Page 14 of The Gambler

He knew well what the world did to those it thought weaker than they. Had seen first hand the ugliness that could be inflicted on the innocents of society. He’d been too young and too naïve last time, he won’t be asleep at the wheel this time. He boosted up security on the places he had scattered around the city where he sheltered and cared for autistic children. He didn’t put it past the fucks to try hitting him there. Soulless fucks.

When the men had gone about his business, he picked up the phone, still making sure that she was preoccupied. Every once in a while she’d pick up her head and check on him and they’d exchange a smile. She seemed happy, her bruise was already starting to fade and that beautiful face was just one big glow.

He made a million silent promises to her in that room: promises of fulfilling her dreams, of loving her for the rest of his life; of making sure that she never knew another day of fear. They weren’t empty promises, and not made lightly. He’d only ever felt that for one other human being before in his life and for many years he’d felt like he’d failed, he didn’t intend to fail this time.

“Angel.” He looked over to her as he was about to call his grandfather, and his heart tripped. She had her lips puckered, sitting there on the floor surrounded by all her new stuff. Getting up he walked over to her and bending on his knees, he kissed her again. Her soft hand came up to hold his face in place as he kissed her lightly, not wanting to scare her, when what he really wanted to do was hold her as close as he could and never let go.

When she was satisfied with her new game of kissing he went back and picked up the phone with a grin on his face. That lasted until the phone was picked up on the other end.

“Gramps those fucks made first strike…”

“I heard; we aren’t really prepared for all out war yet boy, this thing just got underway."

“Jenna was in the car with me old man, I don’t care if I have to walk up to their front door and blast the motherfuckers, but they’re not gonna get a second chance." He kept his voice low and light so as not to alert her.

“Stefan."

“Are you with me or not?”

“For fucks sake boy of course I’m with you, but we can’t just go running wild in the streets, this isn’t Chicago in the thirties. That’s always been your problem, born out of turn you hotheaded little shit, just wait; I have things lining up as we speak that will ensure you and the girl are safe and that you don’t have to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life. Now calm down and listen to the voice of experience.”

“Gramps fuck that shit, they’re not waiting, they want to set shit off I’m not backing down, no fucking way. They brought it, I’m gonna answer. You do what you have to do. But no one is getting anywhere near her. I lost once before I don’t intend to lose again. She’s mine, you know what that means.”

“Fuck; let me talk to the guys, see if we can get things moving sooner, always knew you were gonna put me in an early grave.”

“Early my ass, you’re ten minutes older than dirt.”

They hung up and he sat in contemplation. He knew there was some truth to what the old man was saying, but it went against everything in him to let them get away with that shit. The fact that she’d been in the car is what pissed him off more than anything. They had to have known she was with him. If her godfather was willing to attack him with her in the crossfire that told him he didn’t give a fuck about her. His only interest was in getting back at him for taking something he probably saw as his. Fucking mob.

The old fuck’s big mistake was in fucking with someone who didn’t give a fuck and had no respect for him, or what he thought he was. Bonata’s authority did not extend to him, and it stopped including her in that casino room when her asshole of a brother had knocked her around.

“Come my Jenna, it’s time for lunch.”

“Chocolate?”

Damn, if he wasn’t careful that’s all she would ever eat, so he had to figure out how to get her to eat and then give her some as a treat.

“No baby you have to eat food first and then I’ll give you chocolate.” He wasn’t sure if she remembered that he had bought boxes of Godiva while they were out shopping. He had to remember to order a truckload of the shit.

She liked grilled cheese; he made a note of it. Grilled cheese and chocolate, that's what his girl liked most. She made him laugh as they sat at the table in the kitchen and she fed him little nibbles of her sandwich. He hadn't eaten grilled cheese since he was ten. He heard the whispers coming from the other side of the room and turned to look at Willy and Sue, who were watching him like they'd never seen him before.

"Problem?"

"No no." They both turned and tried to look busy, but he knew what it was. They had never seen him this way; he hadn't been this way in a long time.

"Angel?"

"Yes my Jenna."

"Good?"

"It's very good." He pretended to bite her fingers when she fed him and she had a laughing fit. Such joy in something so simple; it almost brought tears to his eyes. He wondered not for the first time, why someone so beautiful was created with what the world saw as a defect? Some might theorize that the Maker had to find a way to contrast all that beauty, but he saw it in a completely different light. For him, she was the closest thing to perfection.

Her otherworldly beauty, coupled with her childlike innocence, to him, were the rarest of gifts. Like finding a perfect pearl in the deep. That one in a million gem that stands out above all the rest. He questioned why he'd been blessed with not one, but two of these phenomena in his life? One was his sister and the other will be his lover. His heart was full to overflowing as he watched her. Maybe this time he’d get to hold on longer…he broke off the dark thought that plagued him.

"Look at me." He turned her face to him so he could see into her amazing eyes and felt his heart clutch.

"You're the most beautiful girl in the world my Jenna." She lit up and smiled wide; as his hand caressed her cheek, feather light.