Chapter 34
Consciousness flickers like a faulty lightbulb. One moment I'm lost in darkness, the next I'm aware of the burning in my cheek where he cut me and the swelling of my nose from when I hit the ground.
Sound comes and goes – distant gunfire, shouting, shattering glass, and loud thuds fill my ears over the constant ringing.
My head throbs, and the metallic taste of blood is all I can taste. I try to focus, shaking my head to remain awake, but the world drifts in and out.
I hear more gunshots, closer now.
Suddenly, the basement door slams open. Vinnie and the stocky prick who not only took my necklace but sliced and hit me burst in. Their faces are pale, eyes wild with panic.
"Fuck, they're here. Sammy, help me block the fucking door!" Vinnie shouts, his voice cracking with panic.
The gunfire is closer now, echoing through the halls like thunder.
"Fuck this," Sammy snarls. Instead of helping with the door, he grabs my hair, yanking me to my feet. Pain explodes through my battered body, and I can't hold back a cry.
"Shut up," Sammy yells, shaking me roughly. The room spins, and I nearly vomit.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Vinnie demands.
"Insurance," Sammy replies, dragging me in front of him. His arm wraps around my throat, choking me. I feel the cold press of a gun barrel against my temple. "They won't risk shooting her. Bitch is our ticket out of here."
I struggle weakly, but it's useless. My hands are still bound, and Sammy's grip is like iron. The zip ties dig into my wrists, reopening the cuts there.
"You idiot," Vinnie snarls. "The boss said—"
Another explosion of gunfire, this time right outside the door. Both men flinch.
"Fuck the boss," Sammy says. "I'm getting out of here alive."
My heart pounds so hard I can barely hear anything else. Each breath feels like swallowing glass. But through the pain and fear, one thought burns clear:
I will not die here. Not like this. Not when I haven't told Enzo I…
The door shudders under a heavy impact. Once, twice. On the third hit, it flies open with a crash. My ears ring from the blast, and I blink rapidly to clear my vision.
Through the haze, I see Gabriel burst through the doorway, gun raised. My heart leaps at the sight of my brother, but relief turns to horror as Vinnie’s gun erupts. Gabriel jerks backward, blood blooming across his shoulder.
"Gabriel!" I scream, my voice raw and desperate. He staggers but stays standing, grimacing through the pain.
I turn to see someone else enter the room.
Enzo storms in like an avenging angel. His usual composed demeanor is gone.
He's not the man who quoted poetry to me or kissed me with such tenderness, but the ruthless killer who commands an empire built on blood and violence.
His blue eyes are cold, devoid of mercy.
He moves with fluid grace, each step calculated and precise.
The air crackles with deadly energy around him.
Vinnie swings his gun toward Enzo, but he's too slow. The gunshot from Enzo's pistol is deafening in the close space. Vinnie’s head snaps back, a red mist spraying the wall behind him. His body crumples to the ground lifeless.
Sammy's arm tightens around my throat, crushing my windpipe. He yanks me closer, using me as his shield. He presses the gun barrel harder against my temple.
"Stay back!" Sammy shouts, his voice shaking. "I'll kill her! I swear to God, I'll fucking do it."
Enzo's expression doesn't change. His eyes lock with mine for a split second, and I see a flash of something I've never seen before. Like the angel of death coming to collect his next soul.
Then, without hesitation, Enzo fires.
The bullet whistles past my ear, so close I feel the heat of its passage. Sammy screams, his grip loosening as blood spurts from his shoulder. I stumble forward, my legs weak and shaking.
Before I can even regain my balance, another shot rings out. Something warm and wet sprays across my face, and Sammy's body hits the floor with a thud behind me. I reach up with my bound hands and touch my cheek. My fingers come away red with blood that isn't mine.
There's a brief moment, and I see Enzo's eyes shift to the ones I know.
"Livia," he says as he runs toward me. He grabs me and scans my face, my body, cataloging every injury.
"Cara mia, are you hurt? What have they done to you?"
I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out. Instead, I just start sobbing uncontrollably as my knees buckle, and I start to fall.
Enzo catches me and brings me down gently, falling to his knees as he cradles me, holding me close.
As I sob into Enzo's chest, the relief and shock wash over me in overwhelming waves. His arms around me feel like coming home after being lost in darkness.
"I'm so sorry, cara mia," he whispers against my hair. "I failed you. This is my fault."
I feel his lips press against my forehead, tender despite the violence moments ago.
"I will never let you go again," he vows fiercely. "I was a fool before. The diary, my anger – none of it matters. I should have been there. I should have protected you."
I clutch his shirt, feeling the rapid beat of his heart against my palm. "I'm sorry too," I choke out between sobs. "I never want to be without you again. Please —."
"Never apart," he growls, tilting my face up to his. His thumb gently wipes blood from my cheek, and his eyes darken, seeing my injuries up close. "You are mine, and I am yours. Nothing will ever separate us again."
"I never should have betrayed your trust. I'm sorry I —"
Enzo shakes his head. "No. You have nothing to apologize for. I overreacted. I was scared of letting you in, of being vulnerable. But when I thought I'd lost you," His voice breaks. "I realized I can't live without you, Livia. I won't. I… I love you."
Despite everything, my body hums with joy, and my heart feels like it's going to explode with happiness. I look up at him and see my world.
"When I was here, all I could think about was getting back to you," I confess. "I love you, too, Enzo Bonventi."
The words hang in the air between us for a moment. Then Enzo's lips crash into mine, passionate and desperate. I kiss him back with all I have left, pouring all my fear, relief, and love into it.
We break apart at the sound of footsteps. I look over to see Gabriel sitting up, grimacing as he holds his wounded shoulder. Two of Enzo's men are helping him, while others sweep the room.
Enzo helps me to my feet, keeping an arm around my waist to steady me. I lean into him, grateful for his support.
"Gabe," I call out, my voice cracking. "Are you okay?"
He gives me a pained smile. "I'll be okay, Liv. What the hell happened to you?"
I smile and wince at the pain from my busted lip and cut cheek. "You should see the other guy."
Gabriel laughs as he gets to his feet. "Good to see you, even if you look like shit."
Suddenly, there's a commotion at the door. Gio, Enzo's brother, enters, dragging a struggling, overweight man behind him. I instantly recognize Joseph Rossi, the man who orchestrated my kidnapping, the don of the Rossi family.
Enzo stiffens beside me, surprise evident in his voice. "Gio? What are you doing here?"
Gio shoves Rossi to his knees, a grim smile on his face. "You didn't think I'd let you have all the fun, did you? I knew you'd come for her, so I followed. Figured you might want a word with this piece of shit."
Enzo's arm tightens around me protectively. I can feel the tension radiating off him as he stares down at Rossi.
"Joseph," Enzo's voice is cold. "You made a huge mistake taking what's mine."
Rossi sneers, though I can see the fear in his eyes. "Fuck you, Bonventi. You killed Carmine. Did you think there wouldn't be consequences?"
"He was a traitor," Enzo replies calmly. "And now, you'll join him."
I look at Enzo briefly. This is the side of him I've always known existed but never fully witnessed. The ruthless don who rules Chicago's underworld.
“You don't need to see this. Let Gabriel take you to the car."
Part of me wants to protest, to stay by his side. If this is the world I'm joining, then maybe I should be all in. But exhaustion and pain are catching up with me, and I'm not ready to see executions just yet.
I nod weakly.
As I start to walk away with Gabriel, a sudden realization hits me. My hand flies to my throat, panic rising as I feel the absence of my most cherished possession.
"Wait," I say. I turn back to Enzo, who's still glaring at Rossi. "Enzo…"
He looks at me, confusion and concern mingling in his eyes. "What is it?”
"My necklace. The skull pendant."
Enzo looks at my neck, realizing it's gone. "Yes, where is it?"
With trembling fingers, I point weakly towards Sammy's lifeless body. "His pocket."
Without hesitation, Enzo walks over to Sammy's corpse. He kneels down and searches through Sammy's pockets until he finds what he's looking for.
When he stands and turns back to me, I see my skull pendant dangling from his fingers. The chain is broken, snapped when Sammy ripped it from my neck.
Relief washes over me, so intense it makes me dizzy. Or maybe that's the blood loss. Either way, I sway on my feet, and Gabriel tightens his grip on me to keep me upright.
Enzo crosses the room in quick strides, cradling the necklace in his palm as if it's the most precious thing in the world.
"I'll have it fixed for you," he promises as he gently places it in my hand. I squeeze it tightly and turn to leave.
Gabriel leads me out, supported by one of Enzo's men, and I hear Rossi's desperate pleas cut short by a single gunshot. I flinch but don't look back.
Outside, I take a deep, shuddering breath of fresh air. It's over. I'm safe. I'm with Enzo.
And despite everything, I know this is where I belong.
"Hey, Gabe," I say, turning to my brother. "Is it weird that despite how I came to be with Enzo, what he does, and all that shit that just happened in there—I want to be nowhere else. That has to be some fucked up shit, right?"
Gabriel smiles, "God damn, are we family. If it's fucked, then we all are crazy. Now," he says, opening the car door, "Let's get the hell out of here."