Slowburn

Chapter 61

        The entire drive was a silent one. Though I could feel Renzo's eyes on me several times I kept my eyes shifted down towards my lap. Fearful thought after fearful thought I wondered what would happen to me. Don't they get rid of loose ends? Isn't that what he'll consider me? 

It was when we stepped into my apartment that he finally said something. "Sit" he ordered, and I complied. This isn't even my apartment. It's his friend's apartment, which means I'm virtually homeless again. If I remain alive to even become homeless in the first place. 

It's fitting really, the way things between Renzo and I came full circle. This all started because I stopped in front of a restaurant and offered a homeless person my bus money. Now it'll be me on the street, but I know what type of bad guys do truly roam those streets now. 

Just like Renzo warned me on that very first day.

         Once I sat down on the sofa Renzo stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked down at me from a few feet away again. "Kat, I wanted to keep you separate from this lifestyle. It's why I didn't want you working in the front room at the club. Two different worlds, didn't I tell you?" And he had. Several times. I just didn't understand the depth of that at the time.

"Please just let me go," I whispered. I could barely maintain eye contact because his gaze brought a tremble to me each time. Renzo's face hardened and his brows pinched together. "Let you go?" His tone was tight and clipped. 

"Y-yes, I will quit my job and y-you can have this apartment back...just please don't hurt me" I swallowed. Renzo moved swiftly across the short gap between us, and he crouched down in front of me, caging me with his arms on either side of where I sat. I couldn't even tell if I was crying anymore. Fear just gripped me. 

        "You aren't going anywhere, Kat" Renzo's voice reverberated between us. I was trying to lean away from where he'd caged me in, and my fists were clenched in my lap to try to hide their shaking. "Please Renzo" my voice barely surfaced. "Nothing's changed" he dared tell me. I couldn't help the incredulous stare. "Everything's changed." 

I don't understand how he couldn't see that. "How?" This man challenged me. "Because you aren't a businessman...you're a mafia man, and, and I don't wanna be involved in anything illegal" my lip trembled though I tried holding it together. 

"You aren't. Fuoco Lento is 100% legit." I shook my head and looked away from him, "But I'm afraid." His long fingers pinched my chin and turned me back towards him. His scowling face is even handsome and it's so hard to look at now. 

        "Why?" He bothered asking that silly question. I laughed humorlessly. "Renzo...you have a gun. You are a criminal. All the violence and scary robberies...it takes on a new light. And I don't want you to hurt me" my trembling lip gave way. He released a long heavy breath and ran his hand through his hair. 

"When did I say I was going to hurt you? My business has nothing to do with you, so long as you stay out of it and don't talk about it. It's as simple as that. Everything is the same" he tried to assure me, but his voice was still tight with some emotion I couldn't decipher. 

"I won't tell. I promise I won't tell...but I'm not cut out for this. I don't even swear without feeling awful, never mind trying to swallow this information about you. I'll constantly wonder who you work for and what crimes you've committed. I'll drive myself mad. I just want to step away from this with no hard feelings" I asked again.

He continued to crouch in front of me and his body tensed even further than it had already been when he heard my words. 

        "You've already given yourself to me. Just today you were calling out that you're Renzo Revello's, or have you forgotten?" Renzo grit his teeth. "That isn't fair to me! You weren't honest about who you were. You've lied about everything" I blinked away tears. "I told you what I knew you could handle and kept you out of the rest. For your own good, Kat. It doesn't make this all a lie" again he grabbed my chin and made me face him.