4. Rocco
4
ROCCO
T he thing I find the most interesting about Leo Costa is how expressive his face is. In the few social media photos he posted of himself, I can clearly see how much he dislikes being out and about in public. How his thoughts are a million miles away and he’d rather be anywhere else.
I felt the same discomfort rolling off him as he walked toward our table. His posture was stiff and his face was pinched. But that innate awkwardness wasn’t enough to sate my need to watch him unravel—to break him down and make him cry.
Eventually I’ll see his angelic face stained with tears again.
The sunlight streaming through the window next to us hits him just right, giving him an ethereal glow. Like a real life, innocent angel. But as he sits across from me, picking at his antipasto , all I see is his blank face, void of any clues that can tell me what he thinks about my offer. Or how it makes him feel.
It doesn’t matter in the end, because he doesn’t really have a choice. He will take my offer. There’s no other option I’d accept. Because whether Leo likes it or not, the day he took that bullet for me, he became mine.
My toy to do with as I please.
I need to see his face twist in agonizing pain, and know I’m the one who makes him feel something. I need to watch him break down, then build him back up again. Corrupt him over and over, until my pure innocent is as dirty and fucked up as I am.
“Excuse me?” he asks, as if he didn’t hear me quite right, despite knowing that he did. His medical records mentioned nothing about hearing loss.
“Whatever I say. Most days you’d work as my private chef or personal assistant, but other days I may have you do odd jobs or assist in whatever else I deem necessary.” I keep the description vague, because I highly doubt telling him he’d be my personal plaything would go over well.
He chews his bottom lip and his eyes slightly drift toward the window as he loses himself in thought. His silence as he ponders my offer is unnerving, and I don’t enjoy waiting.
“I already have a job, Mr. Vettore, but thank you for the offer,” he responds after a few minutes.
“I can pay you at least double what you’re making at the restaurant, Leo. Enough to build a savings. Financial security can make a world of difference…”
His face pales when he realizes I know about his finances, but he schools his features into a mask of indifference. “I enjoy working at Squisito and I get by just fine. No thank you.”
“You’re legacy Nueva Notte . Riccardo was an amazing soldier. You’ll bypass the initiation and won’t have to do anything illegal while working for me.”
Leo’s brows dip, a flash of anger striking his soft facial features. As quickly as they appear, they’re gone. He places his napkin on the table, then pushes out of his chair.
“Riccardo was a good soldier, but he was a terrible father. An absent one I barely remember. Another reason I can’t accept your offer. If you excuse me, I have to leave. Thank you for lunch.”
Sigh. Fly away, angel. I’ll catch you and clip your wings soon enough.
“I’m sure you’ll change your mind, Leo,” I call after him as he strides out of the private dining experience I had arranged for us. All that work, just for him to walk away. He hasn’t even tried the lamb chops and couscous entree.
I know he’ll change his mind. Because whatever I want, I get. Asking was simply a formality so he felt like he had some measure of control over his decision.
Giuseppe calls me, most likely with an update I won’t like.
“Boss, he declined a ride home, and is walking toward the subway entrance a few blocks away. What do you want me to do?”
“If he wants to travel like a peasant, let him. Confirm that he returns home in one piece,” I answer before ending the call.
Money isn’t enough of a motivator for Leo Costa. I open the file my cousins made for me on my phone and scroll down, finding an image of him hugging his sisters at a park. He looks happy in this photo, present . Like he doesn’t want to be anywhere else. That’s truly adorable.
Seems like I found a way to make him fall in line. I’ll have to be a little more forceful in acquiring my new toy.