Chapter 19 Enzo
ENZO
After the little incident, I keep myself away from her lest I make her hate me even more. Not that I don't have someone watching her twenty-four-seven. But maman's words are still ringing in my ears, and I have to find a way to bridge the gap between us.
Romance her.
But how?
I've never made an effort with a woman before, spending most of my time running away from them rather than trying to get into their good graces.
So I don't know how to turn our relationship around when even the most mundane moments turn into a battlefield.
Not that it's not largely my fault, but I find that I can't help myself where she's concerned.
"She just left the house," Nero's voice comes from the other end of the line.
"Where is she going?"
"Shopping. She has five guards with her." He gives me a brief description of what she's wearing, as well as her perceived disposition.
"Text me the location when you get there," I say, hanging up.
There is one thing that I've learned about Allegra in our short, albeit intense acquaintance—she is too strong-willed and volatile, with an independent streak simmering just beneath the surface.
A deadly combination for someone who's been restrained by her upbringing her entire life.
Suddenly finding herself in a big city with endless opportunities at her fingertips, she might think she can do anything she wants.
But she can't.
It's what I've feared all along, from the moment I met her and recognized her potential.
She was like an unpolished gem, unappreciated and underestimated, just waiting for someone to appraise her true value.
After being surrounded my entire life by scheming, conniving women that wanted only one thing from me, it was entirely too refreshing to be around her.
I was lucky to get to her first. But now it's a matter of making sure no one steals her from me.
It's what I worried about from the very beginning and the reason I'd gone through so much trouble to ensure she'd be tied to me for eternity. I was merely the first to see her for what she really is, but certainly not the only one.
The thought of her going out alone in the world, where she can meet anyone—she can fall for anyone—drives me mad. And with her strong dislike of me, the possibility of her succumbing to a nobody's charm is even higher.
Damn it all to hell!
"I'm sorry to cut this meeting short, but there's something else that needs my express attention," I address the restaurant's board of directors, standing up and exiting the room.
In just a few minutes, I'm in my car and ready to go, awaiting Nero's message. I'm tapping my finger against the steering wheel, and my mind keeps torturing me with different scenarios: of Allegra being free with her smiles for unknown men, of her blushing at their compliments…
My fist crashes into the car's dashboard just as my phone rings, her destination a few blocks away from me.
I start the car and drive in front of a high-end department store. Nero is across the street, and he gives me a nod, motioning me toward where Allegra is.
Entering the department store, I make sure to keep in the background, merely watching her movements.
She's looking at some clothes, her brows drawn together in a small frown as she's perusing the dresses.
It's only now that I realize that I should have paid more attention to her lack of clothes. I'd seen the small suitcase she'd brought with her, with the few belongings she'd stuffed inside.
I continue watching her as she takes one dress off the rack, holding it against her body and checking the fit in the mirror. Her hand brushes against the price tag, and her eyes go wide, quickly putting it back.
"Nero, tell her that she should buy whatever she wants, regardless of the price," I inform him over the phone, but then I pause, thinking of something else. "No, better yet, tell her I'm a miser and I hate overspending, especially on clothes, and it would make me furious to see the bill."
"Yes, sir."
He goes to Allegra and whispers something in her ear.
Her expression is a dead giveaway, her lips slowly curving into a mischievous smile.
She doesn't waste any time picking up the dress again, and a few others.
In fact, soon her arms are full of clothes, and she makes her way toward the changing rooms.
Still minding the distance, I get a little closer, hiding behind a column. She shouldn't be able to see me from her location, but I have a full view of her.
Nero, who is currently waiting for her, gives me a thumbs-up from across the room.
Allegra opens the curtain, uncertainty written all over her face as she steps in front of the large mirror of the dressing room. She looks stunning in a black dress that is a bit too short for my liking, her slender, shapely legs highlighted in a way that makes me physically uncomfortable.
"Nero," I call him again, ready to try the reverse psychology once more. "Tell her I love sexy dresses and that the more skin they show, the better. Also, make sure she thinks I don't find conservative clothing attractive at all."
Nero does as told, and Allegra seems pensive for a moment, her eyes still lingering on the way the dress hugs her body.
I look around, dreading the fact that other people can see her too.
She finally drops the more revealing garments in favor of the most awful, straight-up granny clothes.
I stifle a groan, satisfied with her choice but feeling sorry for my poor eyes for the foreseeable future.
God, she really wants to spite me.
Once the bill is paid, they move on to another store and Allegra starts looking at shoes, trying on different styles.
I'm almost relieved that this excursion is about to be over, but out of the corner of my eye, I see a sales assistant heading toward her—a male sales assistant.
Nero immediately whips his head around to gauge my reaction, and I signal for him to pay attention to her.
She's sitting on a plush chair, waiting. The sales assistant brings her a different pair, kneeling in front of her and taking the shoes out of the box.
I watch, stupefied, as he puts his hand on her foot, helping her put the shoes on. Allegra is wholly focused on the shoes—her only salvation—but the kid makes no secret of his open perusal of her legs, his gaze moving upward.
I give Nero a brief sign, and whatever he tells Allegra has her standing up and hurrying back to the clothing shop.
The road clear, I leave my hiding spot and head directly for the sales assistant, who is still on the floor, his eyes on her retreating figure. I sit down in front of him, taking the place Allegra had just vacated.
"Can I help you?" he asks when he finally realizes I'm in front of him.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, you can," I smile brightly at him, stooping down to whisper in his ear. "Touch that lady again and I'll cut off your hands."
He leans back, shock written all over his features. His eyes wide, he starts stammering.
"Wh-what… you can't do that!"
"I can, and I will." And just to show him I'm not kidding, I remove a knife from my jacket, tracing the outline of his front shirt and popping a button open. "Or maybe I can do worse…" I trail off, my blade going lower toward his dick.
"I won't touch her, man. I won't even look at her," the kid whimpers, falling on his ass, true fear written all over his face.
"Good. Then we're understood."
I get up and remind Nero to delete the CCTV footage before he leaves. Just as I resume my place in the shadows, Allegra returns, almost out of breath. She's trying to explain to Nero that she hadn't forgotten anything in the changing room.
The sales assistant had already scrambled away, so I continue to happily watch the uneventful rest of the shopping spree, where Allegra gleefully spends what she must think is a fortune but is in fact only pocket change.
At last, she seems satisfied with her purchases and sets out to return home.
And I can finally focus on my work.