VICENZO

Chapter 14

I'm sure she's smiling because I know what's about to happen. Cal tried to speed up but it was too late and Lira rammed her car into his which made him slow down significantly and she passed the finish line once more. Her car screeched to a stop and she got out.

Cal trudged out of his car with a deep scowl on his face. She played dirty. Lira held out a hand for him to shake but Cal being the sore loser is, refused and pouted like a child. Lira only laughed in amusement. She caught my eye and I felt it then.

She made me feel vulnerable.

Perhaps Raf was right. Maybe it was all too good to be true. I pushed these thoughts away when she walked over. "So dinner?" She smiled. My thoughts collided with one another. Fuck it, I'll be irresponsible for once.

"Dinner it is." I said and we both headed off. Raf stayed behind with Cal and only Sergio came with us. Maybe I should tell him to keep an eye on Lira, fuck, that's wrong. Maybe my mom would know what to do.

Once we reached home, Sergio left us and we went into the kitchen. "I thought we were going for dinner?" She asked me. "We are. Take a seat." I smiled.

She looked at me and then at the pan in my hand. "You're going to cook?" She grinned, her eyes wide. I nodded and watched her take a seat at the kitchen island.

I gathered all the ingredients I needed as well as a pot. I sliced up an onion and tossed them into the pan. "Did you have fun today?" I asked her. She smiled. "I did." I looked at her. "I'm glad you did. Because now everyone knows that I've also lost to you. And that's like a knife to my ego." I said playfully.

"If you have an ego shaka, then I must be blind because I can't see it." She chuckled. I hummed as I poured some pasta into the pot of boiling water.

"What did my brother say to you?" She asked. I knew she would want to know. She shook her head before I could answer. "Don't tell me. He probably made up some bullshit."

I sighed and faced her. "He just said to take care of you." I smiled gently. "Oh." She bit the inside of her cheek. "I was certain he was going to tell you to let me go."

"Why would he do that?" I asked. I turned around and stirred the pan before adding in some canned chopped tomatoes. "He likes you Enzo but he's also afraid of you. Well more so, of you and I. So I am surprised that he didn't mention anything else." She spoke softly.

"He's afraid of me? I didn't get that impression when I saw him." I said. How could he be afraid when his words didn't even waver. "You're not afraid of me are you?" I asked Lira.

I stirred the pan, I feared if I looked at her I might be faced with the truth. I heard her stand up and walk up beside me. She placed her hand on my arm. "I'm not afraid of you. My brother may be but I'm not." She said as she trailed her fingers across my arm.

"You know every man is afraid of me too, as soon as I kick their ass they are. So no, Enzo, when I look at you all I see is this kind hearted gentle man." She smiled.

I smiled back and before I could kiss her, I jerked my hand when I accidentally touched the heat of the pan. Lira licked her lips and pulled me towards the sink, where the cold water washed over my minor burn.

I watched her stir the freshly made pasta sauce into the pasta and she plated it up. I wiped my hands and sat down opposite to her.

I watched her twirl the long pasta on her fork and eat it. I knew it would taste good but I wanted to know what she thought. "This is delicious. How do you know how to cook?" She smiled.

"My mom and dad insisted I learned how to cook. There's just something about cooking for yourself that just feels right." I explained.

"How can I possibly let you go if you can cook like this? You know I can barely cook frozen pizza and I burn chicken strips. I can however make ravani. It's a traditional cake, it just reminds me of home. My mother and I used to make it all the time." She spoke. I noticed her sad demeanour when she mentioned her mom.

"My mother.." She started. I kept quiet as I listened. "My father is a drunk, an alcoholic. He wasn't always but he drank nearly every day. He grew violent and lost his temper more times than I can count. He started to hit my mother and then when he came for me, Admir stopped him and threw him out. Then we found out our mother was cheating on my father for years and she left. She left without even saying goodbye. I was ten years old." She shook her head lowly, her eyes were despondent.

"I don't even know where she is and I don't care. She left and didn't even come back. She didn't care about us. She didn't love us enough. Admir practically raised me all while taking control of the Mafia. And my father, I know where he is. He's dying of liver cancer. He had the nerve to reach out to Admir and I because he needs a part of our liver to save his life. How pathetic is that? But do you know the worst part, I feel pity for him." She continued.

I reached out my hand and grabbed ahold of hers. She smiled and gulped. "I don't know whether I should save his life or not. I mean he wasn't a bad father before he turned to drinking. Admir's completely shunned him and I should feel the same but I don't know what to do." She sighed as she looked at our hands.

"I don't know how to advise you on that. I don't know your father and it's completely up to you. But maybe saving his life would ease your conscience." I said. However, I didn't give a shit about the man. He could die for all I care.

She tilted her head and looked at me knowingly. I rubbed my eyes. "Fine. I would let him die. In fact I would be the one to end his fucking life. Maybe he was a good father and he loved you once but he loved drinking more. He beat your mother and he was about to hit you. He's lost the right to call himself your father." I said.

She smiled and interlaced our fingers. "I know...would you come with me, I want to see him one last time." She said.

She didn't even have to ask, of course I said yes. I also said if she wanted I could shoot him there and then. But she decided that letting him suffer was better. I felt a new sense of trust for Lira. She shared with me things about her life. Things which upset her. It was then I vowed to never upset her.

After we ate, we watched a movie although we talked for the majority of it. "Well maybe I can teach you how to cook." I teased her as she sat beside me. I had my arm around her which sent shivers up and down my spine.

"Maybe I can teach you how to race." She smirked at me. I looked at her lips and leaned forward. She turned her face and I kissed her cheek instead. She smiled at me so innocently. She was playing a game, a dangerous one and fuck I couldn't take it.

"Oh fuck Lira, can I just kiss you already?" I said sounding a little desperate. If Raf were here, he would have died from laughing so hard. She smiled and stood up. "Patience. What are you doing tomorrow?"

I sighed in defeat and stood up also. "I have some business to take care off." I said. "Can I come?" Lira asked. "No." I said. "What? Why not?" She looked at me with her lips slightly parted. "Because I didn't kiss you?" She surmised.

"No because it will be dangerous." I said. She chuckled. "Who do you think I am? But please can I come? Otherwise I'll be bored all day." She batted her eyes at me. I caved in. I caved in all too quick.

"Stay the night?" I asked as she headed to the door. "No." She simply said and walked out. Fuck. I smiled.

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2 chapters ~ 1 night
You bet I did!
Give me a present now (shit I am demanding)

JUST KISS ALREADY ITS LIKE THIS 😚😚

I don't know what to say about this chapter
But Lira I want to hug you oh god I'm sorry about your drunk father and shitty mother

-side note - Enzo can cook damnnn. I'm hungry Enzo make me some pasta please 🍝