Chapter 3 #2
After loading everything into Enzo’s SUV, we went back inside with our carts. Enzo handed me a stack of the money my dad had given him. “Have fun. Get paper bags instead of the plastic ones so you can hide what’s inside and we know which bags are the Christmas ones.”
“Good idea. Meet you at the car when I’m done.”
Enzo winked at me and my stomach knotted. As he walked away, I asked, “How many presents are we getting?”
He glanced over his shoulder at me and shrugged. “Five?”
Smiling, I nodded. “Okay.”
Even though we didn’t know each other, I was looking forward to this little activity. It really brought some brightness to a bleak situation, and I was grateful to Enzo for trying to cheer me up. He didn’t owe me anything. I mean my dad was paying him, but he didn’t have to do more than protect me.
Since I didn’t know Enzo, I wasn’t sure what to get him. Socks? A tie? Cologne? What did you get the man who basically had your life in his hands?
I went to the Christmas section, hoping I wouldn’t run into Enzo.
I figured he was letting me choose the Christmas decorations since I was so upset about missing the holiday.
As I went down the aisles, I grabbed similar decorations that I was used to seeing around my house at Christmas time.
I also grabbed wrapping paper and gift bags so that we could wrap our gifts later.
After I was satisfied that I had gotten all the decorations I needed, I went to the men’s section, hoping I would get some ideas about what to get Enzo that wasn’t lame or cliche.
I hadn’t noticed him a watch, so I thought one of those smart watches that could link to his phone might be a good gift. One down, four to go.
Given that Enzo had a cabin in the mountains, plus cleaned up crimes for the mafia, I decided to get him a fancy survival kit. It seemed like something he would like, or at least get a laugh out of.
I went to the electronics section, and decided to get him a wireless charging station that could charge the new watch I got him along with his phone and earbuds. You could never have too many chargers, in my opinion.
Then, I walked by one of the endcap displays. A smile tipped my lips and I giggled; a millennial like him would love something like this, even though I’d never seen one before.
I grabbed one of the boxes for the retro gaming system and put it in my cart. I needed just one more gift, and then I would be done.
I walked around the store aimlessly for several minutes, trying to figure out what to get Enzo for his last gift. I went back to the Christmas section since they had tons of gift sets, and hoped I could find one that wasn’t too lame.
I saw a heated massage pad that fit over a chair. Given what Enzo did for a living, I figured he probably had some stress in his life working with high-maintenance mob bosses.
Pleased with myself, I went to check out with a smile on my face.
Enzo had his SUV pulled up front by the time I walked out. The back opened up as I approached and I had to stop myself from peeking in the paper bags that were already there.
Once I loaded my bags, I hopped in the back seat and closed the door. The car was already heated and the chill from outside quickly dissipated.
I brought my eyes up to the rear view mirror, finding Enzo looking at me. “Find everything you wanted?”
I was pretty proud of myself. Grinning widely, I nodded. “Yep. I can’t wait until we exchange gifts.”
He chuckled. “Well, I’m glad you’re excited. I didn’t want to spend the next few weeks with a grinch.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and scoffed. “I have every right to be a grinch thank you very much. You’re lucky I’m not having a mental breakdown right now.”
He shrugged, then started driving, fighting laughter. “This is going to be a fun month.”
Ignoring his comment, I rolled my eyes. “How long is the drive to your cabin?”
“About two and a half hours, so get comfortable.”
I dug through the bags in the back, looking for one of the plush blankets I had picked out. “No peeking,” Enzo chastised.
“I’m not, I’m looking for my blanket.” When I found it, I grabbed it and hugged it tightly, feeling a bit of comfort in the soft fabric. Before I turned around, I decided I wanted the new pillow I’d gotten also.
When I turned around, I made eye contact in the mirror and narrowed my eyes. “You told me to get comfortable so that’s what I’m doing,” I stated, wrapping the blanket around me and propping the pillow against the door.
A smirk curved his lips and his eyes darkened ever so slightly before he looked away.
My abdomen tightened again, and I wondered if the pull I was feeling was genuine or some sort of knight in shining armor effect.
Yeah, that had to be it. Anything other than that would be crazy given what I just went through. I shouldn’t even be thinking about men.
Then, why couldn’t I stop thinking about Enzo and his handsome smirk?
We drove for a few minutes in silence before I asked, “So, is cleaning up dead bodies the only thing you do for a living?”
I saw his brow arch in the rear-view mirror.
“What? I’d like to know who I’m spending the next month with.”
That sexy smirk made an appearance again and heat simmered in my stomach. “No. I’m an EMT.”
Damn, that made him even sexier. Stop it, Gia. You just got married today, even if you killed your husband in self-defense.
“Makes sense,” I said, trying to play it cool even though I thought that was a bad ass job. “Well, sort of.”
He chuckled. “What do you mean?”
“Well, they are kind of the same but also opposite. Like you clean up dead bodies for the mafia, but then you’re saving lives when you’re at your real job. They both require a similar set of skills and a level head, but they are very different roles.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “I guess you’re right. I’ve never thought of it that way.”
I felt my cheeks heat when we made eye-contact in the mirror. “Aren’t you going to get in trouble at work for being gone so long?”
“Nah, I save up all my time off for the last month of the year. I don’t have to go back until after New Year’s Eve.”
“Well, that worked out in my favor then.” Feeling a rush of embarrassment, I darted my eyes away and nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “My dad’s favor, I mean,” I corrected.
Enzo chuckled. “I guess it did.”
A lump formed in my throat and I coughed to clear it. “How did you get into cleaning up dead bodies for the mob?”
He responded with a hearty laugh. “What is it with you and dead bodies?”
I gave him a sheepish smile and shrugged. “I listen to a lot of true crime documentaries. I’ve always known what happens behind closed doors because of my dad’s business, but I’ve never experienced it firsthand.”
His brows furrowed. “Are you sure you want me to bore you with this?”
“Yes. Did you not hear that I’m a true crime junkie?”
He chuckled. “Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He adjusted himself in his seat, as if getting comfortable to tell the long story before continuing. “My father is a doctor. And before he retired, he used to treat some of the mafia on the side whenever they were wounded.”
I nodded, seeing where the story was going. “I started helping my dad as he neared retirement. Then, when he retired, I took over completely. After a few months, some capos started asking if I’d be interested in disposing of bodies and cleaning up the crime scenes.”
“That’s a big jump. Why?”
He shrugged. “Most of the capos thought that my meticulous work on patching up wounds would translate well to cleaning up bodies.”
“I guess I could see someone coming to that conclusion.”
“What? I can see your mind working,” Enzo commented, drawing my eyes up to his in the mirror.
“Why did you accept? Most people are grossed out by dead bodies.”
“Not me. And not you either, apparently.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Just because I’m a true crime junkie doesn’t mean I’m not grossed out by dead bodies.”
“True. But to answer your question, several reasons. One, you don’t say no to the mob, two, the money, and three, it gives me an adrenaline rush.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. “Of course you’re an adrenaline junkie.”
He chuckled. “I am. One of the reasons I became an EMT; constant adrenaline rush when I’m on the job. Keeps me on my toes.”
My lips curved up. “Doesn’t disposing of dead bodies go against your code of conduct or something?”
He laughed harder. “My conscience isn’t that pure. And me cleaning up crime scenes doesn’t affect whether or not the crime is committed. People are being killed regardless of whether I dispose of them or not.”
“I guess you have a point,” I mused.
My eyes started to feel heavy and I fought a yawn. Enzo chuckled. “Get some rest, True Crime Junkie.”
I rolled my eyes, but didn’t argue. I was still exhausted, despite the short naps I’d taken earlier. Covering myself with my new blanket, I curled up against the door and laid against the pillow I’d propped against the window moments earlier.
It took only a few moments until I fell asleep.