Their parents didn't know what they were losing by leaving them. Wherever they were, Savannah and Aiden were better off without them. Especially Aiden. He was still young and barely remembered his mother. So he couldn't take up many of her less than desirable behavior of going out each night to party, fucking random men and fighting with father afterwards. She barely cared about any of them, not to mention that she was a far cry from being a role model. Savannah suffered through eighteen years of her life taking care of both her parents and as bad as it sounds - by abandoning them they’d given her a way out. Starting fresh with Aiden and teaching him everything, hoping that he could grow into a much better person than any of their family members kept her going.
Fifteen minutes later they were back home and Aiden went straight to bed without another glance. Shoving his shoes off his feet was the only thing he managed to achieve.
Savannah smiled as the boy's body crashed on the mattress fully clothed. She didn't have the heart to make him go take a bath and wear his PJs. Silently, she only took off his jacket so that he could be somewhat comfortable and covered him with a blanket.
She was tired as well but decided to first take a shower after many hours of sweating in her work uniform. Because of the material, it was almost impossible for her to feel comfortable wearing that dress. Not to mention that the sun kept on shining through the windows for most of the day, adding to it.
Then she sat down on the couch with an ice tea in hand and played a movie on the laptop. However, she barely acknowledged what was happening in it. Her eyes kept on closing every other minute.
Suddenly, the ring of her phone yanked her out of this semi-sleeping state. She grabbed it from the small table in front of her. There was one unread message from a number that she didn't recognize.
Remember, I'll pick you up tomorrow after your shift. ELIO
She frowned, reading through the words a few times.
How in the world did you get my number?
That might possibly be the dumbest question she’d ever asked. Even though she didn't give it to him, Elio was in the goddamned mafia. Finding out a phone number was probably the easiest thing for him. But it didn't sit well with her. It was only one step away from him getting to know much more.
Thinking that she was supposed to meet with him tomorrow was even worse. How could she spend time with a mafioso and come out alive? She'd heard that Elio might be one of those who don't take refusals well. One wrong step and she could end up like so many before her. Not even the fact that she had actually been in his company a couple of times put her mind at ease. And she wasn't even scared about herself but about Aiden. Cancelling on Elio was a bad idea, however, the actual meeting also had the potential to go wrong.
Sleep tight, Savannah.
That was his answer.
Now it was not possible for her to get a good night's sleep. Till early morning, she turned in her bed, going back and forth on what to do with Elio. Normally, she wouldn't hesitate meeting with him if she were on her own. There was no fooling anyone that the man was attractive. Hell, he was cut out to be a freaking Calvin Klein model. And him being bad added up to the attraction like it would for so many girls.
As ashamed as Savannah was to admit, it was the truth.
However, having Aiden made that incredibly wrong.
So she decided to do whatever was in her power to never meet Elio Conte again after the date.
Chapter Twelve
It was already four in the afternoon when Savannah began to change out of her uniform. Refreshed and dressed in an orange t-shirt and black denim skirt, she continued down the corridor leading to Hunter’s office to announce that she was done for the day. After the incident with Elio, he decided against working in the kitchen and hired another cook. Now he spent most of his time behind closed doors.
Hearing a deep male voice, she hesitated. She could distinguish two men talking, however, she wasn't able to catch the topic. Moreover, she couldn't pinpoint the moment someone came into the diner, asking for the owner.
As she was about to back away, she heard the handle being ripped opened and Hunter emerged from the room. Savannah jumped, startled, facing her boss's angry face. Her eyes at once shifted behind him and she saw another man sitting in the chair next to the desk. He was with his back to the door, however, it didn't take long for the girl to realize that it was the same Russian who had come to the diner before. She shivered immediately remembering how he’d carried himself that day.
"What do you want Savannah?" asked Hunter, bringing her out of her trance. Her eyes settled on the old man once again.
She pursed her lips.
"Well?" he repeated.
Then the Russian turned his head, regarding the girl suspiciously. Even though Savannah was not looking at him, she could feel his eyes on her, carefully scrutinizing her.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'm going. I'll be here tomorrow as usual," she whispered.
Hunter waved his hand towards the front of the diner, telling her to walk in that direction with him. She listened and followed the man. When they were out of the Russian's sight, he grabbed her arm, pulling her closer to him. "If you
