Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Enzo
Whenever I see Kira looking open and vulnerable, it does something to me. It happened at my club that first night we met when that man was harassing her. How scared she looked. How much I wanted to protect her in that moment.
And now tonight. When she cried and threw up. She’s normally fierce but it’s when she looks scared and small that it makes me feel for her. It makes me want her.
Not because I’m some freak who gets off on scared women. It’s because I like seeing her drop her tough facade. And I can tell it’s all a facade. She’s just putting on a show so she doesn’t look weak in front of me.
I slip my jacket, shoes, and shirt off and change into a pair of sweatpants for the evening.
After a long time, Kira eventually leaves the bathroom.
She freezes when she sees me shirtless. It’s cute how much she looks like a deer.
It makes me question how many men she’s been with.
There’s an innocence to her. Maybe she didn’t get into as much trouble as I think she did.
Without a word, she grabs her pajamas from her suitcase – a simple cotton t-shirt and pants – before rushing back into the bathroom.
When she comes back out, she’s changed into her pajamas and I have to admit, she looks cute in them.
They’re simple. Not sexy. But there’s a sexiness to the simplicity of her outfit that makes me want to grab her and kiss the life out of her.
But I doubt that’s happening tonight. Knowing Kira, she would just try to slap me again or kick me in the balls and I have no desire for that.
“I’m tired,” she grumbles. “But I’m not sleeping in the same bed with you.”
“It’s just sleep, Kira. We’re married now. We’ll be married forever. Might as well get used to each other.”
“No,” she states flatly.
“Fair enough. Then you can sleep on the floor if you want. But I’m sleeping in the bed.”
“No. You’re the man. You should be the one to sleep on the floor.”
“I am not sleeping on the floor. If you’re the one who has an issue with me, then you sleep on the floor.”
“No.”
I sigh. She is exasperating. Why did I agree to marry her again? “I have a solution. Why don’t we both sleep in the bed? I’m not going to rape you tonight.”
“Tonight,” she emphasizes. “Which means that you’re going to try and rape me another night.”
I shake my head and get under the covers. “You’re kind of crazy sometimes, you know that?”
“I’m crazy? You’re the one who shot my brother in the back. I have the right to be afraid of you. You’re the crazy asshole here.”
“I know what I did and it was impulsive of me. My anger got the better of me. But now that I’ve made peace with your brother, I’ll never shoot him again.
So long as he doesn’t come for me. And I suspect he hasn’t come for me again because he doesn’t want you to get hurt.
So we’re all playing nice for the sake of our families.
Which is why I am not going to rape you tonight or any night.
Now, get in. I’m fucking tired. It’s been a long day. ”
“It’s been a long day for you? Well, it’s been a long month for me having to plan a wedding I wanted no part in.”
“This again,” I groan, laying down.
“Yes, this again. I had to plan it all myself.”
“I helped choose the cake. And your dress, which you refused to wear.”
“Because I wanted to wear my own,” she snaps. “Why don’t you get it? God. You’re so annoying.” With a huff, she grabs the pillow off the bed and wrenches the blanket off me.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“To sleep in the bathtub.” Her eyes flick down to my bare chest for just a moment before she rolls her eyes and goes into the bathroom, where she slams the door behind her.
I can’t help but chuckle. Kira is amusing, I’ll give her that. Even though she’s a pain in my ass.
I grab an extra blanket out of the closet and then lay back down. Kira doesn’t leave the bathroom for the entire night.
Kira
Sleeping in the bathtub isn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. It sure beats sleeping by Enzo’s side. But when I wake up in the morning, I can’t deny that my body is achy. Enzo – who’s now dressed in a suit, thank god – eyes me over when I leave the bathroom.
“Have a good night sleep?” he asks, knowing full well I didn’t.
I glare at him. “Why do you ask?”
“I, for one, had a great night sleep in the bed. Where you could have joined me, you know.”
“Oh, I know. But hell will freeze over before I go near you again.”
“Wouldn’t this all be easier if we got along?”
“You mean if I gave into your whims and you controlled my every move. Is that it?”
“Yes.”
I scoff, grabbing a pair of jeans and a cute top out of my suitcase. “You’re the worst.”
“And you’re not exactly peaches and cream either. Though, I wonder if that’s what you taste like.”
I go still, realizing what his words mean. I can’t help but flush and flee to the bathroom. Enzo’s laughter echoes through the air.
He drives us to his house. It’s as big and fancy as I remember from the one night I came here, not realizing it was his house. Though, a lot of my memory is fuzzy since I ended up getting drunk. If it weren’t for Natasha, I probably would have been in serious trouble.
The urge for a drink hits me but I push it down. Getting drunk around Enzo is not a good idea.
“What do you think?” he asks as we get out of the car.
“I’ve been here before. Remember?”
“I didn’t know who you were then. We never actually met and if I remember, you were drunk. So I’m assuming you have no memory of this place.”
I scowl at him and don’t take the bait. Enzo only chuckles.
He shows me around the house and I’ll admit, it’s beautiful. Soft lights and elegant fixtures. It’s obvious Enzo has money. This place is fit for a princess like me. Too bad it’s Enzo’s house.
“And this… will be your room,” he says, showing me to a bedroom on the second floor. It’s soft and airy and everything a person would want in a room. Until I realize what he said.
“My room? We’re not going to share a room?”
He steps closer to me. “Not unless you want to. I thought it would be best you had your own room. I can’t make you sleep in the bathroom every night.” He pauses. “Well, I could and it would be amusing but I’m not going to do that.”
“You’re actually giving me my own room?”
“What do you say?”
I frown. “What?”
He motions at me and I realize what he wants. With a sigh, I mutter, “Thank you.”
“What was that?” he taunts.
“Thank you,” I snap.
He laughs to himself. God, he’s annoying. “Well, enjoy.”
I step into the room and gaze around it and before I can even react, Enzo shuts the door and turns the lock. With a gasp, I run to the door and pound on it. “Did you lock me in here?”
“I can’t hear you,” he says through the door.
“I know you can. Did you actually just lock me in here? Why?”
“I don’t trust you not to run. And this way, it’s more fun.” His footsteps grow quieter when he walks away.
“Enzo!” I scream, pounding on the door but he doesn’t come back. What. The. Hell? I can’t believe he just locked me in here. Well… I can believe it. He’s an asshole. I’ve always known. But to actually lock me in here? Hell no.
I’ve snuck out of my father’s house hundreds of times. I can do the same with Enzo’s house.
The problem is: I’m on the second floor and there’s no trellis on the side of the wall like at my dad’s house. But there is a tree across from my window. If I can reach it…
Fortunately, the window isn’t locked and opens easily. The tree is a little bit further than I was expecting but I can jump to it. I will die if I fall.
At least, I don’t think I will.
And honestly, would death be such a bad outcome? It would beat having to be married to an annoying ass like Enzo.
With a deep breath, I get onto the ledge of the window and I jump. My hands manage to grab one of the branches. Thank god.
Now all I have to do is scale down.
I huff and grunt as I swing my body towards the next trunk and I manage to make it. I can do this, I tell myself. I’m Kira Petrov. Strong and confident and unafraid.
Except, I do have fears and Enzo knows he’s one of them.
I keep making my way down the tree… until my hand slips and I fall.
I’m not that far from the ground but far enough that when I land on my feet, my ankle twists and I fall down. I wince from the searing pain through my ankle. It’s not broken but I twisted it badly. Shoot. That’s going to make running away challenging.
But I still get up and limp around the house towards the driveway. Every step causes pain through my ankle. I’ll need to see a doctor. Well, that’s a problem for another time.
My current problem is coming out of the house right now.
“Kira!” Enzo shouts, running towards me. I try to run myself but my ankle gives out and I fall to the ground. He stands over me, blocking out the sunlight. “How did you get out of your room?”
“The tree.”
He looks between me and the tree before sighing. “You’re insane.”
“No. You are. You locked me up!”
“And clearly it didn’t work. Get up. We’re going back inside.”
“I don’t have to listen to you.” I start to crawl away before Enzo grabs me around the waist and plants me on my feet… until I fall into his arms because the pain in my ankle is too much.
“Did you hurt yourself?” he asks, sounding actually concerned for me.
“My ankle,” I admit. “But I can handle it.” I try stepping on it only to cry out from the pain.
Enzo scoops me into his arms before I can even react.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Taking you to the hospital. You’re hurt. And if your brother and father think it was because of me, it won’t be good.”
“This is because of you.”
“No. This is because you’re insane and you jumped from a second-story window.”
“Because you locked me up!”
He tightens his arms around me. “I am going to get your ankle looked at. Now, stop being annoying.” Enzo takes me to his car and surprisingly sets me inside in a gentle manner.
I want to ask Enzo why he looks worried for me when he can’t stand me but the words get caught in my throat. But for some reason, his concern makes me want to smile.