Page 36 of King of the Bronx

Chapter Fifteen

Raven

After Enzo left, I went back to sleep for a couple hours and then decided it was time to pull myself together. I’m alive, he hadn’t killed me, but I had to figure a way out of this mess. I took a shower and changed into a long sleeve dress. Not long after Enzo left, Cal came through the front door and dropped a bag of clothes and toiletries on the kitchen table without a word. I was grateful because the last thing I want to do was wear Enzo’s clothes.

I felt better once my face wasn’t caked in dried tears and makeup. Bello followed me around the house as I got ready like I was actually going somewhere, though I knew full well that I was trapped.

I didn’t even have my phone to call Erica and let her know I was safe. What if the Irish come back while I was gone? No, Enzo said he still had his guard at the door. But would that really keep them out? Would Enzo really make an effort to protect my business? A week ago, I might had said yes, but with everything going on now, I didn’t know anymore. I had no idea what he was thinking. He probably saw me as a thief and nothing more. I hated the way it made my heart ache.

I walked around the apartment, exploring the rooms I hadn’t seen yet. The one next to the master bedroom was his office. There was a black desk in the center. It had that rustic look to it like the rest of the apartment. I should’ve closed the door, but something drew me inside. I took a step into the room, expecting Bello to follow behind me, but he laid down outside the door, like he knew we weren’t supposed to be in there. I wondered how much time Enzo actually spent in the office. From the short amount of time I’ve been around him, it didn’t seem like he was someone to sit at a desk for hours on end. The floor creaked as I crossed the room to the desk. I ran my hand over the smooth surface. The rest of the room was pretty empty. There wasn’t any books or piles of paperwork, just one built in shelf behind the desk that held a wooden decorative toolbox, two fake plants, and a wire basket with nothing in it. He must’ve had an interior designer decorate the place because I couldn’t imagine him picking out these items on his own.

“Stealing and snooping?”

I jumped at his deep voice, turning to see him leaning against the door frame. He wore the same clothes he left the house in hours earlier.

I shrugged, trying to appear casual. “You left me alone.”

He scoffed. “You have an excuse for everything, don’t you?”

I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms over my chest. “If you aren’t going to kill me, why are you keeping me here?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think I’m not going to kill you?”

“Because you would have done it already.”

When he killed that man at the brothel, he hadn’t thought twice. If he’d planned to kill me, it would already be done.

He pushed off the wall and walked out the door. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

I followed after him into his bedroom, where he sat on the edge of the bed. I opened my mouth, but he beat me to it.

“I know why you took the money,” he said as he removed one shoe and let it drop on the floor with a thud.

“I told you I didn’t have a choice.”

“You could have told me,” he said, looking up to see my reaction. I tried to keep my facial expression under control. I could’ve told him, but that would have been an even bigger risk. If he’d turned me away, I would have had no way to get the money.

He sighed, untied his other shoe, and let it drop before he walked into the en suite bathroom and closed the door. I stood there for a minute until I heard the sound of the water going. Without thinking too much about it, I barged into the bathroom. He stood under the water, letting it run over his hair. The muscles in his back looked even more ripped as the water ran down every crevice. He must have heard me come in, but he didn’t react. I swallowed, trying not to get sidetracked by his hard ass. I could bounce a quarter off that ass.

“If you know I had to steal from you, that I didn’t have another choice, why am I here? Thirty-thousand dollars is nothing to you.” I waved my hand around, indicating the apartment. “Why don’t you just let me go?”

He turned to face me, his dick at full attention. I quickly averted my attention back up to his face. At one point, I would have stripped down and got in the shower with him, but now, all I could see was red.

“If you aren’t going to get in with me, you can get out,” he said. His voice didn’t come out harsh. It sounded more like he was stating a fact. Did he really want me to get in with him? Even after all that had happened last night? Not giving it too much thought, I walked away from him and slammed the bathroom door shut.

*****

I sat on the couch with Bello next to me as I flipped through the channels on the TV. It had been so long since I watched television, I don’t even recognize any of the shows. I landed on a medical mystery show and tried to forget about the situation I was in. What I really needed was a drink. Maybe I could raid Enzo’s cabinets later and come up with a concoction. It’s nearly five o’clock, so it’s not too early for a cocktail.

After the strange shower encounter last night, I slept on the couch with Bello. This was starting to become my favorite place in the apartment. I still didn’t understand what Enzo’s game was. He hasn’t killed me so why keep me here? Bello’s head popped up in curiosity, then a knock sounded at the front door. I jumped at the unexpected noise but didn’t make a move to open it. It wasn’t my house, anyways. Plus, I’m sure one of the many large men that take orders from Enzo was standing guard. A moment later, the doorknob turned, and a young girl poked her head inside. She couldn’t be more than sixteen.

I sat up straight on the couch.

“Bello,” the girl called, taking a step inside. Bello jumped off the couch and raced toward the door. Well, if Bello deemed the stranger safe, I guess I could too. I stood up and followed behind Bello.

“Oh hello. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here,” the girl said, her cheeks turned a bright red. She was dressed in a pair of purple yoga pants and a loose tank top.

“I’m Raven.”

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