Chapter 24
twenty-four
MARCO
The renovations had transformed our home into a demolition zone from hell. Every inch of the penthouse was covered in dust, the air thick with the scent of fresh paint and varnish. New floors were going in today and the constant pounding of hammers and whirring of power tools set my teeth on edge, but that wasn’t what bothered me most.
It was Kit.
My Angel tried to hide it, but I caught every wince, every subtle flinch when a particularly loud crash echoed through the space. The closer her heat drew, the more sensitive she became to everything—the noise, the people tramping through her haven, the disruption to her nesting instincts. Beneath the lotion she used to hide her signature, her scent had begun to shift subtly, taking on that sweet, honeyed quality that made my mouth water and my inner Alpha pace restlessly.
“C’mon, Angel,” I said, gently tugging on her wrist. “Let’s get some fresh air before you combust.”
She looked up at me with those pretty eyes, relief washing over her features. “Please.”
I tapped Enzo to join us for protection, but wasn’t sure who else to bring. With Lonnie, Nick, and some of our enforcers gone, our security detail had shifted, leaving me with fewer familiar faces I trusted with my Omega. Enzo brought along a guy named Niles—someone both he and Gio vouched for but who I didn’t know well enough to feel comfortable with. Still, numbers meant safety, and Kit’s well being trumped my personal preferences.
The four of us took Beretta for a walk, letting the cool morning air clear the lingering tension. The city bustled around us, people rushing to work, cars honking in the distance. Kit had bundled up in a cozy sweater that swallowed her small frame, making her look even more delicate than usual. Under the sunshine, I watched her shoulders gradually relax, her steps becoming lighter.
“Where are we going?” Kit asked, slipping her hand into mine.
I squeezed her fingers. “It’s a surprise.”
We stopped at a small café tucked between two larger buildings. The place looked like it had been plucked straight from a side street in Paris, with its wrought-iron tables and striped awning. The second Kit spotted it, she bounced excitedly on her toes, her eyes lighting up.
“I’ve wanted to try this place for ages,” she whispered, giving Beretta a scratch behind his ears before handing his leash to Niles.
“Stay sharp,” I told him, not bothering to soften my tone. “We won’t be long.”
Niles nodded, positioning himself where he could see both the street and the café windows. Enzo, Kit, and I headed inside, the bell above the door announcing our arrival with a cheerful jingle.
The moment we stepped in, Kit moaned at the heavenly smell of fresh pastries and coffee. The sound was innocent enough, but it shot straight to my groin.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one affected, either. My hackles rose, and Enzo coughed, covering his reaction quickly enough. But I caught the way his nostrils flared, taking in the faint traces of her scent—detectable now, even beneath that specialized scent-cancelling lotion she wore. Her heat was that close.
I hadn’t wanted to believe Tommy when he came to me with his suspicions about Enzo’s feelings for our Omega. But now, watching him watch her, it was hard to miss the signs—the way he paid attention to her every movement, how he seemed torn between leaning closer and forcing himself to maintain distance.
And I didn’t know how I felt about it. Enzo was like family, a pseudo-brother who’d been by our side for years. But he wasn’t pack, and he never would be. Our unit was complete—me, my brothers, and Kit. I felt that truth in my bones, in my soul.
“Why don’t you snag that table?” I told Enzo, pointing to a corner spot with clear sightlines of both exits. “Kit and I will grab our drinks and pastries.”
Enzo nodded and moved to secure the table while I led Kit to the counter. Her eyes widened at the various choices displayed in the case, and her fingers hovered indecisively over each one on the outside of the glass. She marveled over the chocolate ganache of the eclairs, the perfectly piped Chantilly cream, the toasted meringue on the lemon bars, and the dusted lavender sugar crystals on the edges of the blueberry galette. Her tongue poked out between her lips as she studied the options, a habit I found endearingly cute.
“I want to try that one... and maybe that one,” she murmured, pointing to a chocolate-filled croissant and some kind of elaborate looking fruit tart.
I ordered every pastry she’d lingered over—twelve in total—plus three lattes.
“Marco!” Kit’s cheeks flushed. “We can’t eat all that.”
“First of all, you underestimate how much ‘Zo and I can put away. Secondly, we can always bring some back to share with the guys. And third… Who says you have to eat them all now?” I grinned, paying the barista. “We’ll bring the leftovers home. You can snack on them all day.”
Her smile was worth every penny. I loved seeing her like this—relaxed, excited over something as simple as fresh pastries. In these moments, I could almost forget the shit we’d been through, the danger that constantly lurked at our periphery. This was what I wanted our life to be—normal, peaceful, filled with small joys instead of constant vigilance.
When I glanced back at our table, I caught Enzo checking his phone, his brows furrowed in concentration. The second he noticed me looking, he pocketed the device, his expression smoothing into something casual that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Something wrong?” I asked when we returned to the table with our haul.
Enzo blinked as if he’d just realized we were back. “Hmm? Nah, just—uh... messaging a friend. Everything’s fine.”
I didn’t believe him for a second. “Friend, huh? You mean girl ?”
His jaw tightened. “Not everything’s about getting laid, man.”
“That’s rich coming from the king of hook-ups himself,” I teased, using the opportunity to plant the seed in Kit’s ear that Enzo was known as a bit of a playboy and wasn’t mate material—at least, not yet. Maybe someday. With someone else.
Truthfully, I didn’t think Kit was into Enzo as anything more than a friend, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious. Especially because I was pretty damn sure now that ‘Zo had a thing for her.
Not that I could blame the guy. Kit was incredible. But she was also mine .
Thankfully, the feelings didn’t seem to be reciprocated.
Enzo scrubbed a hand down his face, his eyes darting to Kit and away as she took her seat and smiled warmly at him.
“You have a girlfriend?”
He blanched. “No, sweetheart. I don’t. It was seriously just a friend…”
“It didn’t look like nothing, man.” I should’ve let sleeping dogs lie, but something about the entire exchange irked me.
“Fuck, you’re a nosy bastard,” Enzo growled, but there was a flicker in his eyes—quick and defensive. “If you gotta know, I’ve been… looking for a pack.”
Kit paused from where she was laying out the various desserts so we could dive in, beaming up at my friend. “That’s great news, ‘Zo! You really should settle down. Any pack would be lucky to have you.”
He stared at her a beat too long—like someone quietly losing a game he never should’ve played in the first place.
He dropped his gaze, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah,” he said, voice lower now. “You make it look… tempting.”
But Kit was already back to the pastries, oblivious to his struggle, his longing. She picked up the chocolate croissant—pain au chocolat, or whatever—and took a generous bite, eyes fluttering shut.
“Oh my god,” she moaned in absolute bliss. “This is heaven.”
Enzo shifted in his seat, jaw clenching as he stared determinedly at his coffee cup. His phone buzzed again, and he glanced at it, ignoring my raised eyebrow.
Kit hummed happily and wiggled in her seat, licking the buttery flakes of pastry from her fingers.
“Good?” I asked, stroking my thumb across her wrist.
“ Beyond good.” She held the croissant toward me. “You have to try this.”
I leaned forward and took a bite, maintaining eye contact the entire time. Her pupils dilated slightly, and I caught the subtle shift in her scent—more of that warm sugary sweetness breaking through the neutralizing lotion. Yeah, her heat was definitely close.
Enzo’s phone vibrated for the third time in five minutes.
“Popular guy today,” I remarked, keeping my tone light, though I wanted to encourage him to meet up with this pack. To find his own happiness… away from Kit. “You can take that if you need to.”
Enzo glanced between me and Kit, then picked up his phone and stood. “Yeah, I probably should. Be back in a minute.”
He stepped outside, nodding at Niles before striding a few feet down the sidewalk to return the call.
While it was just the two of us, I turned my full attention to my girl, savoring this rare moment of alone time. We spent the next fifteen minutes chatting happily about the confections she wanted to recreate once our kitchen was functional again. I responded when needed, but my focus kept returning to Enzo as he chatted outside, on the way his eyes kept drifting to Kit when he thought no one was watching.
By the time we finished, the morning had slipped away. Kit had eaten her fill and was practically glowing with contentment as we headed back to the penthouse, a box of remaining treats clutched in her hands.
As we neared our building, Enzo cleared his throat. “Niles and my shift’s over. New guards should already be upstairs.”
I nodded, then took Beretta’s leash from Niles, who waved and headed for his car in the parking garage.
Kit smiled sweetly, just like always. “Thanks for coming with us this morning. And good luck with that pack. I hope it works out for you.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Enzo hesitated, then stepped closer to her. “I know your, uh, heat is coming,” he stammered. “So, if I don’t see you for a while, take care of yourself, alright?” He pulled her into a hug that lasted a beat too long, his nose dipping briefly toward her neck.
A growl rumbled from deep in my chest before I could stop it.
Enzo stepped back immediately, hands raised in surrender, a forced grin on his face. “Easy, man. Just saying bye to a friend.”
I didn’t laugh. Didn’t smile. Just stared him down, my arm sliding possessively around Kit’s waist.
“Right,” he muttered. “I’ll see you guys later.”
He turned to leave but looked back at Kit—eyes shadowed with something that might’ve been regret…
Sensing the tension rolling off of me, Kit pressed against my side, curling into me like she belonged there. And she fuckin’ did. Her warmth, her scent—it settled that raw, primal part of me that had risen to the surface. Then, to my surprise, she let out a soft, quiet purr.
I stilled, my heart skipping a whole fuckin’ beat.
Omegas rarely purred. It was something instinctual, something reserved for the deepest moments of comfort and connection. My chest tightened with emotion as I pressed a kiss against her hair, breathing her in.
“Let’s get you off the street and back upstairs where it’s safe,” I murmured against her temple.
As we walked into the building, leaving Enzo behind, I should have felt relieved. But the peace from our morning outing had dimmed, replaced by a gnawing unease.
My gut told me that Tommy was right—something was going on with Enzo. The way he looked at Kit tipped over the line from friendly to hungry .
And if Enzo thought I wouldn’t notice the way he scented my mate during that hug—well, he had another fucking thing coming.
I might be an asshole for suspecting my friend would make a move on my girl.
But if it kept Kit safe and happy, I’d be the biggest asshole alive.