Chapter 23
ENZO
After driving straight through to the lakehouse to drop off all Jenna’s clothes, we head to the dump she used to live in.
We ended up spending a week in Minneapolis. I couldn’t get enough of seeing Jenna’s face light up with excitement every time she experienced something new.
I also had to buy clothes for myself because I didn’t pack enough, and I let Jenna talk me into getting a pink shirt. She says it’s salmon, but I beg to differ.
For Jenna, I’ll wear the damn shirt.
After getting to spend seven nights sleeping in the same bed and holding her, it’s only solidified my feelings. In a short amount of time, she’s become the air I breathe. I’ve taken every opportunity to kiss her, and I’ve had to jerk off every night in the shower.
I’m happy. More than I’ve ever been in my life.
As I stop in front of the dilapidated house, I’m on high alert, and when Jenna climbs out of the passenger seat, I say, “Let’s make this quick. I don’t want to spend too much time here.”
“Okay.” She jogs to the front door, and I watch as she struggles to get the key to turn in the lock. “Shoot. Mrs. Lettner has already changed the locks. Let’s go to the back.”
I follow her around the side of the house, and when we get to the backyard, Jenna goes down on her knees and begins to dig.
“What are you doing, meu amor?”
“Cassia gave me money when we met.” She glances up at me before continuing. “I hid some of it here.”
I watch as she pulls a bag out of the ground, and when she dusts the sand off of it, I notice it can’t contain more than a couple of thousand.
She climbs to her feet and presses the bag to her chest. “This is all I wanted. I already took everything from the house that’s important to me.”
“Let’s get out of here,” I mutter.
We head back to the front yard, my eyes scanning the surrounding area as we walk to the SUV. Opening the passenger door, I wait for Jenna to get in before I shut it, then I jog around the vehicle and quickly slide in behind the steering wheel.
When we drive away, Jenna looks out the window at the house she lived in for I don’t know how long.
Unable to get a read on her emotions, I ask, “Are you sad?”
She shakes her head. “No, but it feels weird that it won’t be home anymore.”
“I’m your home now,” I murmur as I drive out of Aurora and head toward Tower.
When we put one mile after another behind us, I begin to relax and ask, “What should we have for dinner?”
“What were those half-moon-shaped pastries you gave me while I was still working at the gas station?”
“Rissóis. Did you like them?”
“A lot. I ate them all that same night.”
As we come around a bend, I have to slam on the brakes because a row of motorcycles is blocking our way. There must’ve been a scout I didn’t pick up on, because the bikers weren’t here when we drove through this stretch of road earlier.
I quickly pick up my phone and dial Santiago’s number, then shove it into Jenna’s hands. “Tell him where we are.”
“W-w-what?” she stammers.
I count fourteen men in total. I have ten bullets. It’s doable even though I might work up a sweat. I push the door open, and as I climb out, I take my gun from behind my back.
“Enzo!” Jenna cries.
“Close your eyes and cover your ears, meu anjinho,” I order. “This won’t take long.”
When I turn my attention to Ricky, there’s an arrogant smile on his face as he says, “You’re a hard man to track down.”
“Do you have my hundred and twenty-five thousand?” I ask, my tone mocking because it’s clear the idiots don’t have that kind of money.
Ricky lets out a chuckle. “No, we’re here to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.” He looks past me at the SUV, but he can’t see Jenna because of the tinted windows. “Sounds like you have your old lady with you. We’ll take her as payment for my men you killed and show her how real men fuck.”
I hear Jenna gasp, and not hesitating for a second, my arm flies up.
As I fire the first shot and the bullet hits Ricky between the eyes, some of the men reach for their guns.
There’s a lot of shouting, and it creates a sense of chaos among the fumbling idiots that gives me even more of an advantage.
They’re fucking slow, and I drop five more men before one of them fires a shot in my direction. I have no idea where the bullet goes, and as I empty my magazine on another four bikers, I break out into a run.
A bullet rips through the side of my jacket as I launch my body into the air, and twisting, I deliver a kick to the side of a biker’s head, sending him sprawling.
More bullets fly around me, but only one clips my shoulder before I land on my feet in a crouching position.
I quickly grab the gun the man dropped, and as I lunge forward, I bring up my arm and shoot the remaining three bikers who’ve started to run away.
I walk to the man I kicked, and even though I can just shoot him, I’m too angry and need to let off some steam.
He’s struggling to his feet as I come up behind him, and I slam the butt of the gun against his head, then watch as he falls forward onto his hands and knees. I deliver a kick to his gut, which has him toppling over.
Wheezing, he rolls onto his back and gives me a pleading look. “Wait. I have information.”
I drop down and shove my knee into his gut, and grabbing him by the shirt, I slam my fist into his nose, while growling, “You have nothing I want.”
“JJ,” he gasps as blood spurts from his nose, but before he can get another word out, I begin to lay into him, my fist repeatedly slamming into his face until I’m sure he’s dead.
I wipe my bloody hand off on his shirt before I climb to my feet, and picking up my gun along with the other one I used, I walk back to the SUV.
When I climb into the driver’s seat, I glance at Jenna and see that she has her eyes shut tightly and her fingers in her ears.
I touch her arm to get her attention, and her eyes pop open. “Is it over?”
“Yes.” I take in how pale she is, not liking it one bit.
She looks down, and it draws my attention to the phone, where it’s lying on her lap. Seeing the call hasn’t ended, I quickly pick up the device and say, “Hi.”
“What the fuck? I swear, you’ll make me old long before my children do,” Santiago roars in my ear. “What happened? Where are you?”
“We’re about ten miles from the lakehouse,” I mutter. “The bikers intercepted me, and I killed them. Fourteen this time. I took out the president, so I think I got all of them. The remaining stragglers shouldn’t be a problem.”
“So, it’s done? No action for me and Dominik? That’s selfish, brother.”
I let out a chuckle. “I have to go. Jenna is with me.”
“Fuck. Give her sugar water for the shock.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll send out a team to see if the mess is cleanable,” he offers.
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that. We’re leaving soon, but I don’t want the deaths linked to me. It’s not good for business.”
“We’ll come over later so we can discuss everything.”
“Okay.”
I end the call, then pull the door shut and start the engine.
Jenna’s dead quiet as I drive to the lakehouse, and once I stop the SUV and get out, I tell Oscar, “Same thing as before. Wipe it down and get rid of it after you’ve unloaded all the bags. Take everything to the main bedroom.”
“Yes, sir.”
I walk around the vehicle and open the door for my woman, and when she climbs out, she slams into my chest and wraps her arms around me.
I hug her to me before I lead her into the house and to the living room. As I drop down on the nearest couch, I grab her hips and pull her onto my lap, forcing her to straddle me.
The position makes the skirt she’s wearing bunch around her thighs, and I have to force myself to keep my hands away from her creamy thighs.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I apologize.
“It was gruesome,” she whispers while she places her arms around my neck and buries her face against me.
“How much did you see, meu amor?”
“Only until you kicked that guy.”
“Foda-se,” I hiss.
That’s practically everything.
I grab her by the back of her neck and pull her face away from me so I can lock eyes with her. “Next time I say close your eyes, you do it immediately. Understand?”
She nods quickly, then her eyebrows draw together, and she looks at me in a way she hasn’t before.
“What?”
“I know you’ve said I’m safe with you and you’ll protect me, but seeing you do all of that…” her tongue darts out to wet her lips, “…it just really brought it home that you meant what you said.” Wonder fills her eyes. “And that you’re very good at what you do.”
When Oscar and two other guards walk through the foyer to carry the bags upstairs, Jenna glances at them. I grab hold of her jaw and turn her head back to me. “Don’t look at them. I want all your attention.”
A smile begins to form around her mouth. “Are you jealous?”
“When it comes to you? Always.”
She pushes against my hold, and when I let go of her jaw, she closes the distance and presses a soft kiss to my mouth before pulling back.
Jenna has been doing that more, giving me little pecks, but today it’s not enough. I frame the sides of her head, and crush my mouth to hers, taking what I need more than my next breath.
I don’t hold back like I’ve been doing, the remnants of my anger and ruthlessness in every stroke of my tongue as I devour her.
Jenna grips the lapels of my suit jacket, but when I begin to bite and massage her lips, her palms move up and down my chest, and it feels as if she can’t get enough of touching me.
I’ve made so much progress with her, that when I break the kiss and our eyes meet, I see desire written all over her face.
She’s almost ready for me. First, I’ll show her the true meaning of pleasure before I claim her body.
As the guards come back down into the open space by the living room, Jenna wisely keeps her gaze on me. I hear them shut the front door as they leave, and knowing we’re alone, I climb to my feet and hold her tightly to me as I carry her to the bedroom.
When I lay her down on the bed, I can see her anxiety rising, and it has me reassuring her. “I’m not going to fuck you. I’ll remain dressed. This moment is just for you, meu amor. Stay right here and don’t move.”
She watches me with wide eyes when I straighten up, and as I remove my jacket, I go to the bathroom and quickly wash my hands.
When I come out of the bathroom, I slowly walk to where Jenna’s still lying on the bed.
“Good girl,” I praise her. Leaning over her, I brace my hand beside her head and press a tender kiss to her lips.
“If at any time, I do something you don’t like, just tell me to stop, and I will.
Okay?” She nods quickly, and once again I say, “I’m remaining fully clothed, so don’t worry at all and just focus on the pleasure I’m going to give you. ”
Her features are tight with nervousness, but my little angel is brave and nods. “Okay.”