Page 26 of Savage
Blood rushing, I tried to come up with an answer that wouldn’t end with us being killed. My tongue swiped along my lips.
“Who said I’m afraid?” My voice shook slightly, and I cursed my inability to hold it together. Still, in my defense, Elio had broken my guard down. Even now, as he touched me, I wasn’t repulsed. I wanted to relax and give him all the worries that plagued me daily. However, there was no way I could trust him. We’d end up cut up into pieces and buried in some forest, never to be found. I called this man daddy for one night, and now my stupid brain was clinging to him as if it had been more than wild, fantastic sex.
Once we left, that would be it, nothing more. We’d never see him again, and hopefully, with the amount of money we received, we could move somewhere better.
Clearing my throat, I forced all of the strange desires down and met Elio’s gaze.
“My mind was just racing. It happens.” The smile I gave him felt fake, but it was the best I could do. I’d make sure we survived no matter what.
His head tilted, and my stomach knotted as he studied me closer. “Eat.”
I nodded and glanced at the other two. Dar was already shoveling food into his mouth, and Sayge watched Elio like a hawk. He grinned at me.
“So, Elio, anything else you do besides pick up three strangers and rearrange their guts? I mean, you have to have hobbies,” Sayge said.
My shoulders eased as Elio’s attention moved to Sayge. He was good at grabbing people’s attention and holding it. I pushed my hair out of my face and pulled at the short strands trying to think. My stomach growled.
Shut up.
“Calvin. I thought I said eat,” Elio commanded.
A shiver rippled through me, and I closed my eyes, trying to douse the flames of desire with reality. Elio was in the mafia, clearly a killer, and he was dangerous for all three of us. Still, even repeating the three major facts did nothing to stop the burning need.
I opened my eyes and reached for the fork to eat. I didn’t look Elio’s way, but I could feel him staring at me even as I heard Sayge talking to him. Sayge kept the conversation going, and Dar joined after he’d cleared two plates. I took my time eating while thinking of a plan. We needed to act like we hadn’t seen anything. If anyone ever brought his name up, we’d have to pretend we didn’t know him.
Fuck, how could I be so stupid asking for his name?
I was up before I knew it, collecting the plates and taking them to the kitchen. I started washing them, relaxing as I lost myself in the mindless act. The chaos of our life bled away once again and calmed me down.
“We really should go,” I said.
The corner of Elio’s lips dropped, and I was hit with the need to fix that. He’d been somewhat smiling at them, and now it was gone.
“How much did you cum?” Dar asked excitedly.
I held back my groan. He was competitive, so when Elio set the terms, I knew Dar was all for trying to win. Considering the state we were in, I doubted we had won.
Elio stood up and moved toward a door near the staircase. He opened it, and a huge safe appeared.
“Is he really going to open that in front of us?” Dar asked.
Sayge shrugged. “He said no one is stupid enough to rob him. I’m guessing he included us.”
I glared at both of them, and they gave me a sheepish look. Elio walked back over with a bag and a money counter.
“Ten grand each.” He handed it over and placed the money counter down.
I licked my lips, holding ten grand in my hand. It felt lighter than I thought it would.
“You want us to count it in front of you?” I asked.
Elio cocked a brow as he grabbed the ashtray from the middle of the kitchen table and lit a cigarette.
“Yes, you always count the money.”
Right.I moved forward, placed the money in the feeder, and hit the start button. The machine started up, and I couldn’t help but glance in Elio’s way. He was still shirtless and pantless. His thighs were thick and muscular. Scars decorated his chest and sides. I wanted to touch them and ask him if he was okay.
I shook my head. They were old, and he didn’t need me asking stupid questions. The machine beeped, signaling it was done. Ten thousand was on the screen. I gathered it up.
