"Don't even try," he groaned, annoyed.
Everyone was getting on his case and the only thing he could say was that he wasn't sure what he was doing. Something made him ignore all the negative aspects of being around the girl. He was pulled towards her and it was stronger than him. So for once, he decided to play the field before moving on.
He didn't expect for it to last and if he were a good person, he would step away from this situation for good. But neither was he good nor did he aspire to be. He cared about Savannah's safety. That was all. Overthinking wouldn't change the rules he was bound by.
He killed the engine.
"He's not going to let it go," Flavio said, talking about Noah.
"So? I'm not doing anything bad. Since when fucking an outsider is forbidden?"
Flavio laughed. "Since you're not getting any and still getting in too deep."
Elio rolled his eyes. He didn't even fucking start anything. They'd kissed once and he'd taken care of her after killing Hunter because it had been his damn fault in the first place that she'd needed help.
"Has someone told you that you're a dick?"
"Many times. You cannot imagine the immensity of the fucks I do not give. Whatever you do just keep the rules in mind. Noah has gone a long way since he became a Capo but there's a limit as to what he can do. You should've told him about her. At least a little bit."
As smart as Flavio was, sometimes he easily forgot that his brother wasn't as good to others as he was to him. Things that he would accept and do for his family didn’t apply to others. Granted, he wouldn't kill Elio for pursuing a relationship with an outsider unless it went beyond the loyalty towards the Las Vegas Famiglia.
"Just leave it be. I am not stupid," he murmured.
"Good to know," Flavio said ironically, which prompted him to immediately end the call. Elio was done with people telling him shit. He killed the engine and ran to Savannah's doors trying to escape the rain and all the responsibility that was hanging over his head like the sword of Damocles.
Savannah wasn't expecting him. That much was certain when she opened the doors and her expression changed. She was looking at him confused, however, she said nothing as she stepped back inviting him in. His gaze darted over to her clothes. She was wearing simple black sweatpants and a cropped hoodie. Her hair was in a messy bun and she had no makeup on. He had to admit that even such a look she, somehow, made sexy.
Maybe because she wasn't pretending.
It was her through and through.
Something Elio rarely saw among the mafia circles.
Men always had to show strength because weakness couldn't exist. Women put on additional layers of concealer to hide bruises because they were punching bags for their husbands, or even if they happened to have decent partners, they could barely handle the type of work they were doing. Constant anxiety whether they would come home. Because unfortunately, most mafiosos ended up in jail or ten feet underground at one point.
And here he was pulling Savannah into this dark, shaky world.
He sighed, brushing away the thoughts. It wasn't the time nor the place.
"What are you doing here, Elio?" she asked calmly.
Elio opened his mouth to reply, however, as footsteps sounded in the distance he looked behind the girl. There was Aiden standing in his blue t-shirt and jeans, observing them in silence. He didn't seem fazed that the man was here. And it crossed Elio's mind that the girl was actually talking to her brother about him. To some extent.
"Aiden, I will be right back. You can go shuffle the deck and don't cheat," Savannah told the little boy. He nodded and disappeared.
Her attention shifted back.
"I came to take you out. Do you have someone to leave your brother with?"
Her first instinct was to refuse. The night they'd had wasn't enough to completely quiet her internal struggle. The voices became softer and some of them wavered towards giving Elio a chance. She knew that he wouldn't let it go this time. But she didn't want to, either.
"Elio," she said honestly, looking up into his eyes, trying to stay strong. But the moment she caught a spark in them everything came crashing down and she found herself nodding in agreement.
The man's lips pulled into a smile. "Put on a dress. The place has a formal dress code."
They moved deeper into the apartment. The interior surprised Elio because as bad as the building looked from the outside, Savannah had turned it into a home with all the photos, flowers and other decorations that were put all over the place. It was kept traditional with a hint of a modern fraction. Nothing that cost a lot but it still felt like a family home.
Nothing like the cold house he grew up in.
"Are we going to that restaurant again? Because I've already eaten and I don't feel like being in a place full of judgmental people."
Elio shook his head, chuckling. "Believe me. The place I'm taking you to is anything but full of judgmental people."
The girl sighed. "That still doesn't make me feel much better."
She looked at her brother who was sitting on the couch with a deck of card in his small hands, playing with them. Then her eyes settled on Elio, begging flashing in them. Was she thinking that the man would hurt him? He was nowhere near throwing away all his rules. Just because he dispatched the thoughts of how wrong it was for him to be here with the girl, he would never even consider doing something so horrendous. It gave him chills that Savannah so much as
