CHAPTER SEVEN: ENZO
For a long time, I thought monsters were born, not created.
But I don't remember always being this way, so it can't be true.
I was never an angel, but the man I am today... he didn't come into fruition until after I got tangled up with the Costa family.
I want to laugh at the thought, because I'm not quite sure it’s true. My metamorphosis began over a decade ago, the day I signed my life over to the United States military. I just hadn't expected it to continue after I left. I'd thought because I left the war behind, left my team behind, that I'd start to return to the man I once was. Nicer, kinder, less stressed.
Instead I'd come home to a war in my own country that began with my mind. It’d ended with me on the streets, to sleeping in a cardboard box every night. Until Maximo found me. Now I never know if I'm coming or going or who the fuck I even am.
I do know that seventeen year old Enzo never would have just locked a woman in a room with a threat as a goodbye. Especially not one as beautiful as Winter Chastine. Dark, wild curls that compliment a soft face, with even softer dark brown eyes. A curvy body that I'd love to run my hands and tongue over until I committed every inch of her flesh to memory. That red dress would have been ripped to shreds and thrown on my floor thirteen years ago.
But Giovanna Costa is not a man to be disobeyed, and he's made it clear that no one is to lay a hand on Winter Chastine, sensual or otherwise. Not unless he gives explicit permission. And right now, the only thing I've been given permission to do is make sure that she's properly taking care of herself and remains trapped in her golden cage until Gio is ready to release her.
Winter is about to go through her own metamorphosis, but her beautiful wings will be controlled by Gio and no one else.
I shake my head, taking a deep breath as I stuff the key to her room in my back pocket. I already made a mistake by giving her my name so freely when she asked, I can't afford any more. I don't want her to get the wrong idea, to think that I'm on her side or some white knight here to save her. It couldn't be further from the truth.
Now that my duties are done where Winter is concerned, I need to return to Gio and give him an update. I already know he's not going to be happy about the fact that Winter barely touched her food this morning. For a second, I think about not telling him, since I have faith the girl will eat her lunch after my warning that I'd force feed her. But I know better, if I don't tell Gio, he'll find out another way and then I'll be in trouble as well.
There's not a thing in the compound he doesn't know about.
Straightening my shoulders, I move through the large mansion, keeping my gaze off the maids and servants. Like Winter, most of them are not here of their own will. Fortunately for them, they have a fate much better than Winter's. I'm still unsure what Gio plans to do with her, but I know it isn't keeping her locked in a room looking pretty and well fed for a whole year. No, he has much more sinister intentions in store for the fragile beauty.
When I make it to Gio’s office door, I quickly key in my assigned code and it flashes green before the lock clicks. I push the door open slowly, not wanting to catch him off guard. I find him sitting at his desk, his hands folded behind his head as he reclines in his desk chair. His lids are lowered slightly and he almost looks peaceful. His body holds less tension than usual, but his gun rests on his desk within reach.
A soft sound moves through the room and I pause, my body tensing. My frown deepens as the sound gets louder and I try to identify what it is. When I take a step forward, I'm not left guessing any longer as I spot the redhead kneeling on the floor, her head over Gio's lap.
I avert my eyes. "Would you like for me to leave?" I ask, keeping my tone low and professional.
"No, we'll be done shortly," Gio informs me, composed as per usual.
I wish I could say that this is the first time I've walked in on the man getting his dick sucked, or even full on fucking, but it'd be a lie. Though, admittedly, it's been a while since I've seen him in company of the opposite gender. Lately, he's been too busy for it. I can't help but to wonder what's the special occasion for him to resume one of his favorite pastimes.
I push the door to his office closed before moving over into a corner that blocks the view of the woman. I swear her sounds get louder the more I try to drown her out and my dick definitely takes more interest than it should. Knowing now isn’t the time for my voyeurism to rear its head, I start counting backwards from a thousand to try to block her out.
I'm at 587 when the sounds stop.
The woman rises to her feet, running a thumb across the corner of her plump lips before sucking it into her mouth. She offers me a grin, her lipstick slightly smudged. She turns her attention back to Gio. His well pressed pants are already buckled, his feet now resting on his desk. The angular lines of his face are pulled into a frown, his shoulders bunched. He doesn’t look like a man who just came. He barely spares the woman a look. "Go."
The woman frowns, her lips parting slightly as if she's going to object before common sense kicks in. She spins on her red heels, her back straight as she tugs at the hem of her little black dress. The door slams shut behind her and some of the tension leaves the room.
"Enzo, there are no threats here. Sit," Gio orders, pointing to the seat across from him.
I don't like having my back to doors, but I obey, sitting down in the seat across from him and meeting his gaze. His eyes hold no emotion, his jaw clenched tightly. His elbow is resting on the arm of his chair, his head propped into his hand as he peers at me. "How was our guest?" he asks.
I sit up straighter. "Ms. Chastine was fine." He raises a brow at the simple answer and I quickly add on, "She didn't eat her breakfast this morning."
A scowl crosses his face, setting his expression into an even more intimidating mask. "Why not?"
"She said that she wasn't hungry." I know he isn't going to accept it as a reasonable answer, but there's nothing more I can offer him.
As expected, his frown deepens even further than what should be possible. "Not hungry?" His tone borders on the line between exasperation and anger. "The girl made minimum wage at her service station job and was living off ramen noodles. I have a full course breakfast fixed for her and she isn't fucking hungry?"
I remain quiet, knowing it's the best course of action, even though the same thought had crossed my mind when I saw the full tray the servant had brought out of her room. I'd been the one tasked with snooping around Winter's former residence and the slums were... depressing, to say the least, and this comes from a man who used to lay on newspapers every night. Her furniture was worn and raggedy, the threads and cushion exposed. The dim lights barely worked and the electric stove only had one burner that would get slightly warm. Her cabinets were full of noodles and they weren't even ramen, some store brand that had to have only cost a dime, if not less. Searching her fridge, I'd come up with half empty condiment bottles and a couple packets of sandwich meat.
Gio’s eyes narrow. "Did you tell her that eating around here is not optional?"