by Anna Widzisz
"Don't you have a three-strike rule?" Savannah questioned, braving the man.
Megan had mentioned it to her before, right?
Elio smiled darkly. "That is a suggestion rather than a rule. Crimes don't necessarily equal one another. Besides, putting you in danger's way for the second time when I came to collect the money could easily count as a second strike. I just expressed it in one solid punishment."
She regarded him. "If you don't even have rules, what's the point of pretending otherwise?"
"We have rules, baby girl. However, I must say I'm not big on following most of them. I acknowledge them before I throw them away and break them altogether," he stated, shifting his weight.
Thinking back to his childhood, it had always been the case. The punishments he had been served with almost every day didn't change that. They had braved him to face the demons until he was ready to join them. Whatever feelings he was still capable of they had to be worth it. And right now he wished he could turn back time and change one thing - to realize that Savannah's motives when she'd appeared in Father's nightclub were of pure concern. Towards herself, her brother and all the employees hired in the diner. For someone who had limited knowledge about the mafia world, she surely was smart enough to collect the data and make an assumption. A true one.
Once he’d been triggered it was very hard to exhibit self-control. He was in charge of the actions, it was his behavior. Unfortunately, at that moment it felt as if the gas pedal got stuck and in that acceleration, in that momentum, the steering wheel was all jammed up, as well. Just like his mind. It's all fight or flight and it's so disappointingly primitive but he could rarely override it. Teaching Savannah a lesson had seemed like a good idea then. Showing her that he was not to be messed with. It had turned into the worst torture. Not only for her, but for him, too.
He didn't want to hurt her. Not now, not ever. Underneath all of his monstrosity, he admired the commitment the girl had when it came to her brother. She had something that he’d had always wished Mother would gain. Pride.
Diminishing her courage to do what's necessary was a fucking stupid move. One that shouldn't have been made.
One that Elio would do everything in his power to close in the darkest corner of her subconscious without the possibility of it ever finding its way out.
Savannah deserved better.
Chapter Twenty
"You need to shower," Elio said, looking at her body.
She was still only in her underwear because he decided to take off her clothes. They were completely drenched in blood and should be burned. She was beautiful and Elio almost wished he could touch her, hold her and make her feel great. But it wasn't the right time for any of this and he almost felt disgust that such frivolous thoughts had made their way into his head.
He walked up to his wardrobe picking out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that she could wear. He handed them to her wondering whether she was even able to manage on her own. She'd gone through a lot in the past few hours. Elio sometimes forgot that people usually were bothered by things like blood, dead bodies or torture. That was an everyday thing for him and he had never realized that it went way beyond others' comprehension. It remained glued in their minds, the scenes playing over and over inside their heads. And for him, it was just like a piece of gum under the table that had to scrub off.
"Do you want my help?" he asked.
A question to which he already knew Savannah's answer. For someone who’d been forced to become independent so early in her life, she would never accept anyone's help without a solid reason. Or if she was with her back to the wall. Which she wasn't.
She shook her head, breathing out. Her internal struggle reached her eyes. She felt just as absent as she felt present there in the bedroom with Elio. It was almost like she worked on autopilot.
Elio walked her to the bathroom and left, however, he kept on listening just in case Savannah actually needed his help after all. Looking at the bedsheets, they were smeared with blood. Certainly not such a splendid idea if he wanted the girl to be able to shake off the terrifying image of her boss’s lifeless body. He quickly changed the bedding to a fresh one then grabbed Savannah's bag that he had taken from the diner along with the unconscious girl. He reached for her phone, ready to be the responsible one at this moment. He sent a message to Kate knowing that she must probably be babysitting Aiden still. He informed her that Savannah was good and asked whether she could stay till morning.
It was already four in the morning and in a little bit over an hour the sun would rise. The girl still needed sleep to recover even if ever so slightly. Thinking about others wouldn't be a good idea. She had to take care of herself. Just like Elio decided to take care of her. He wouldn't let her leave just yet. He wasn't afraid that she would go to the police. If she’d wanted to, she had enough to tell even before what she had seen today. It seemed as if she had no trust in law enforcement. Rightfully so. With how deep bribery went, the system was broken. You could get away with almost anything. The Las Vegas Famiglia was a great example of that. They rarely had any problems with the police.
Savannah emerged twenty minutes later, finding Elio sitting on the edge of the bed, his face hidden in his hands. He heard her coming in but didn't bother to check. She glanced at the nightstand, seeing a holster resting there.
She bit her bottom lip until she tasted metal. Blood.
Again.
She moved towards the man, settling next to him. Their legs brushed against one another. "What happens now?"
Elio rubbed his face before meeting her gaze. He offered her a small smile, however, with the bags under his eyes it was evident that he was exhausted. "We keep on living. It's over. Now Father will most likely appoint someone else to take over the diner. I'll make sure that you keep your job," he promised.
It wasn't at the forefront of her head but she was thankful that he thought about it. Having a normal, every-day job was rather far from something he was used to acknowledging. He led a different life. However, Savannah needed protection so she wouldn't worry where to get money from. But she was thinking of their relations. Somehow, she couldn't imagine Elio disappearing at this point. Whether he liked it or not, the last events had bound them to a secret that couldn't be spread around. Not in the outside world. And if he was true to his words of her being safe with him, he didn't intend to kill her for what she had seen and all she knew.
His back slumped on the mattress, his legs still hanging, feet resting on the floor. Eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Savannah surprised him by doing the same. He would think that she would beg him to drive her home to her brother. "Kate is to stay with Aiden till morning. I will take you to him later," he said, knowing that sooner or later the girl would realize that there was someone she should have been thinking of.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice mellifluous. Then she closed her eyes.
Silence fell upon them. It caressed her skin like a breeze, smoothing the jagged edges of her soul. It had been one hell of a rough day. Straight out of a horror movie.
The guilt was still there. From this day on, it would always be there.
"Russians will retaliate, won't they?" she asked another question.
Yes, they would. With everything they had. Not because they cared about Hunter and that he had been killed. Simply because they'd lost another opportunity to fight Noah Falcone by stealing his businesses. They didn't give a fuck about casualties. That's why it would be a vicious retaliation aimed at the Famiglia. The Bratva would leave a trail of dead bodies in their wake.
However, he didn't share that with Savannah.
"It won't affect your life," he said instead.
He rose on his two feet and regarded Savannah. She seemed so small and vulnerable. The girl looked at him, curious as to what he was doing.
"Sleep, Savannah. I will be in the living room if you need anything," he stated, turning around. Once he faced the doors, he felt a hand grabbing his fingers ligh
tly.
"Can you stay here with me?"
As the question escaped her lips, she immediately turned red and shy. She didn't want to be alone with her thoughts but she was also never so straight-forward. She could only hope that Elio didn't catch her blushing.
For a second it was quiet as Elio seemed to think about her proposition. He knew that it wasn't meant as anything other than accompanying her as she slept. Even with all the morals that faded away, he still would never in a million years take advantage of a woman. That was a line that would never waver. No matter what.
So he was glad that Noah Falcone had a similar outlook on such things. But he was probably one of only few people who knew that and it was only because of Flavio who had looked almost disgusted when Fabro had hinted at such behavior in one of their outings. He had never confirmed that his brother was against hurting women but it was what Elio got out of this gesture.
Savannah waited for him to say something as her eyes travelled up and down his figure. He was wearing black joggers and a white t-shirt. Something casual for a change. After all, he was at home. There was no need to be formal.
Then she realized that she, in fact, was alone with Elio in his apartment. She woke up here after she’d fainted at the sight of a bloody floor and a dead, tortured body. She hadn’t taken that into account before, too invested in the man's action itself. And she felt even more troubled by her words.
Elio sighed. Without answering her, he rounded the bed to the other side, laying down. He rested his palm upon the girl's shoulder, pressing at it lightly. She gave in and pushed herself further on the bed, her head on the pillow.
She breathed in. A smell of jasmine reached her nostrils. It gave her a sense of calmness, just as the warmth of Elio's body next to her had. She rolled over to face him.
She was lost. Whatever she was feeling, she couldn't put her finger on it. She was terrified because of what she had seen. That the man who put her in such a situation was laying next to her and she wasn't running away. That scared her shitless. Savannah didn't feel the need to run. Quite the opposite. She felt peace like never before. Close to nothing seemed important at the moment.
Which also made her excited.
Meeting the devil was just as horrifying as it was thrilling. The first time seeing Elio, she’d already known how true that was. He was as deadly as he was beautiful. And Satan was nothing but a fallen angel. Evil could come in any shape or form. To her, it did as the tall, seductive and alluring dark man. Perfect from the outside, broken on the inside. A combination surely started in heaven, finished in the fieriest pits of hell. Then sent down to earth to turn her world upside down.
"How do you do it?" she started, "How can you live with what you've done? People die when they come in contact with you more often than not. Yet you come out of it unscathed. As if nothing ever gets to you on a personal level."
Elio reflected upon it. He rarely gave a fuck but it most certainly wasn't totally true. There were scraps of humanity in him. His mother was a good example. He loved her in his own, unnatural way. She was a wonderful person who simply couldn't manage to protect her children. Not from the cruel world, but not even from their own father. Other than that he had no room left for people.
But a small piece was taken out today by Savannah. So unknowingly and effortlessly. She didn't even want that. And Elio wouldn't admit it to her, either.
"Every Made Man must have sociopathic tendencies. At least then we are not burdened by things like love or guilt."
Chapter Twenty-One
Upon waking, Savannah burrowed herself into the warm, soft sheets. She didn't even remember falling asleep. From the excess of emotion, she felt so drenched that it was no surprise that her body needed rest. A grimace scrunched up her features at the bright light seeping into the room. She rubbed the remains of sleep from her eyes and gazed out at the horizon; its vivid light extended across a rosy sky. The sun was already out inclining itself from between the buildings.
She no longer felt the soreness of her body. That was probably the only consolation of what had happened.
Not much.
Nothing of any importance.
Hunter was still dead.
Gone.
The floor creaked down the hall skillfully preventing her from reverting to thoughts of the murder. She turned her head to the right, glancing at the bed. The sheets were creased but Elio was no longer there. Her cheeks instantly reddened as she scorned herself for even asking him to stay with her. Feeling scared and lonely was no reason to do such a thing. She'd dealt with those since forever. And she should've done it this time, too.
Yawning, she swung her legs out of bed, tiptoeing to the door. Pacing through the apartment, she took it in. The place wasn't big, however, it was much better compared to where Savannah lived. Well-maintained and clean. The neighborhood was most likely safer, too. She walked into the living room which was adjoined to the kitchen. The floor was an old-fashioned parquet with a blend of deep homely browns and the walls were grey, meeting a bold white baseboard. The furniture was also white which perfectly matched the modern style of the apartment. It, however, didn't seem like Elio had been living here long. There were no hints of personal attachment in the shape of photos, decorations or even curtains.
Going further, she was met with Elio standing over the oven with his back to her. He was only wearing black sweatpants and sneakers while the white t-shirt was tucked slightly into the pants, hanging from his hips. His muscled back was bare. She couldn’t see his chest. Part of her wished she could. The other very small part said she should get ahold of herself.
She let out a shaky sigh, which made the man turn around. He looked exhausted and slightly out of breath. Savannah instantly thought that he must have got a workout done. His eyes rested upon her figure, concern once again flickering in his expression. However, pretty quickly he tried to cover it up, grunting.
"Morning," he said, going back to cooking. Savannah smelled eggs and bacon and smiled as it was one of her favorite things to eat. Simple dishes were what she aimed at so that even her terrible cooking skills couldn't mess it up. Sometimes she still managed, though.
She glanced at the clock above the TV set, realizing that it was already eight in the morning and she should be home. With everything, she had left Kate without a single word, watching over Aiden. How bad of a sister could she be to leave her brother like that?
Guilt flourished into her stomach. Although that might just as well have been hunger. She got up. "I need to go back to Aiden," she announced.
"Easy, you need to eat something first. Your stomach’s grumbling was so annoying that I barely slept," he joked but Savannah didn't have time for his antics. She rolled her eyes, spun on her heel about to go back to the bedroom to grab her bag.
Elio stopped her by grabbing her elbow and stepped up, his chest touching her back, leaving a trail of sparks flowing up and down her spine. A whimper escaped her lips as she realized that it was a feeling of excitement rather than fear.
There was nothing left of those negative emotions she’d had towards Elio. It angered her. She felt so out of control when it came to both her body and mind. She should remember Hunter and back away from the Enforcer, but everything in her was clearly working on completely shutting down any regret after her boss's death.
It was either her and the other employees or him.
People said that saving one should be as much of an achievement as saving more. But it wasn't. When there was a choice, no one should have any doubts about which one was better. The sacrifice had to be made and whether it was right or wrong, it was her decision. What she believed what right.
And even if she’d believed that Hunter deserved to outlive any of them, she would still choose the same. Because Aiden was who she would always put first. Someone who would tip the scale for her.
The man leaned down, burying his nose in her hair. They stayed like this for a while. That was perhaps the closest she’d been with
anyone. And to make the matters worse, Elio was also the one who she had shared a kiss with. Everything was against her, betraying who she was and what she stood for. She only had herself to blame for letting him get close enough that she barely remembered why she couldn't give in to her desires.
If there was something that could turn it back around and change the course of their lives, it'd be Elio disappearing again. Nothing changed in that aspect. She still was raising her brother which was a huge responsibility and as she could see the Enforcer wasn't up for that job. Not that she trusted anyone other than Kate and Frank with Aiden.
Right now, she felt like she was failing him.
Big time.
Elio finally whirled her around. He grabbed Savannah's chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting her head up. Her long dark curls fell down her shoulders. Even without being combed, it looked styled.
Looking at him with those big, wonderful blue eyes, she seemed so innocent and vulnerable. It almost put Elio out of his comfort zone when dealing with girls. He had never cared about their feelings. For fuck's sake, he barely let them touch him unless it was to suck his cock, and here he was second-guessing each of his moves because of a waitress.
He couldn't be like this. It was a small step towards lacking as an Enforcer. One person couldn't fucking cause his mask of indifference to slip.
"Are you alright, baby girl?"
She snorted.
Perhaps it was a stupid question. However, he didn't necessarily mean yesterday's events. It seemed like something else was on the girl's mind.
"Talk to me, Savannah," he encouraged her.
He tightened his grip but only as a reassurance of his intentions. Which were for the first time completely genuine. He wanted to help.
Reluctantly, she said, "I'm scared, okay?"
Elio's eyes narrowed.
"You said that nothing is going to change but it's a lie, Elio. Everything will. And I barely got a hang of my life just for it to do a one-eighty. The diner is under the Famiglia's protection but your boss can decide to change its purpose and I'll be out of work because of my decision. What's worse, I should be grieving and here I am thinking that it's not Hunter's death that is important, but me being left without money," she let it all out.
