I chewed on my lip, not liking that instruction.
The guard’s brows scrunched together as he stuck his head through the window to get a better look at me. “Benny okay with that?”
“Yeah,” Enzo replied, not bothered by the guard’s question, like I’d expected him to be. “As long as she doesn’t leave, she’s good. She has no phone, nothing to be traced back here.”
“Do I need to pat her down?” The guard’s eyes traveled back to me as if I was already distrustful in his eyes.
His boss had just been shot. I didn’t blame him.
“Already did,” Enzo said. “She’s clean.”
“All right, man.” The guard stuck two fingers in his mouth, whistled loudly, and motioned to open the gates.
“Tell the boss man we’re praying for him,” he said before taking a step back.
Enzo nodded, giving a quick salute, and drove past him.
Since it was dark, I couldn’t make out much as he drove down the long path, blocked by more massive trees. We passed a large home on the property, its porch and flood lights shining.
When we grew closer to a rounded driveway, lights swarmed around another house. No, it was insulting to call it a house.
Enzo parked in the horseshoe driveway as I gawked at it in awe. It reminded me of a castle you’d find in the UK, where royals had once resided, with a Gothic influence.
When the trees cleared, I noticed a stone perimeter wall, this one taller than the one at Saint Vale’s.
I craned my neck to get a better look, noticing men standing along that wall every few feet.
Enzo didn’t give me much time to admire the home before parking, killing the engine, and sliding out of the car. My butt immediately missed the heated seat when I did the same.
He met me at the door, walking beside me up the wide stone steps. He took my hand as soon as we entered the foyer, practically dragging me up the steps like he didn’t want me to notice anything.
When we reached the top of the stairs, he yanked me right toward the end of a hallway, landing us right in a small space that resembled a living room.
“You’ll hang out here until I return,” Enzo said, then went on to almost sound like he was reading an instruction manual. “There’s a mini fridge over there, stocked with plenty of drinks. I’ll have the house manager check on you in case you get hungry. She’ll make whatever you’re in the mood for. If you get tired, that door”—he paused to point at the only other door—“leads to my bedroom. There’s also a bathroom through there. Be good. Don’t make me or my family regret allowing you to come here.” He shot me a humorless look, spun on his heel, and left.
I heard the door lock behind him.
Being ditched here didn’t sound like too much of a problem. I could snoop through his things. I rubbed my hands together almost villain-style at having the opportunity to find out more about him.
I eyed the living room, taking in signs of Enzo’s personality through every inch of it. This must be his wing here.
As I walked past the cognac leather couch, I ran my hand over a black leather pillow. A Fender record player sat in the corner with a stack of vinyl records beside it.
I brushed my fingers over them next before flipping through the records, reading names of bands I’d never heard of.
Arctic Monkeys, Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin. Though I was hardly an expert in the music field. Over the past few years, I’d gotten over that fear to start enjoying it.
I wandered to the bedroom, and just like everything else, I felt like I’d walked into a royal’s space. Dark wood spanned the entire room—from the molding on the walls to his massive bed with thick, ornate posts on each corner. The bedding was a deep black.
Bookshelves in that same color lined the walls beside his bed. I drifted toward them, noticing most of them had thick leather spines. A large walnut desk sat along a wall with a MacBook settled on top.
The space described my devil perfectly.
I plopped down on his bed, wishing I had my phone again.
Not to share this experience with someone, but to cure my boredom.
Ialmostworked myself up to look through Enzo’s things, but the bed was too comfortable. I rested my head on his pillow, inhaling the faint scent of him, and wondered what wild turn my life with Enzo would take next.
