luck. Yet there was no other choice. "It might be too much to ask but I really need to get somewhere. Could you please drive me?" she asked.
Seeing as Savannah was close to having a heart attack, the man nodded and they both turned around to get to the car.
So much for keeping Elio away from Aiden.
Later, everything happened way too fast. As they arrived at the destination Savannah ran out of the car, heading towards Aiden who was sitting on the grass. His hands curled up under his knees, head hidden from the view, shoulders shaking as he loudly cried. Kate was crouching next to him, talking to him. As soon as she saw Savannah, she pointed at her, clearly announcing it to the boy.
His eyes, red from crying, shot up. His cheek was slightly cut and a few drops of blood were rolling down. His left arm and leg were a little skinned. He stood up at once and ran into Savannah's arms at the speed of light.
Elio froze, feeling as if someone had hit him with a brick.
Chapter Fourteen
She had a kid.
She had a fucking kid and he had no idea about it.
And finally, everything became this one, complete puzzle as he was watching a young boy holding onto Savannah for dear life. His face was hidden in the crook of her neck, soft sobs escaping his lips. The girl was stroking his hair, whispering in his ear words that were supposed to calm him down. Whether they worked or not, it was still to be determined.
That's what Elio thought at least.
He was standing there, completely shocked. He wasn't sure what he ought to have done at this point. His mind rummaged to come up with an answer. Looking at the girl, who Elio learned was named Kate, she was feeling just as awkward. Probably terrified, too, since the boy got hurt under her supervision. She was young so there was no wonder that she got scared and didn't know what to do, other than call Savannah. It was pretty obvious that the boy needed her at the moment and no one else.
Were there thoughts about running away? Literally, getting into his car and driving off? Yes. Elio never in his wildest dreams would have figured out that what was holding Savannah back was the little human in her arms. Probably much more than the fact he was a part of the underworld. And he simply wasn't ready for that.
For as long as he remembered, he hadn’t been an overly responsible person. He could take care of things, do his job and handle people that did him wrong, but it all sounded so shallow right now when he realized that Savannah was way ahead of him as far as responsibility was concerned. Nothing that he had ever done could be even remotely compatible with her life.
And to think that he believed her to be somewhat similar to his mother. He felt foolish to even accuse her of that. Whether it was only in his head or said out loud didn't fucking matter. As the coward that he started to think he was, he debated leaving.
Too much, too soon.
Nothing had even started and she was one step from ending it.
He shifted his weight to the other leg, itching to do as he said, even though it would be considered the cruelest and most dickhead-like thing.
As if Savannah had heard his thoughts, she glanced up, meeting his eyes. There was worry in hers, just as there was confusion in Elio's. She sent him a knowing look, the corner of her lips moving up slightly in a not-totally-existing smile.
"It's alright, Elio. You don't have to stay," she said. She could simply mean this moment, but with her expression, she was surely thinking about never seeing him again.
Maybe it was exactly what she’d wanted from the start.
She was prepared for what could come; her reaction was a mix of relief and sadness. Relief because she didn't want Elio around Aiden. That was the main reason why she’d been holding back. Sadness, because as ridiculous as it was she’d felt the connection forming between them and wasn't certain that it was the best way for her, and her alone.
But she understood. If anything, she saw her own reaction in Elio's expression. However, unlike him, she didn't have a choice. Yes, she could just give up Aiden, let someone adopt him; but it wasn't something she considered for longer than a couple of minutes, either.
Savannah gave Elio a way out before it got more complicated. She opened the door, waiting for him to leave before she would be forced to kick him out. Because that was the right fucking thing to do.
"Can we go home?" asked Aiden, wiping the tears in his t-shirt.
"Of course, buddy.
Elio cleared his throat. ”I will give you a ride back,” he found himself saying, which earned him a surprised look from Savannah. She didn’t expect him to do anything other than leave. Once and for all be done with her.
But no one was more surprised than Elio. Being responsible wasn’t a totally new concept for him, but there was a difference when he had to think about someone else, rather than himself. Being only twenty-one hadn't prepared him for anything like this. Getting married and building a family hadn’t been on his radar. At least not until his father would get on his case, possibly looking for a match. Which he wasn’t required to do, but loving being in control, Elio couldn’t exclude such an option.
Here Savannah, who was even younger than him, had already stepped into adulthood. And it has happened at least five years before, too.
He nodded, backing up his words.
”Thank you,” she whispered just as Aiden’s attention drew to him. He frowned and said something in the girl’s ear. She chuckled but didn’t say anything.
Kate stepped closer. "Savannah, I'm so sorry. I turned around for a split second and," she started rumbling.
"It's alright, Kate. I'm not mad. Do you know how many times it happens to children? It's how they learn to be more careful. Perhaps Aiden will now remember that, too," she calmed her down and looked at the boy. Ashamed, he only smiled lightly to his babysitter, reassuring her that nothing happened. As if he had realized that half of what happened was his own fault.
Savannah said goodbye to Kate and simply opened the car door. Aiden got into the backseat as the girl buckled him up, then got into the passenger's seat herself.
The ride was quiet with occasional questions from Aiden. They weren’t really relevant but the boy obviously felt like the silence wasn’t comfortable. Yet, he didn't address Elio openly, only staring at him curiously. And the man was the same. His eyes sometimes travelled to the rearview mirror, watching the kid. Thousands of questions went through his head. One of which was his age. From his calculations, Savannah being his mother sounded almost ridiculous.
“If it were a cartoon, the smoke would be coming out of your head right about now,” the girl joked, catching up with Elio’s silent confusion. ”They say curiosity killed a cat but you can ask, Elio.”
”How old is he?”
”Five!” Aiden shoute
d, pulling his hand up, clearly proud of his age. His smile was so wide that his face might have started hurting. Nothing was left of the boy who fell down, hurting himself. Instead, he surprisingly started talking more than usual.
Savannah laughed, however, surprise flashed on her face. Aiden wasn’t one to talk to strangers, or at all. He was usually more reserved. Yet he felt the need to say that he was already five years old as if he had known Elio for a long time.
”You are twenty?” Elio asked.
”If you’re heading into the direction of counting whether I was too young to become a mom, I feel obliged to tell you that he is my brother. Not my son. But I am the only one raising him.”
That made so much more sense. Being fourteen and getting pregnant was possible, however, most cases were rape ones. That thought made Elio cringe. He pushed it aside, knowing that there was no reason for his mind to go there. Savannah hadn’t been hurt in any shape or form when she was still a kid. At least not like this.
Elio decided to abandon the topic. He wasn’t certain how much Savannah told her brother about their parents and the whole situation and he didn’t want to be the one to ruin anything. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that it might be their last meeting. Her child or not, she was still more of a mother to him that he could handle. His insides screamed for an escape and cursed the moment he offered a ride home.
Once the car stopped at the parking lot right in front of the obscure apartment complex, the silence became even more uncomfortable. Savannah had no doubt that flight was Elio's intention. However, for some reason, it saddened her. It might have been because of the kiss they’d shared earlier. Whether she liked it or not, it changed her feelings towards the man and she hated it even more. Such a trivial gesture wasn't supposed to change her mind. Yet it had. And she was above trying to do anything about it. She’d stopped giving people more ammunition to hurt her after her parents left. And Elio was probably a hell of an amazing shooter, so he wouldn't even need much to do real damage in her life.
Looking through the window, she saw Frank in his usual spot. He was staring at the car. "Aiden, go to Frank. He will be more than happy to treat your wounds for sure," she said and the boy politely nodded, getting out.
She wasn't excited for this conversation but she hated leaving things unsaid.
"Thank you for driving us,"
Elio nodded, acknowledging her words. For the very first time, he felt somewhat like a real asshole. But for fuck's sake, he only wanted to fuck Savannah. That was the solemn purpose of going out with her. If he’d thought that she would be up for it from the start, he wouldn't have even bothered with a date. However, as she was more of a girl who had no business hanging out with a Made Man - especially him - he’d changed his tactics.
The challenge was supposed to be her, not the fact that she was raising a child. And for that very reason, he couldn't act on his urges. He had already seen what the lack of backbone had done to his Mother, Savannah still had the possibility to come out of this unscathed. He could be a complete dick but he also had some common sense. It was time to back off before it went too far. And seeing the sudden change in Savannah's eyes, it would be inevitable.
"Why have you been so reluctant to tell me?"
"When people know your story, they know you. And they can hurt you," she admitted. "I don't mind being hurt as long as it doesn't affect Aiden. But I learnt that there is hardly anything that hurts me, but not him. We are a package deal. When I hurt, he hurts. And the other way around."
Her eyes were filled with sadness. She didn't want to imagine her little brother ever having to go through tough times. Even worse, that she wouldn't be around to help him. But that's how life went. Things happened. You went through pain every once in a while and learnt to deal with shit thrown your way. She just hoped to take as much of it, so that Aiden would have it easier.
Being a mom wasn't easy, being a single mom was even harder but being a teenager who had become a single mom was fucking another level. Savannah didn't sign up for that, yet she made it seem like just another thing she simply had to do.
Chapter Fifteen
He could hear the music from miles away as he drove his car in the direction of the Motor Speedway. It was a fucking long day with way too many surprises that he wasn't able to wrap his head around. So, naturally, the second possibility, other than getting drunk, was to meet up with Flavio at the Midnight Mayhem.
Elio wasn't even sure why he’d reacted in such an absurd way. Why the whole revelation about Savannah raising her little brother got to him on a personal level. He was a fucking asshole and, as he repeatedly told people, including the girl herself, didn't give a fuck about anything and anyone. Sexually frustrated and angry, he decided to let off steam at the car race event.
After a slow entrance to the actual area, he sent Flavio a message, trying to find out where he was so that he wouldn't be bound to drive around with so many people getting in the way. The Speedway was full. Soon enough, he got an answer. The Made Man was hanging out with one of the organizers of the race whose name no one really knew. Everyone called him Bootsie, however, it seemed as the nickname came out of nowhere. The man had little long black hair, usually braided and eyes the same color. Judging by the tattoo of a tear under his eye, the man was not a good person. Such a tattoo could have many different meanings; long jail sentence, being a murderer or the desire to get revenge for something. Whichever that was, Noah Falcone was on a good track of being surrounded by men willing to do whatever and whenever as far as being in business was concerned.
Getting out of his Audi he immediately took out a cigarette and lit it up. Flavio stood beside his Bugatti, immersed in a conversation with a few of the soldiers as well as Bootsie. When he saw him, his eyebrow rose, surprised to see the man here after all. Elio shook his head, preventing him from asking questions. He was in no mood to talk about it right now and especially in front of people he didn't fucking like all that much.
Instead, he joined the conversation that, without any surprise, was about today's races. The biggest one was, of course, supposed to be the last of the night.
"They are going to bring us a shit ton of money," said Bootsie, grinning. Such excitement was a rare sight on his face, so whatever money he was talking about, it must have been good.
Elio drew another deep breath of smoke. "Who?"
"There are a couple of idiots who bet on the least likely racers to win," explained Flavio. "Supposedly because of some shitty bet they made."
The Enforcer nodded. "How's the last group looking like?" he asked Bootsie.
"A few last week's winners have signed up. I'm still waiting, though, because the races haven't started today yet. I have two spots left."
That's exactly what Elio needed right now. Watching wouldn't cut it for him today. He nodded, knowingly. "Sign me up."
Good thing was that since he was a part of the Famiglia he didn't have to pay an entry fee. The outsiders had no other option. Those racers had shifted to the illegal betting, apart from the legit one. And as far as the last race of the night was concerned, the money was grand. Going into this business was an always evolving plan that Capo dei Capi tried to build up. For now, it was giving the best results.
Flavio wore a puzzled expression which he couldn't cover up fast enough. He knew the Enforcer to be all action, rarely words, however, such a decision was completely out of character even for him. Knowing what he was supposed to be doing right now, who he was supposed to be with, made it all that much weirder. Elio only shrugged.
Bootsie took out his tablet from the back of his car seat and did what the man told him to. Elio was a great driver. He had already taken part in a few of those races, winning each one. So it wouldn't be a surprise if he won today, too. Plus, earning some additional cash wasn't such a bad idea since he was on his own and being an Enforcer for the Capodecina wasn't paying all that much. But that most likely was his Father's fault.
"Are you ready?!" a male
voice sounded through the speakers, bringing everyone's attention to the track.
The drivers were slowly moving into their intended positions, rules were presented and the schedule of the whole evening mentioned. People were cheering, excited for what was to come. Yet, Elio didn't give a fuck until it was his turn to race. But he still needed a better car. His Audi wasn't bad but not enough to match up to this event. Because of that, he moved towards Flavio who was more interested in his odd behavior than the race. No one was paying attention to them anymore.
Falcone reached out his hand with the car key to his Bugatti. He knew exactly what the man needed. "If you fuck up my car, don't bother coming back," he warned him. It was intended as a joke - or at least as much of a joke as Flavio was able to say - but his eyes held caution.
"I know how to fucking drive," Elio bit back, pulling out another cigarette. It was one of those days.
"What happened with your waitress? She didn't give in?" Flavio asked, at last, pulling his hand in his pockets. The keen look reached his face as he smirked.
"Not the fucking case, dick."
Flavio's head tilted in contemplation. "Then?"
"She has a kid," he said as he brought a cigarette to his lips. His mind travelled to the little boy and another wave of guilt hit him. How was it possible that one person could actually bring all those foreign emotions to the table, ruining his perspective on who he was all at once?
"Still don't see a problem. Don't tell me that you fuck girls who are in relationships but draw the line here."
