Chapter 15
ENZO
Out of sheer desperation, I admitted my feelings to Jenna in the hopes that it would calm her down if she knew I cared about her.
It didn’t. Instead, it had the opposite effect.
I rub my hand up and down her back, hating how badly she’s trembling and the heartbreaking sobs coming from her.
“It’s going to be okay,” I say for what feels like the hundredth time. “There’s nowhere safer for you than with me.”
Foda-se! I didn’t want to trigger her like this.
“You’ll get used to me,” I murmur before pressing a kiss to her hair. “I’ll give you the world, and all I ask in return is that you’ll be mine.”
The more I talk, the harder she cries, and eventually, I just keep quiet, holding her while she sobs her heart out against my chest.
This is not what I wanted. I fucked up for a second night in a row.
I close my eyes, trying to think of how I can calm her down, but I can’t come up with anything.
Deus, I suck at this.
It’s because I’ve never had any kind of relationship in my life. I don’t know how to deal with people, least of all someone as sensitive and fragile as Jenna.
Finally, she calms down, and when she pulls back, I let go of her and lean down so I can see her eyes. They’re swollen and red as she wipes her cheeks dry with her palms.
My eyebrows draw together, and using the language she prefers, I give her a pleading look while I take hold of her hand and press it to my heart.
Lost sobs quiver over her lips, and when she ducks her head to avoid my gaze, I whisper gently, “I just want to make you happy. I didn’t mean to trigger you.”
When she peeks at me from under her bangs, my heart squeezes in my chest.
She pulls her hand free from where I still have it pressed to my shirt, and stepping around me, she walks to the living room.
I follow, needing to stay close to her, and when she kneels by the coffee table and starts writing, I crouch beside her.
It’s been one shock after the other, and I need to catch my breath. It’s very overwhelming.
She takes a couple of deep breaths, then writes more.
Why me?
My gaze drifts over her, and even though this night hasn’t gone according to plan, I feel a sense of peace now that I get to be around her.
“At first, I was drawn to your shy nature, and as I watched you, I became…” I rethink using the word obsessed with her and change what I was going to say. “I began to care for you.”
If you care about me, why did you say all those things about not letting me go and that I belong to you forever?
Even though I was panicking because she was panicking, I meant every word I said.
“I was scared you were going to run,” I admit. “I thought telling you that I wouldn’t let you go would make you stay.”
Seriously? You sound insane, and it scares me.
Her features tighten with something akin to heartbreak.
I thought you were kind. I believed all the lies. I thought the job was real and felt like the luckiest woman alive.
She lets out a soft sob and turns her head so I can’t see her face. A minute passes before she writes again.
Does Cassia know all of this? Was she in on it?
I almost place my hand on Jenna’s back but stop myself and pull back.
“The job wasn’t a lie, meu anjinho. You deserve so much more than working the night shift at a gas station where it’s unsafe for you.”
She taps the pencil against the question about Cassia, and I let out a sigh as I move to sit on the couch to relieve the pain in my side.
“Cassia cares about you. She’s really your friend,” I answer. “Last night, she let me have it and threatened to shoot me in the foot because I accidentally scared you.”
Jenna’s head snaps to me, her eyes going wide as saucers, then she’s writing again.
It was you?!!!!!
Realizing I just made another mistake, I let out a groan. “I just wanted to see you. I didn’t mean anything bad by it.”
She crawls to the other side of the table, and seeing her ass sway has me groaning.
Tonight is already a clusterfuck. Don’t you dare get a hard-on right now.
She writes again, then turns the notepad so I can read.
You watched me while I was sleeping. You’ve killed people and admitted that you will kill again. You said you’re not giving me the choice to leave. Do you not hear yourself and how insane it all sounds?
I look up and stare at Jenna until she sneaks a peek at me from beneath her bangs, then only do I say, “Watching you brings me a sense of peace I’ve never had before. Every single person I’ve killed deserved to die.”
Her hand moves over the paper again.
And what about me not being able to leave?!!!!!
“Were you happy with your life before you met me?” I throw a question back at her.
Her eyes dart to my face for a split second before it looks like she’s curling into herself, her expression growing sad.
“Were you safe before you met me?”
Jenna’s chin begins to quiver as she shakes her head.
“What do you have to lose, meu anjinho?” The urge to get up and pull her into my arms almost overwhelms me, but I force myself to remain seated.
“If you stay with me, you’ll never go hungry again.
You’ll be cared for and healthy. No one will hurt you.
” A tear rolls over her cheek as she peeks at me.
“Tell me your dreams and I’ll make them all come true. ”
She brings her trembling hand to the page.
What will all of that cost me?
My tone is soft as I answer, “I get to call you mine.”
She shakes her head and writes again.
I can’t be yours.
She hesitates, a distressed expression flashing over her face.
I’ll never be able to give you what you want, so you might as well let me go.
I tilt my head as I read the words, and knowing she’s referring to sex, I say, “I won’t force myself on you. It’s something…that disgusts me.”
Her gaze flies to my face as I add, “Let me save you from the hell your life is.” I lean a little forward. “And if you tell me who hurt you, I’ll kill them for you.”
Pulling her legs up, she wraps her arms around her shins and presses her mouth to her knees, strands of hair falling over the side of her face. It gives me the impression she’s trying to hide from me.
“Let me make you happy,” I murmur, hoping she’ll give me a chance. I don’t want to force her to stay with me.
But I will.
A wave of dizziness hits, and I wipe my palm over my forehead.
When I stand up, Jenna startles and quickly scrambles to her feet, but as her eyes touch on me, she freezes for a moment, then she darts around the coffee table, coming right at me.
She takes hold of my arm and moves it away from my side, and glancing down, I see the red stain covering a large area of the shirt.
I was so focused on Jenna, I didn’t realize I was bleeding again.
A crimson drop splats on the tiles, and Jenna looks at it in horror as she whimpers, “No!” She pushes me backward, and I sit down again.
When she runs to the front door, I decide to wait a couple of minutes to see if she’s going to try to escape.
It doesn’t even take a minute before she comes rushing back into the living room with Oscar right behind her, and I feel relieved.
Jenna points frantically at me, panic tightening her features once more tonight, but this time it’s for a different reason.
She went to get help for me.
She cares.
Oscar steps closer, and seeing all the blood, he jogs to the kitchen only to return with the first aid kit.
Letting out a sigh, I unbutton my shirt and lean forward to shrug it off. Jenna darts to me and helps pull the fabric down my arms.
Feeling her fingers brush against my skin makes goosebumps erupt all over my body, which is a reaction I’ve never had before.
I relax against the couch again and glance down at my side, seeing that the stitches have come undone.
Oscar removes them and cleans the wound before he begins to stitch it up again, doing a much better job than I did. I clench my jaw throughout the entire process, not taking my eyes off my woman.
My woman.
I’ve never had one before, but the thought makes the corner of my mouth lift.
When he’s done, he takes a little device from the bag and says, “You look pale, sir. I’m just going to check your blood pressure.”
I nod, and he clips it onto my left pointer finger. When it shows my vitals, Oscar hurries to the kitchen. He comes back with a glass of water, saying, “Drink as much as possible. There’s salt in the water to help bring up your blood pressure.”
Jenna walks to her notepad and writes something that she shows Oscar.
He shakes his head. “No hospitals. If things get worse, we’ll take Mr. Oliveira to the island for medical care, but I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
I begin to drink the salty water, forcing it all down before handing the glass back to Oscar.
The guard sets it on the coffee table, then looks at Jenna and says, “Make sure Mr. Oliveira stays hydrated, and if anything else happens, come get me.”
She nods and watches as he leaves before she writes something for me.
You need to get cleaned up and climb into bed. We can talk more once you’re better.
My phone starts ringing, and when I shift to pull it out of my pocket, my side hurts. Seeing Santiago’s name, I answer, “It’s late.”
“I know, you ungrateful fuck. I’m checking to see if you’re still alive.”
“Yeah, I’m still breathing.”
“How’s Jenna doing?”
My eyes flick to her, and I take in her pale face. “Today has just been a lot for her to take in. She’ll be okay.”
“Be gentle with her, Enzo. Barking at her and being harsh will make her fear you.”
“Is that all?” I mutter.
“I’ll bring you antibiotics tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
“You sound tired. Get some sleep, brother.”
“I will…” I hesitate, then add, “Thanks, Santiago.”
We end the call, and I move carefully as I stand up so I don’t pull the damn stitches open again.
Jenna grabs my shirt, as well as the clothes I wore when I got shot, which I left on the other couch, and takes them to the kitchen.
I assume she’s going to the laundry room, and instead of going to bed, I follow her.
When I stop by the island, I hear her moving in the adjacent room where the washing machine is. A moment later, she comes into the kitchen, and noticing I followed her, she lowers her head.
My eyes don’t leave her for a second as I watch her take a bottle of water from the fridge, then she closes the distance between us and holds it out to me.
I take it and lean down a little to try to catch her eyes. “Do you feel any better?”
She shakes her head and points at the doorway, and I assume she’s telling me to get my ass to bed.
My head spins with a dizzy spell as I turn around, and I think I sway for a moment. Jenna moves fast, wrapping her arm around my waist and placing her hand on my abs.
We both freeze, and my eyes snap down to where she’s touching me. The next second, she yanks away from me, her entire face turning bright red.
Absolutely taking advantage of being shot, I say, “I don’t think I can get to my room on my own. Will you help me?”
Even though she’s blushing, she comes back and wraps her arm around my waist again. I place mine around her shoulders and pull her close to my side before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“Thank you, meu anjinho.”
She tilts her head back, giving me a questioning look, so I translate, “It means my little angel.”
Her lips part, then she looks down again as she tries her best to help me walk to the main bedroom.