She ran away once. Oh, sure, she said she went for a walk just to stretch her legs, but she ran away even if she didn’t realize it. She got a taste of it, and she was going to do it again sooner or later. I couldn’t be sure she’d be safe the next time she decided to skip out on poor Gino, and if she was going to take stupid risks, at least I could be there with her to make sure she kept her head on her shoulders.
I helped her into the car, went around to the driver’s side, and pulled out. She leaned her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes. I smiled a little bit, but we had a twenty-minute drive to the Sergio’s, and I might as well let her get a little more sleep.
Sure enough, she was breathing deep by the time I pulled out front of the bakery and cut the engine. I sat there for a second, my eyes drifting down her body. I couldn’t tell what it was about that girl, what it was about her that kept drawing me back. Her father was scum, the lowest of lowlifes, and I didn’t regret killing the man one bit. Even if his death amounted to nothing and Vlas used that robbery as an excuse to start a war, I still thought the world was better off without Roger in it.
But even with a shit dad, she was alluring. Full pink lips, small nose, high cheekbones. She was that ideal mix of cute and sexy, and her thick hair drove me wild. I couldn’t keep my fingers out of it. Her thick, perky ass made me picture doing devilish things to her body, and I knew sooner or later I was going to get what I wanted.
Waiting could be fun though. “Wake up,” I said, leaning over the center console, my lips right against her ear.
She stirred and smiled. She let out a little groan. “Hey, you,” she said and turned her head toward me. Her eyes fluttered open.
Then she reared back and cursed.
I laughed. “Thought I was someone else?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “No, I was just… I was dreaming.”
“You were having a sex dream about me, weren’t you?”
“No,” she snapped, glaring at me, and I laughed again.
“Oh my god. You really were.”
“Dante.”
I gripped the steering wheel and shook my head. “I bet if I stripped you down right now, you’d be dripping wet. Tell me I’m wrong.”
She unbuckled her seatbelt. “Fuck off.”
“I’d love to, darling.”
She got out and I followed. I came around the car as she lingered on the sidewalk. “Is this the place?” she asked, gesturing at Sergio’s.
I nodded. “Home sweet home. In a sense, at least.”
She snorted as I took out the single key from my wallet and unlocked the door. I held it open for her then followed her in.
She looked around and grabbed her left elbow with her right arm. “This is cute,” she said. “Really cute. It’s like… a little hipster cafe.”
I laughed. “Don’t let Sergio hear you say that. He was going for old-world charm.”
“It worked.” She walked to the main counter and ran her finger along the display case. “So this is your former boss’s place?”
“Yep,” I said, going around behind the counter. I walked over to the espresso machine, got it set up, and began to make two coffees. “He’s in back baking right now. You’ll meet him soon.”
“Huh.” She leaned on the counter next to the cash register on her elbows, like a nosy customer, watching as I made our drinks. I handed her one espresso and sipped the other, a smile on my lips.
She tasted it and her eyes went wide. “This is really good,” she said.
“Thanks. I’m talented.” I leaned back against the cabinets next to the bread baskets. I noted that sourdough was full already along with white and pumpernickel. He was ahead of schedule.
“But what are we doing here, anyway?”
“Like I said, we’re helping open up.” I put my drink down, knelt in front of a cabinet, and took out a rag and the spray bottle. I put them both in front of her. “Wipe down those tables for me, will ya?”
She frowned at the rag and the bottle. “Really?”
“Really. Go ahead.” I nodded at the chairs stacked up on top of the tables. “Bring all those down, too.”
“I didn’t know I was working.”
“Gotta pay for that coffee somehow.”
She rolled her eyes but smiled, put the cup down, and took the rag and spray bottle.
I watched for a minute as she got to work. She took down the chairs first and got them set up then sprayed the tables and wiped them. While she did that, I got busy refilling the milk and creamer, adjusting the pastry display, and restocking the to-go cups from a supply closet next to the tiny little bathroom in the far left corner.