Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Enzo
Ihad a good amount of time to think on the drive up to my cabin.
When I was young, I used to hate the long trip, dreading the waiting game from the time we left until the time we arrived.
But now, I enjoyed the peace and quiet as I drove through the picturesque scenery.
It was a nice change from the fast pace of my everyday life.
My parents used to bring my brother and me up to the cabin every summer when we were young, as far back as I could remember. We’d even been a couple of times after we graduated high school, but the annual family trips stopped soon after we became adults.
A smile curved my lips as memories of our trips played in my mind.
I’d had some of the best times of my life there.
I was trying to get back into making annual visits, but my brother had enlisted in the military shortly after he’d turned twenty-one so he hadn’t been since the last time we all went as a family.
And my parents were too old to make the trip alone on a regular basis, but they’d come with me sometimes.
Glancing at Gianina sleeping in the rear view mirror, I grinned. When I realized I was smiling, I forced myself to stop. I didn’t need to get caught up with a capo’s daughter that I couldn’t have.
That would be asking for a painful death.
I was trying to make her comfortable but I couldn’t deny that I was balancing the line between courteous and flirtatious. I liked making her smile and laugh. And seeing her flush made my dick twitch.
Stop thinking like that. You can’t have her.
So of course I wanted her more.
When I’d first been assigned this task, I wasn’t looking forward to it. But the more time I spent with Gianina, the more I enjoyed the thought of spending a month with her.
A month secluded in the mountains. Alone.
The possibility that the power would go out was almost a certainty with the winter storm coming. Which meant using body heat to help stay warm.
My cock started to get hard. I couldn’t deny that thinking about warming her petite body with mine turned me on.
I shook my head, trying to dispel the thoughts from my mind. That would lead down a dangerous road that would get me in trouble.
Trying to get my mind off of Gianina, I tried to focus on the steps I needed to take once we arrived at the cabin. Unpacking the car, perimeter security, supply inventory, and getting the house in order.
Once I got Gianina settled, I could set up traps and all my surveillance equipment to prepare for the worst case scenario: being found.
If Domenic was able to find out about my cabin, some of the other capos probably could, too. They had almost limitless connections using their money and intimidation.
And that made me nervous.
The war between the families was undeniably going to get ugly fast, and the Sorellos would want an eye for an eye.
And that meant a child for a child. Finding Gianina would be their number one priority, and if they found out I was involved, they would start digging into my life.
Gripping the steering wheel tighter, I let out a frustrated breath. Why did I agree to this again?
I tried not to think about the situation since it was out of my control. I’d agreed to the job, and I had to deal with the consequences. I needed to focus on what I could control and do the best I could with the circumstances I’d been dealt.
What was good about my cabin was that it was nestled on the back end of several acres. The drive from the main road to the actual cabin was more than a mile of rough terrain surrounded by trees.
So if the Sorellos did discover the location of my cabin, they still had their work cut out for them to actually find us.
Once we got to the cabin, Gianina was still asleep. I couldn’t even imagine how drained she was after what she went through.
A smirk curved my lips as I thought about the tiny mob princess defending herself against someone almost twice her size. She had some balls on her.
It was still dark out, but the sun would be rising soon. I decided to leave the car on while I got one of the rooms ready for Gianina, then I would carry her inside.
Nostalgia warmed me despite the chilly air as I got out of my car and looked at the cabin that had been a pillar in my life for as long as I could remember.
I just hoped it was still standing when this trip was over.
When I went inside and turned the lights and heater on, everything was just as we’d left it the last time. I’d come with my parents that summer so it wasn’t too dusty.
Opening up the room my brother and I shared when we were kids, I looked around. I couldn’t help but laugh as I thought about Gianina staying in that room and how it was nothing like the accommodations she was used to. The whole cabin was smaller than the penthouse suite we’d just come from.
And it definitely wasn’t Fiji.
I pulled back the covers on the bed. Then I went out to the car to get Gianina and carried her to the bed, laid her down, then covered her.
A smile inexplicably curved my lips. Her mouth was wide open and it was one of the most adorable things I’d ever seen. She’d be mortified if something like this was posted on her precious social media.
When I realized I was grinning like a fool, I forced myself to stop.
Get a hold of yourself, Enz.
I went back outside to get everything out of the back, then turned off the car. I took one of the extra comforters we’d bought and laid it on top of Gianina. Then, I turned off the light and closed the door behind me.
I decided to make some coffee. I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I got some security set up. Even though Domenic said we would have at least a week, I wanted to be prepared. I was a worst-case scenario type of guy, and that would be the Sorellos on my doorstep tomorrow.
After organizing my weapons, getting my motion sensors and flood lights set up, then reinforcing the locks on the doors and windows, I was satisfied that was enough until tomorrow.
Even though I hadn’t been through a traumatic event like Gianina, I hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours and I was wiped.
I went into the master bedroom and kicked my shoes off. Then I collapsed on the bed, knocking out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
The sound of dishes clattering startled me awake. It took a few seconds for me to realize where I was.
And who I was with.
I sprang out of bed, then went out to the adjoining living room. From there, I saw Gianina fumbling around in the kitchen.
When she saw me, she froze, wincing. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”
I shrugged. “It’s okay. I need to get everything situated here anyway.”
Her full lips formed a sad pout. I frowned when I noticed the bruising on her cheek. “I’m sorry. I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done so far so I thought I’d try to cook breakfast.”
I arched a brow. “Try?”
“Well, I haven’t learned to cook much. We had a private chef so I didn’t need to.”
I tried to stifle a laugh, but failed. Gianina frowned, narrowing her eyes at me. “Don’t start.”
Raising my hands in surrender, I chuckled. “You kind of walked into that one.”
She rolled her eyes, then whirled around and went back to whatever she was cooking on the stove. “I know how to make a few things. One of them is scrambled eggs.” She waved her spatula around. “Plus, it’s not hard to toast bread and heat some sausage patties in a pan.”
“That’s true.” I rubbed the back of my neck, then stretched the sleep from my body. “I appreciate the gesture.”
“No problem.” After stirring the eggs for a few seconds, she started opening cabinets. “Where are your plates?”
“Top cabinet to the right of the stove,” I answered.
Opening the cabinet, she grabbed two plates, then scooped some eggs on each one.
The smell of burning filled the air, and I frowned. Gianina sniffed the air and gasped, “The toast!”
A couple of seconds later, the toaster popped up four slices of burnt bread. I laughed, “It takes some serious skill to burn toast.”
Gianina growled in frustration, throwing a dish towel at me. “Shut up.”
I went over to the toaster, taking the bread out and tossing them in the trash.
Grabbing one of the nearby loaves of bread, I pulled out four slices, popped them in the toaster, lowered the setting, then pushed the lever down.
“No big deal - I bought a ton of bread. I should actually put some of the loaves in the freezer.”
After I did that, I grabbed the butter from the fridge. When I turned around, Gianina was holding up a plate of eggs and sausage.
A smile involuntarily spread over my lips as I took the plate from her. “Thanks.”
She smiled back, and her cheeks turned pink. “You’re welcome.”
Our eyes met, and the tension started to build with each passing second. She bit down on her bottom lip, drawing my attention to that pretty mouth of hers.
Damn, I’d give anything to taste her.
After a few seconds, the toaster popped. Gianina startled, ending the moment between us. I cleared my throat. “Toast is ready.”
Gianina forced a laugh. “Yeah.”
As we sat down to eat, I asked, “Did you sleep okay?”
She nodded. “Better than I have in months, actually.”
I arched a brow. “Really? I didn’t think the room would be up to your standards.”
She sighed. “You are never going to let this go, are you?”
I shrugged. “Probably not.”
Shaking her head, she fought a laugh. “This is actually better than I expected. It’s so quaint and cozy; like out of book or movie.”
I chuckled. “Well, I’m glad you’re comfortable. Makes my job easier.”
Her face seemed to fall a little and she started picking at her food. “Yeah.”
I’m not sure what I said that caused the shift in her demeanor, but I could feel the awkward tension in the air. “Want some coffee?” I asked, standing up.
She shrugged, sarcasm lacing her answer, “I don’t want to make your job harder. I can take care of myself.”
I scoffed. “Don’t take it personal, kid. I didn’t mean it like that.”