32. Evan
EVAN
To say I was surprised to walk into our house and find Enzo in our living room would be an understatement.
He stood as Klaus and I stepped inside.
“Hey. What’s going on?” I demanded.
“Uh, I have news on the stalker situation,” he said.
“Sit.” Klaus pointed back to Enzo’s seat.
Enzo sat once more, and we took up places in the living room. Me next to Anson, across from Enzo, and Klaus on the love seat.
“Tell us,” I said, taking in the way he looked.
Tired. Angry. On the edge of screaming.
I knew Enzo well enough to know when he was stressed. Anson had likely been giving him a hard time.
“There was a shooting at one of my clubs,” he started. “One of the men was apprehended. One of Virelli’s men.”
I nodded, really not liking where this was clearly going.
“We took him to a warehouse and questioned him.” He paused. “He said Rosalie is a target. They know she’s pregnant. They know she was with me. They think….”
“That getting to her will get to you,” Klaus finished, his voice filled with violence.
Enzo nodded. “It appears that way. The guy knew that Rosalie had been to my place. I’m not really surprised, being as I know Virelli watches my shit. But he knew she was pregnant. How?”
“How indeed,” I murmured, looking over at Anson.
His hands visibly shook. “What else?”
“They want her. We were told Virelli would cut the baby from her and send it to us in pieces,” Enzo whispered, his voice thick. “Then he said Laz was next.”
Anson swore and got to his feet, kicking at the couch, his body trembling.
“She’s not safe here,” Enzo continued. “I have more information. I did some digging. Virelli has men here. Lots of men. H-He’s been linked to Mikhail Ivanov, and Mikhail is in L.A. as we speak.”
“Fuck!” Anson shouted. “Fucking hell! This is your goddamn fault! You should have had the fucking sense to leave this life years ago when Fox died! It was your fucking out, De Luca! Now look! My baby… my girl… are at risk. We have spent the better part of the last few years living in complete fucking bliss. In safety. And now this shit! WE FUCKING ESCAPED THAT LIFE! You were too fucking stupid to let it go! Now look! FUCKING LOOK!”
“Hey, hey, man.” I got up and went to Anson. I cradled his face. “Look at me. Rosalie is safe. She is. Ellis is safe. The baby is nestled safely in Ro’s belly. Everything is going to be OK, brother.”
“Fuck, Evan, I-I can’t…”
“I know,” I murmured. “I know. But we’re smart. We’re strong. We have the means. We may not want to, but for our family—”
“We will,” he finished. “We’ll go back. W-We have the army. We have the underground. The kings… We can go back. Kill them. All of them.”
I nodded grimly. It was the only way.
I released him and looked at Klaus, who stared back, no emotion on his face.
“Brother?” I called out.
“I suppose once a mobster, always a mobster,” he finally said, nodding. “We will make a return if we must.”
“There’s more,” Enzo said.
I closed my eyes for a moment to gather myself. Anson settled down and took a seat, and I sat next to him.
“Go on,” I said.
“Your father. Santino,” Enzo continued. “It seems a lot of the anger stems from something he’s done. I’d reach out and ask him, but he told me to go fuck myself a long time ago. I doubt his sentiments have changed. I think maybe it would be a good idea to reach out to him.”
I nodded. I knew my father had many enemies. It didn’t surprise me. But I was already privy to this information. My father was a threat. He was the rightful heir, and he’d turned it down, but my father wasn’t just sitting around baking bread these days. We always had a plan.
“And… my old man,” Enzo finished. “But he’s not around to ask anymore. I haven’t been able to reach Emilio to ask. So I’m just going on what I hear.”
“Where do you get this information?” Klaus asked.
“We interrogated a few of Virelli’s men. Did some street talking. Just things that were picked up.”
Klaus nodded, and Anson looked at him.
Klaus inclined his head. “I will reach out to him,” he murmured, not bothering to say a name.
Enzo frowned but didn’t ask questions.
“I’ll speak to my father,” I said.
“I think you should bring Rosalie to Chicago,” Enzo said softly. “Church is there. The underground. The kings. Us. We can protect her there. We can’t do shit here.”
I felt the same, as much as I hated to admit it. The last place I wanted to be was Chicago, but he was right. I knew it was where I was going to end up, and I needed to accept that. Destiny was calling.
“It’s something we will discuss,” I said, noting neither Klaus nor Anson had immediately protested. I knew they were thinking what I was thinking.
As dangerous as Chicago was, it was the safest option if it came down to it. We had guards here, but that’s all we had. There was no army waiting.
“Enzo wants to talk to Rosalie,” I continued.
“I do,” he agreed, his dark eyes meeting mine. “I have some things I need to say to her. So please. May I speak with her?”
“Yeah, man. Fine.” I sighed and got to my feet. “I’ll be back in a minute. Come on, Enzo.”
He got up and followed me out of the room. I led him through the house and to the basement to Rosalie’s recording studio.
She was inside wearing a pretty pink sundress, belting out something we couldn’t hear.
“She’s working on some new music. She doesn’t like to be disturbed, so if she kills you, then it’s your own fault,” I said, looking at Enzo.
He stood staring at her, awe in his eyes.
I had to admit that she did look damn good. She hadn’t noticed us yet.
“You know, if you love someone, you should tell them,” I murmured.
“You already know how I feel,” he whispered back.
“Well, she doesn’t. Maybe tell her.” I clapped him on the shoulder and made to leave, but he called out to me.
“Fox?”
I closed my eyes, my back to him.
“I-I’m still trying to figure shit out. With you and me. I-I want to love you. I’m just…”
“I get it,” I said, looking at him from over my shoulder. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. Just sort things with Ro. I’ll talk to the guys.”
He nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing, before I left the room.
It still felt like everything was fucked.
But I had faith.