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Fire burnedmy lungs as I turned another corner and then another. Shit, shit, shit! I hadn’t meant to wander into Blu, but my feet had taken me there as if I was on autopilot. I’d tried everything to get Enzo out of my head, but he was always there. I’d convinced myself just one glimpse of him would be enough, and then I would disappear, but he’d seen me too.
Enzo’s dark eyes on mine had made shivers run up and down my spine. One look, and I wanted nothing more than to climb into his bed and ride his cock until he smiled for me. At Blu, I was reminded that he never smiled all that much except for when he was with me.
My heart pounded as I leaned against an alley wall and sucked in a cigarette smoke-filled breath from someone nearby. The woman raised a brow at me, and I nodded. I’d probably scared the hell out of her. I closed my eyes and drew in another long, deep breath until my heart stopped racing out of my chest.
That’s it. I can’t go looking at him anymore.
My only job was to look into the Vitale family. No more little trips to stare at Enzo. No more driving by his place in the new beater car I’d picked up. And no more thinking about him as anything other than my enemy.
I pushed off of the wall, trudging down another set of alleys until I came out near my car. Sliding behind the wheel, I stared off into the distance. My life had been going so smoothly, but now it was a chaotic mess.
Not like it’s anyone’s fault but my own. I should have never gotten into bed with him.
The thought of never feeling his hands on my body or his mouth on mine was enough to send me into a full-blown depression. I opened my glove compartment and snatched the pack of cigarettes. Tapping one out, I shoved it into my mouth and lit up. I hadn’t smoked in years, but I’d turned into a chimney overnight.
I started up the car and drove straight to Chelsea’s. Penelope would be happy to see me, and I him. I needed some comfort.
“Yo,” Chelsea said as she opened the door. “Come on in.”
I stepped into her colorful apartment. “Where’s Pen?”
“Probably somewhere around here, peeing on something. He’s a revenge pisser,” she said as she clicked her tongue. “Pen, Papa’s here!” She turned to me, looking me up and down. “You smell like sweat and cigarettes. Where the hell have you been?”
“Out,” I mumbled.
“Where out?”
I frowned. “Don’t ask.”
Chelsea groaned. “You went to go see Enzo again, didn’t you?” She followed me as I walked through her place in search of Penelope. “Tex, if you keep popping up at Blu, it sends the wrong message. How can either of you move on like that?”
I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt. She wasn’t wrong, but I didn’t want to hear it either. A flash of orange shot past me, and I went after Penelope. I scooped him up into my arms.
“Hey, baby,” I cooed. “Why are you running away?”
Penelope yowled and shoved away from me. I put him down. As soon as he was on his feet, he ran away, disappearing into Chelsea’s bedroom. I stared after him as my face fell. If I was depressed before, it was worse now.
“That cat holds a grudge,” Chels muttered. “Just like his Papa.”
“I do not.” I sighed, wanting to chase Penelope down but knowing that wasn’t the answer. “Got any food?”
“Shower first,” she directed. “I can’t take another three breaths full of you right now.”
I lifted my shirt and sniffed. “Fair enough.”
My shower was quick, mostly because whenever I spent time alone, I thought about Enzo. I quickly stepped out, drying my hair still as I walked back into the kitchen. Chelsea popped two plates on the table, teeming with overstuffed tacos.
“Where have you been staying?” she asked once we both sat down.
I bit into a taco and shrugged. “Around,” I said. “Couch surfing mostly. If I stay in any one place too long…”
“Enzo will find you.”
“Exactly,” I said, trying not to show how I jolted when she said his name so casually. “So far, so good.”
“You can’t keep living like this.” She frowned. “It can’t be healthy for you.”
I shrugged again. “The case is progressing. Sooner or later, he’ll be behind bars, and I can live my life again.”
