“I’ll make him pay… I promise. The second I’m done with needing him, he will die.”
I don’t think that threat applies anymore. I wouldn’t want Enzo to kill him. I don’t know how, but I’m somehow able to let go of that anger toward him. Either way, I’m not about to tell Eli.
“I definitely didn’t tell him about you seeing me naked, so don’t drop that bomb on him.”
“I wasn’t planning on it.” Eli lowers his gaze to my boobs as if he is remembering what I look like without clothes on. His stare used to creep me out, scare the shit out of me, now it only makes me blush.
There is something seriously wrong with me.
“I’m not planning on telling him the rest since you’re going to help us take down Mack. But if you ever throw a bucket of water on me again, I’m stabbing you in the chest.” I wasn’t joking.
“Fair enough,” Eli chuckles, “are you waiting for him to come and get you, or do you want to come with me?” Eli asks as he puts his knife away and gets up from the bench.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I look at him in a defensive manner. “I’m not waiting for him to come get me. I will go with you, but I want to make sure you aren’t taking me to Mack yet.”
He laughs, his whole body shaking, and my eyes wander all over the place. “I promise not to feed you to the devil just yet. I’ll take you out for some drinks and have you back at home before midnight. Since I know you’ll turn into a pumpkin and all.”
Say what?
“Are you serious?”
“I owe you an apology, and this is how I apologize,” he smirks, “let’s go have some fun.”
“I don’t know. I appreciate the gesture, but…” I’m scared. I’d never say it out loud, but it’s true. I haven’t been able to take very good care of myself. I keep getting myself in trouble, getting kidnapped and put in fucking holes.
“I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. You have my word, you’ll be perfectly safe.”
I must be completely insane to believe him, but I do. I trust that he’ll watch out for me.
“Okay, let’s go,” I urge before I either change my mind or Enzo comes looking for me.“Here,” Eli says, tugging on my jacket as we enter the club. It was two towns over, and though I’m nervous, I’m kind of excited, too. I hadn’t been able to do anything my age. Even the short time I was in college, I was grieving and worried about my father. I never went out to parties. Never made friends.
Ironically, this is the worst time to do just that. I’m basically on the run, being hunted by a madman, but if the last few weeks have taught me anything, it’s that life is short, and there is no time to waste.
We step inside the main room, and I take in my surroundings. The beat of the music rumbles under our feet and vibrates through our bodies.
I’m so fascinated with everything going on around me that I jump half a foot when I feel hands roaming over my hips.
“What the fuck?” I yell. Twisting around, I shove against Eli’s chest. He just frowns at me.
“You don’t have any weapons on you?”
I stare at him in confusion. He shakes his head before pressing something cold and metal into my hand. I look down, catching the glint of a knife in the strobe lights. What the hell?
“I can’t tak—”
“You can, and you will. I’m not planning on letting you out of my sight, but in the off chance we get separated, I need you to be able to protect yourself. I can’t believe Enzo didn’t give you something already.”
Holding the knife in my hands, I gently slip it into my boot without another glance. The last thing I need is someone seeing me holding a knife in the middle of a club like a fucking weirdo.
“You’re right… I don’t understand why he hasn’t given me a weapon yet.” The more I think about it, the more it starts to bother me.
“He’s Lorenzo. He doesn’t really answer to anyone, and he likes to do things in his own way,” Eli kind of jokes.
“I’m thirsty, and I want to dance,” I say close to his ear as I watch a few couples out on the floor gyrating against one another. I’m mesmerized by their movements. Their dance is provocative and sexy. Why have I never been to a club? I missed out.
“Drink first, and then maybe, if you’re lucky, dancing.” He winks, dragging me through the deep crowd. People surround us on every angle. My eyes roam over every single object.
“I need a beer, and…” He looks at me for an answer. Like I have one.