Odessa

chapter 17 - slow down

Leon's POV

I wrap my arm around her when a man looks in her direction. I beat the shit out of one of my men just for talking to her. I let her play with my three thousand dollar ring. I hold her fucking hand.

I watch her every move, trying to figure out what she's thinking about, trying to figure out what she wants, trying to see what makes her hands shake, what her triggers are.

If my plan is going to work, she needs to trust me. I need to make her trust me. But there is something else going on, because she is doing something to me that was not part of my plan.

I watch her from the couch, puffing away at one of my expensive cigarettes, looking down at the view below her. I don't even know where she found those.

I never paid much attention to the view until she pointed it out the first night she got here; now I always find myself looking out the window.

That is what she's done to me. And that is definitely not a part of my plan.

"Fuck this." I whisper to myself, marching up the stairs to my room, ripping off my suit and putting a pair of black shorts on.

I grab 2 fresh towels and head outside, dumping the towels on the bench, causing her to turn around instantly. Her wet hair swings around her back, her eyeliner messy around her eyes.

The smoke blowing from her mouth across her face, I watch as her eyes travel up and down my body, stopping on the tattoo in the middle of my chest.

"Fancy seeing you here." She mumbles angrily. Maybe she's a bit more pissed off then I thought.

"It's almost like you're living in my penthouse." I say jokingly. I want her to talk to me, I need to show her she can.

"Not willingly." She whispers to herself.

Taking a few steps towards the pack of cigarettes and taking one, lighting it before sitting at the edge of the pool, putting my legs in the warm water.

"You start school Monday." She hums in response. "Are you excited?" I ask. Why do I give a fuck?

She looks up at me for a second, probably shocked at the sudden interest. "Very. Nervous too." She says coldly, like she's trying to open up to a therapist she doesn't like.

"You'll have Cal, hopefully he'll help your nerves."

She nods in agreement before flicking the dead cigarette over the edge.

We sit in an uncomfortable silence for a moment. I hate it. "You weren't meant to see-"

"You are really pissing me off tonight, you know that?" She says as she quickly turns to face me, like she was waiting for me to bring it up just so she could start. I roll my eyes.

"Don't take it so personally, he needed to be put in his place."

She scoffs, "He's kid!" She shakes her head, putting a hand through her hair, "What the fuck is wrong with you..." She whispers.

I laugh, looking back up towards the skyline. You don't even want to know.

"It's not funny." She says seriously, making me quickly look at her. "He didn't deserve it and you know that..."  She doesn't even sound mad anymore, just upset.

"Fine. Maybe he didn't; but at least he'll know better from now on."

She turns away, "You're right... he'll know not too fuck with big bad Leon Dante. Good for you." She says, giving up on the conversation, putting her arms back up on the edge of the pool.