Days had passed since the declaration of her permanent stay at Eskil's, and she made it a point not to text Enzo. She was still bent out of shape over the entire ordeal. Every now and then, especially at night, she would think of the things he had told her—starting with the most important one: he was heir to a mafia empire. Not a gang, not some small-time criminal operation, but a full-blown mafia. She groaned as she leaned back against the headboard of the bed and rubbed her palm over her face. What was she even doing? She was forced to sit and stew in it all, considering she couldn't go home, despite her demands, because there was someone out there still with a hit on Enzo.
This was only the first of many, she was sure.
Then there was the Eskil situation. The thought of it almost made her chuckle in disbelief. Not only was Enzo sleeping with a man, but that man was older—probably a mix of Enzo's age and her own combined. And to top it off, he had her locked away in his room, doing with her as he pleased while he had his cake and ate it too. At first, she despised him and everything he did to her from the night he took her back to his home, but as the months went on, she’d grown fond of Enzo.
And then, of course, it all went to shit. Go figure. If that wasn’t her life in a nutshell, she didn’t know what else to call it.
A long sigh escaped her as she finally moved off the bed—an almost impossible feat as of late—but she wanted to shower. She still hand-washed her clothes every morning and had to sleep in Eskil’s stupid T-shirts. She would demand new clothes be delivered, because she simply couldn’t live like this.
Rayne grabbed a towel and left her room, thankful to find no sign of Eskil. She knew better than to try and leave. To put it simply, she didn’t want his mole getting a hold of her. She would comply for now, but she made it a point to tell Enzo he better take care of that mole. Once he did, she was going home, permanently.
In the bathroom, she ran the shower until it was hot, dropping the shirt at her feet and stepping in. The warm stream of water through her hair brought some satisfaction—a moment of peace away from her racing thoughts. When she was done, she stepped out and grabbed a towel, drying her hair before wrapping it around her slender frame.
Forgetting to bring her washed clothes from the night before, she was forced to retreat back to her room. But when she entered, she was confused to find clothes laid out on her bed, along with a cellphone and a laptop. Her brows furrowed as she left the room again. She heard nothing but smelled food cooking in the kitchen. Maybe Eskil was kind enough to bring her the clothes and had just missed her before the shower.
"Eskil?" she called out, walking toward the kitchen and around the corner. But when she saw who was actually in the kitchen, her features hardened. It wasn’t Eskil. It was Enzo, the one who had brought her the clothes, and now he was cooking.
She sucked her teeth and exhaled a long sigh. "Go home, Enzo. Eskil isn’t here."
With a dismissive wave of her hand, she turned to head back to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.
When he steps into the apartment, it’s quiet. Setting a bag of groceries down on the kitchen counter, a quick snoop reveals that Eskil is gone and Rayne is showering. Perfect. Dropping a bag of clothes on her bed for her to find, Enzo disappears back into the kitchen, switching on some music as he goes. A low and slow melody fills the room. Just as he is with everything else in his life, Enzo is methodical in the way he cooks. He sets out all the pots and pans he needs first before he moves onto prep. It does take a minute to find everything in this new apartment. Deft fingers grip a knife as he slices and dices, something he learned from summers spent in Italy under his grandmothers scrutiny. She used to scold him for complaining, stating that every man should know how to cook at least one good meal. Tonight, he’s cooking one of her recipes - she’d be rolling in her grave that he’s not making fresh pasta though. A simple white sauce that he’s added chicken to over angel hair pasta.
He’s busy searing the chicken when he hears the shower shut off and the bathroom door open. Raynes voice filters through the apartment a few moments later. Eskil? He makes a conscious effort to not be annoyed by that, she is staying in Eskils apartment after all. It’s followed by the sound of her bare feet padding down the hall before she emerges, still damp and wrapped in only her towel. Turning, Enzo doesn’t bother to hide the way his eyes trace every inch of her exposed skin, a slow smirk curling his lips. The moment she lays eyes on him, her attitude sours and she dismisses him with a flick of her hand. ”I’m making you dinner.” He calls down the hallway before her bedroom slams. Unperturbed, he goes back to finishing cooking. Glassware clicks gently as he sets the table while the pasta finishes cooking.
The cork to a wine bottle pops in the kitchen before he fills two glasses. White tonight, it goes better with the pasta than a red. All things that his grandmother had beaten into his thick skull. She had taken to teaching him things after his mother died, she claimed he needed someone civilized in his life before she disappeared into the pantry grumbling about his father. It’s quick work, making two plates and putting a third in the microwave for Eskil, whenever he returns.
Wine glass in hand, he disappears down the hall, making a beeline to Raynes room. He doesn’t knock before he pushes the door open, letting it tap lightly against the wall. Leaning against the doorframe, it gets some of the weight off his chest - alleviates some of his discomfort - so he can take his time soaking her in. The room she stays in is set up with the bare necessities, it’s not decorated over the top, it’s very Eskil. Her towel has been abandoned on the bed and he immediately seeks her out, not the least bit shy in his hopes that he might catch her still naked. ”Dinners ready.”
"Why the fuck is he here..." She grumbles to herself as she discards the towel on the bed, making note that she will hang it up once finished. She lays the clothes out on the bed, annoyed that he pays enough attention to her to know what she likes alongside what he likes to see her in. An annoyed breath expels from her lips as she picks out a knee high, casual dress, with a fresh pair of underwear and... where are the bras? She rolls her eyes, just like Enzo to think she doesn't need them, or he would prefer to see her perky nipples through fabric. "Fucking asshole," she mutters under her breath as she puts everything else in the dressers. She starts by brushing her hair through, slick and damp against her back before her slender fingers grab the dress as she slips it over her head. Before she can get it down over her shoulders she hears the door bump against the wall, her chin tilting over her shoulder to see Enzo staring back at her bare back and ass.
Dinners ready.
She pretends not to hear him as she continues to slip the fabric over her shoulders, pulling each arm through and patting the fabric over her ass. She then grabs her panties, which weirdly enough she puts on second, and slides one leg into each hole as she shimmies them up over her thighs and ass, then fixes the fabric of the dress back over. Rayne turns to find him still standing there, gawking, not surprising her at all.
Her arms cross across her breast so he is unable to see her perky nipples through the fabric of the dress. As he stands there she watches him in silence, not mad enough to apparently still drink him in. God why is he so fucking hot. She could punch herself right in the face, annoyed by the hold he has on her. And how long has it been since they'd been intimate? Fuck. Why was she even thinking about that.
The scowl on her face remains as she moves to the door, freezing in front of him for a second as she looks at him as though she's going to say something—but doesn't. "Move," she brushes by him and makes way to the kitchen where she sees the food laid out on a table set for two. Pasta that smells amazing, for one, and two, she is a sucker for an Italian dish...and man, apparently. Fucking stupid, she thinks to herself. There is one thing she's missing that she does enjoy, and that's a warmed buttered bread to take in with her pasta. She toasts the bread and take the butter out of the fridge, cutting off a piece and placing it on a plate to soften a bit. Rayne's grown to learn where everything is in the apartment. When she opens the microwave, she sees a third dish, for Eskil. How thoughtful of Enzo to think of his boyfriend. "Cute," she says coolly as she closes the microwave and faces him. "So it's not dinner for us, it's dinner for us and Eskil." Rayne inhales a sharp breath and grabs her plate from the dining room table, along with her wine, and makes way back to the bedroom.
"Thanks," she doesn't bother looking over her shoulder, and firmly closes the door behind her with a kick of her heel.
Standing with her back to him, her bare ass is on display and Enzo has zero complaints. Dinner drifts farther and farther from his mind, especially when she looks over her shoulder to glare at him. He offers her a seductive smile. Rayne goes back to ignoring him, pulling one of the dresses over her head and down her body. A comment about her lack of panties is on the tip of his tongue when she jerks them up her legs - as if it were an actual barrier that could keep him out. Still, he enjoys the show as she flashes her ass at him once more before she pulls her dress back down and pats it into place. Amusement flickers in his mismatched eyes when she finally turns to face him. Braless, something she tries to hide by crossing her arms defiantly.
He’d intentionally not bought any bras, not that she needs one to begin with. The only bras he purchased are lace, barely bras at all - something to decorate his floor with later when he discards it.
And then her eyes on him. A brow arches in silent question and invitation. He can damn near feel her eyes on him, remembering every thing he’s ever done to do. That arrogance slips into his eyes, telling her he knows exactly what she sees, what she’s thinking.
Stalking towards, he doesn’t expect a warm welcome, not with the daggers in her eyes. Move. She snaps, once again full of piss and vinegar. He doesn’t say anything, he only leans back, an arm sweeping out like he’s offering her to go first down the hall. Trailing after her, they both return to the kitchen and he thinks she might actually be tamed - for the moment - with food. Enzo pulls out their chairs while she rummages through the cupboards, pulling out bread and then butter from the fridge.
He’s patiently waiting when she opens the microwave and stares at its content for a moment. The sigh that threatens to leave his lips is silenced. Just barely. It’s all the ignition she needs. Angrily, she grabs her plate and wine, her snarky remark grating against his patience. ”Well, contrary to popular belief, I’m not rude. This is his house, his kitchen.” He points, diligent in the way he keeps his tone neutral. Stalking out of the kitchen, he barely hears her barked “thanks” before her door once again slams shut. Now he sighs.
Snatching his own plate and wine glass off the table, he walks back down the hall. And walking, it’s a real bitch lately. It got easier every day, but it didn’t come as effortlessly as it once did. Flinging open her door with a bit more force than actually necessary, it bumps against the wall. Then, repeating what she did, he kicks the door shut behind him, trapping her in her own room with him. Like he owns it, he crosses the room, setting his glass and plate down on the nightstand. Sitting still required a bit of care, he isn’t nowhere near flopping down on anything. The same went for standing. Getting shot has been a real bitch in general. Once he’s comfortable, lounging on her bed, he picks up his plate. Regardless of her attitude, Enzo is starving, he’d hardly had time for lunch earlier today.
Rayne;
Rayne doesn’t expect any less when he follows her into the room, forcefully shutting the door behind him and taking a seat on the bed, though he seems uncomfortable doing so. She rolls her eyes, but says nothing in retaliation because she knows it will fall on deaf ears, and in all honesty, it pisses her off that he walks around unfazed by her mood and meeting her with stubborn arrogance. He disregards the distances she’s trying to create between them. How can he be so persistent in a situation that he’s unwanted by her? That’s what it is, isn’t it? Lorenzo Vincenzo doesn’t know what rejection is, or he just doesn’t care to accept it. She trails her fork on the plate, scraping the ceramic as she twirls the pasta in the utensil. Rayne doesn’t eat it right away, her eyes locked on to the plate as she continues to play with the food before she can no longer keep quiet.
”Enzo what do you want? For fucks sake, take a hint.” She’s slowly fizzling out and left with no options or ways to escape him. She damn well knows if she tells Eskil not to let him in, it won’t be a carried out request. It’s a situation where it’s her against them, and her voice is small against Enzo, who always has something to say about some shit, and Eskil who she means nothing to. Her eyes finally lock into his mismatched gaze and her breath hitches a bit. She’s unsure if it’s because of what she said, but his stare seems much more intense. Rayne didn’t think for a second she was possibly pissing him off, and even if she was, she didn’t care.
But she could not deny the chokehold he had on her, and it absolutely threatened to set her ablaze.
Rayne didn’t know why she was so snared in his web, but it made her more mad at herself than anything. He didn’t take her serious, despite what he said about caring for her, she sure was having a hard as shit time believing it. Betrayal was a nasty animal, and if Rayne was anything more than she was stubborn, it was a girl who took loyalty very personal.
She brought the fork back to the spaghetti, twirling it and eating a small portion, the taste of flavor exploded across her tongue. Fuck it was good. Her expression didn’t change though, solid on not giving him any kind of satisfaction as he sat there and continued to eat.
But fuck he knew what he was doing, in more ways than one.
How aggravating.
Her fork drags loudly across the ceramic plate. The high pitched noise is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Enzo doesn't say a word about it. The moment he does, he knows, that she'll continue to do it, simply to spite him. So he endures in silence, trying to focus on his food. Which turned out delicious, if he says so himself. Rayne, on the other hand, is just pushing her food around the plate, staring blindly at it. She's completely silent and Enzo doesn't interrupt her thoughts. Only when he sees her look at him from his peripherals, does he look at her.
Enzo, what do you want?
He keeps his remark about taking a hint to himself. Smartly. The anger is fading her, causing her to deflate as flames die down to hot embers. But its replaced with so much more. Uncertainty. Hurt. Betrayal. Fear. He's the lighthouse in the storm, a constant fixture waiting to guide her home. Enzo isn't angry. He might be impatient, after all, he's ready to move on, to put his clusterfuck behind them. But he knows he has to wait for her. "I wasn't done talking to you the other night." He wants her to listen. To understand. His brush with death has shifted a few perspectives for the mafioso. Changes were coming, big ones, and he knew who he wanted beside him.
Setting his mostly empty plate on the nightstand, he gives her his full attention.
"Since that night I took you home, I've slept with Eskil once." And it had cost him two couches. "Aside from that, its only been you." Its not something he wants to hide from her. "He'd been stabbed a week prior and I finally came to check on him." Enzo would carry his guilt to the grave over that. He knew he should have gone sooner to check on him, their lives are too intertwined, theres too much between them for him to not have. "Eskil is..." He pauses, like he's searching for the right word. "Complicated." Somehow that still didn't seem accurate. "We both agreed that would stay casual, fun. No strings attached." How very cliche. "But, you spend enough time with someone..." He shrugs. "Then you came along. Literally falling at my feet." He couldn't quite keep the smile that lifted one side of his mouth, off his face. "I knew I wanted you immediately." The only question he had back then was why. It hadn't been enough of to keep him from taking her home, from locking her in a cage and keeping her like a pet. If she asked, he wouldn't deny the thrill it had been, the high it created when she sat at his feet, all soft and compliant as she ate from his fingers.
Hours to turned days, and days turned weeks. While he never could keep his hands off her for long, it stopped being just about sex, about the power he had over her. And he tried to express that in words. Enzo went on, offering her the most vulnerability he ever has, knowing full well that Eskil will also be privy to this moment - when he watches the recording later. "You aren't just a toy for me to play with." Slowly, he reaches a hand towards her, his index finger tipping her chin up and towards him, forcing her eyes to meet his. "I want you beside me." He wanted to keep her locked in his castle, his to enjoy, his to cherish, his to protect. But in this life, he knows she needs to be more than that. Rayne will always be his pet behind closed doors, but she steps out of her gilded cage, she needs to be able to fly.
When she asked him what he wanted she didn't expect he would actually lay all the cards out at her feet. He continues to eat, and she does too though its slow, until there is barely anything left on her plate. When he's done, he expressed that he wasn't done with their conversation the night previously, though she was. She made it a point to lock herself in the room after being told she couldn't leave, and that her apartment was also compromised. So now she could actually never go back, and in the end if she decided this was not where she wished to stay, she would have to uproot and start over. A long exhale escaped her as her eyes left him once again and focused back on the plate, until he started to speak again.
Her brows softly knit together when he touches base on Eskil, who seemed to be the hot topic as of late. But she doesn't expect that it was only once that they slept together, and in the very beginning. Rayne doesn't say anything as her eyes burn into his face while he continues, stating they were only meant to be a fun paring, but Enzo grew fond of him. Then he reflected on how they met, her drunk night at the bar which resulted in her being shoeless and getting class caught in her foot. She notes the smirk on his lips and while hers want to tug into one as well, she fights it.
'I knew I wanted you immediately. You aren't just a toy for me to play with.'
But why? It was a question they both didn't seem to know the answer to. Just like why and how she'd grow so fond of him despite the complications of their arrangement. In the beginning, she very well did feel like a toy, disposable at his command. She hadn't quite shaken that feeling, but in this moment, Enzo was unraveling his fingers off his cards and laying them at her feet. Rayne began to twirl her fork around what was left of the spaghetti, her eyes drifting away from him until his finger graced under her chin so he could make her look at him. ' I want you beside me.'
Rayne knew she wanted to be there too. Locked in his gaze she felt her heart sink into her stomach and thrum there. He had an undeniable hold on her that both scared, and excited her. There was still one lingering factor though, because she knew that feelings didn't simply die just because circumstances changed. "And what does that mean for Eskil then?" Eskil owed her nothing but cared enough for Enzo to save her. Maybe he thought it would win him some points with Enzo, or maybe it was deeper than that. By saving her, he knew he was selflessly putting his feelings to the side so that Enzo wouldn't lose her.
Rayne wasn't quite sure how that made her feel though.
She could feel her doubts simmer, her anger mostly, but she was drowning out every other emotion that followed close behind. She couldn't deny that she put her guard up, forced between four walls and two men who had a history prior to her. Rayne was the only stranger in this home.