Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Kathleen forced herself to breathe.
This, him, was a mistake. A beautiful, dangerous one, but a mistake all the same. Enzo wasn’t some complicated hero caught in bad circumstances. He was a mobster, retired or not. That fact wasn’t going to change tomorrow or next year or ever.
She’d fallen for a man like that once before. It had cost her everything.
Everything except Connor. He’d been the only good thing to come out of it.
That truth settled her, grounding her in a way nothing else could.
No matter how intoxicating Enzo was, his confidence, his intelligence, the way danger seemed to sharpen around him, this path ended the same way it always did.
With blood. With fear. With her son paying the price for the choices she made and couldn’t undo.
Enzo turned toward her, clearly expecting something more. Words. Emotion. Something she wasn’t willing to give.
He was a fantasy. A vivid one. One that triggered emotions she was afraid to explore. The kind that made her feel alive in a way she hadn’t in years. She liked that for herself, liked the thrill, the chase, the way chaos made her feel sharp instead of careful.
That was the problem.
She’d indulged that side of herself once before, a lifetime ago, and it had almost cost her life. She didn’t get to pretend she was that woman anymore. Connor deserved better than a mother who chased danger because it made her feel young.
She met Enzo’s gaze and kept hers steady.
“You’re going to confront Vitale,” she said.
“Yes.” He studied her, his gaze watchful as if waiting for her to give something away.
Her chest tightened. She didn’t have to ask if he’d be hurt. She already knew the answer was a solid maybe, and Enzo wasn’t the kind of man who avoided damage if it got him what he wanted.
She fisted her fingers at her side to keep from reaching for him. As much as she didn’t want to, she knew she needed to end this now, before she suffered a similar fate to the one that had landed her in WitSec. “Be careful,” she said mildly.
His mouth curved faintly, as if he found the concept amusing. “I usually am.”
“That’s not true,” she said. “You’re just confident.”
“True,” he agreed with a wan smile.
She stepped back before he could say anything that might make this harder. “This is where we stop,” she said quietly. “You go handle your world. I go back to mine.”
“Kathleen—”
“No,” she interrupted, not unkindly. “This was…intense. And real. But it doesn’t last. Not without collateral damage.” She thought of Connor’s face. His laugh. His trust. “I can’t afford that.”
Enzo didn’t argue, which surprised her. For a moment, she wondered if he understood more than she’d given him credit for.
“Good luck,” she said. The words were simple. Final. “I hope you come out of this alive.”
Something dark flickered across his expression at that, something protective, maybe even regretful. He inclined his head once, a gesture of respect rather than affection.
“You too,” he said.
They stood there for another second, the weight of everything unsaid pressing between them. Then Enzo turned and walked away, already shifting back into the man who thrived in shadows and danger.
Eyes stinging with unshed tears, Kathleen watched until he disappeared.
Only then did she let herself worry. About Vitale.
About blood spilled in the name of power.
About whether Enzo would walk away from this or whether this was the kind of confrontation that ended with a body. Please, god, not his.
She pushed the thought aside.
Fantasy was seductive. Reality was a responsibility.
And this time, she chose correctly, or so she hoped.
Mackie, Alex, Logan, and Kathleen were ensconced in a corner booth at the Jasmine Door. The restaurant hummed softly around them, low conversation, clinking glasses, the muted elegance of a place designed to make people linger.
Kathleen sipped her wine without really tasting it. The vintage wasn’t something Enzo would have chosen. Massive pressure burned in her back and spine. She was so tightly wound, she’d held her shoulders hunched near her ears for what felt like weeks instead of days.
She tried to follow the conversation, but frustrating tension hummed beneath everything. Her thoughts kept drifting to Enzo. To Mallorca. To whatever was unfolding there right now without her.
“Sorry?” she said, for what felt like the umpteenth time.
Logan smiled patiently. “I asked how Connor is doing.”
“Oh.” She blinked, forcing herself back into the moment. “He’s good. Loves university. He’s off on some nature trek his coach uses as a team-building exercise.”
“Sounds awful,” Alex said as she ate the last bite of her meal. “I abhor camping.”
Mackie frowned slightly. “Connor is your son?”
“Yes.” Kathleen smiled at her, noting that Mackie looked nearly as miserable as she felt. “And you? Do you have kids?”
Mackie shook her head. “No. Not really part of the plan.” Her smile was tight. “In our line of work, family is…a vulnerability.”
“Sounds lonely,” Kathleen murmured before she could stop herself.
“Not at all,” Mackie replied quickly. Too quickly.
Logan offered her and Alex more wine. Both women declined, and he set the bottle back on the table.
“Mackie,” he said gently, “I don’t know what happened in the past, why you and your brothers were hidden from us…” he paused, but when she didn’t elaborate, he continued. “But I want you to know we had no idea you existed. If we had, we would’ve pushed until we had answers.”
Mackie snorted softly. “Sure.”
“I’m serious,” Logan continued. “We would’ve loved having a sister growing up. I’m glad you found us. I want to get to know you all.” He paused, then added dryly, “And I’m very much looking forward to a conversation with my father when we get home.”
Kathleen winced inwardly. Logan was the calm one. If he were this angry, Mitch and Gage would be far worse. It didn’t bode well for Papa Callahan.
“He’s not lying to you,” Alex confirmed. “I know Mitch and Gage feel the same way. You can trust them. You can trust all of us.”
Kathleen glanced at her watch.
“We won’t hear anything for a while,” Logan said, as if anticipating her worry. “They ditched their phones. Vitale would’ve taken them anyway.” He glanced at his phone. Then smiled at Mackie. “Your other problem with the video? Taken care of.”
“Dani is aces at computer stuff,” Alex added.
“Seriously?” Mackie asked. Her expression said she didn’t believe them, but there was hope in her eyes.
Hope. Kathleen was hopeful, too. That this would be over soon and Enzo would be okay. Nausea rolled through her. She’d barely touched her food, and now what she had consumed sat heavily in her stomach like a lump of coal.
“I’m just going to run to the restroom,” she said, sliding out of the booth.
Logan frowned. “I’ll walk with you.”
Thin laughter escaped her. “It’s right there.” She gestured to the short hallway beside the booth. “I think I can manage.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”
Alex started to get up, but Kathleen waved her back. “Seriously, I’ve got this.” She made her way down the hall and into the ladies’ room. She used the facilities quickly, then washed her hands. When a wave of nausea hit, she leaned against the sink, breathing through it.
She needed sleep. She needed this to be over.
Her thoughts drifted to her brother. Where was Jamie? Mitch had said they’d keep him busy, far away from all of this. She hoped that was true, but she missed him. Missed the simple comfort of being near someone who knew her well and made her feel anchored.
She splashed cool water on her face and reached for one of the folded cloth towels, real ones, not paper. Of course, Jamie would insist on that detail.
The door opened behind her.
She straightened just as an arm wrapped around her from behind.
Kathleen opened her mouth to scream, but something pressed over her nose and mouth. Sweet. Chemical. Overpowering.
She fought hard, but her strength evaporated frighteningly fast. Her vision narrowed, the edges going dark. Her limbs were leaden, as if encased in steel. Her gaze lifted to the mirror.
Dominic.
He met her gaze, gave her a slow, mocking wink.
Then the world went black.