Chapter 16 – Enzo
ENZO
When Althea’s body slams into mine, I feel an overwhelming sense of relief. Daemon had just gone inside and found the punk who owed Rossario money when shots rang out inside. Nazario, Mauro, Ang, and I were making our way into the building as backup when Althea came running out.
Nazario sent our men inside to do a sweep and find out what the fuck happened, but all I cared about was getting Thea away from the flying bullets.
“Where’s Stavros?” I ask, dragging her away from the building.
“He’s still in the SUV across the street.” She points and I follow. A pickup pulls into the lot just as we approach the SUV. I pull my gun, but Althea pushes my hand down.
“It’s Drew.” Her bodyguard. He pulls to a stop and jumps out of the vehicle.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” He shouts at Althea. I push her behind me. I can feel her eye roll when I hear her sigh as I grab the fucker by the throat, lifting him off the ground, putting us nose to nose.
“You do not yell at her,” I grit out, a muscle in my eye beginning to twitch.
“And the real question you ought to be asking yourself is how the fuck she got past you and all the way out here before you knew something was wrong? What kind of fucking guard are you?” Drew sputters under my grip, looking to Althea as if she could save him. “A fucking fired one. Don’t you think?”
“Enzo.” My name on her lips is something I long for, but I’d prefer to hear it without the steel in her voice.
Althea stands her ground, not willing to sacrifice her protector even when he failed to do his job.
“You can’t fire him. He’s my employee .” She says it as if I should give a fuck about who pays his check.
“Drew isn’t the only one who was duped tonight. I outsmarted you and your guard too.”
God, the things I want to do to that smart mouth of hers.
“I’ll deal with Stavros later,” I promise, lowering Drew to his feet.
“I’ll accept full responsibility, boss.” Stavros groans from behind me. Althea winces slightly when she sees him rubbing his head. When I turn a questioning glare on her, she shrugs sheepishly.
“I had to knock him out. He was insisting on going inside with me. I couldn’t let that happen. I was instructed to come alone.”
“Instructed by who?” My voice is so chilled even I hear it. But if Althea was in some sort of trouble, I’d burn the fucking building down. Fuck anyone left inside.
“Exactly what were you doing inside the Landing Strip?” Was she in trouble or was she here to meet someone specific?
Maybe she was hooking up with someone new.
I hadn’t reached out for a few days. I was busy with Santo and Naz.
Maybe she was over waiting and found someone new to play with, not wanting to meet at The Mansion where I would know.
Stavros would have told me if there were someone else coming around.
And the Landing Strip is just a strip club.
They couldn’t offer her what she craved here.
Only I can give her that.
The possessive monster lurking beneath is creeping dangerously close to the surface now. “Who were you here to see?” I stalk toward her. Drew, the stupid fucker, moves to get between us, but Stavros pulls his gun, halting Drew’s forward motion.
Althea’s hand is tucked under her dress, curled around a small knife. A sudden thrill thrums through my veins. My little devil was about to attack me over her man. No, not her man . I’m her man . He’s just a shitty-ass excuse for a bodyguard.
“You going to stab me, little devil?”
“If you force my hand.” Althea’s reputation precedes her. Like me, she loves her knives, and she clearly doesn’t give two shits about who she threatens with them. The difference is she hesitated. I would’ve stabbed me already if I were her.
Maybe she does have feelings for me? Maybe that’s the reason for her hesitation.
Or maybe she knows Stavros would shoot her because my men don’t fuck around unless they want to find out what I’ll do to them if they fail.
“I’m disappointed, little devil.” I tsk, taking another step closer. “Do you think you can kill me before Stavros fires off two shots, killing you both?” She doesn’t respond, but her eyes, now full of anger, are locked on mine.
I both love and hate the dress she’s wearing. It fits her like a second skin at the top and flares out at the waist, giving just enough of a tease to the beautiful, curvaceous ass that’s underneath. The fact she’s got weapons hidden underneath makes the outfit that much hotter.
I lean in closer and whisper conspiratorially where only she can hear me.
“I know your affinity for garments with straps and special toys. But this is even more of a turn-on than the harness. I’m hard as a fucking rock now thanks to you and your viciousness.
We’ll have to do something about that, won’t we? ”
Her cheeks have turned a beautiful shade of pink. Her eyes dilated and full of lust. “What game are you playing?” It comes out in a croaked whisper, but I heard it. She looks momentarily lost in thought and I use it to my advantage.
I pluck the two pins from her hair, watching as it spills over her shoulders. Althea gasps in shock when I snag the dagger from her grasp with my other hand. All her once-concealed weapons are now tucked away in my back pocket.
I smile as her face fills with fury. She’s pissed at how easily I was able to disarm her.
“Lust can be one hell of a distraction,” I tease. “But don’t worry, baby,” I reassure while grazing my finger down her cheek. “We’ll have our time to work out your frustrations with me later. But right now, I need you to answer my question. Why were you here?”
“She was here talking to The Bishop. A woman inside told Ang that Althea was also talking to the fucking shooter.” I spin at the sound of Nazario’s rage-filled voice. Instinct causes me to place Althea behind me. Naz’s face is etched with fury, and the deadly tone in his voice has me on edge.
I won’t let him hurt Althea.
Fury like I’ve never felt fills my veins at his accusations. Warring with myself at how quickly my loyalty has chosen a side, and it’s not for the family.
Shit. I need to get my head straight.
“I don’t know the shooter. I had nothing to do with what happened in there,” Althea argues, stepping out from behind me.
“I’m not talking about tonight’s shooter. Although, given what’s just come to light, I’m not sure I believe you,” Nazario seethes. “She was having a drink with The Bishop and talking to the man who shot my brother.”
What the fuck?
“She’s in on all of this, Enzo. We have witnesses to say they saw her with both our enemies,” Naz says. “You’re the enforcer, Zo. She’s your problem to deal with.”
Fuck.
Did Naz actually issue an order for me to kill my woman?
Althea wouldn’t betray me like this. I try to reason with myself, but the fact is, she doesn’t owe me her loyalty. She’s mine.
But she doesn’t believe she’s mine .
Which means her loyalties could lie elsewhere.
Fuck.
“He used me as a human shield!” Althea shouts. “You can’t possibly think I’m in on anything with him!”
“We have witnesses that say otherwise,” Nazario snaps. “The shooter inside was one of Mesias’s men. He’s been watching you all night. It seems your new plaything was sent to fuck us over.”
The way Nazario speaks about Althea has me wanting to put a bullet in him myself, which speaks to the level of insanity my feelings for her have brought about. I can’t react to his words. I can’t show him what she means to me, but I also can’t let this go. I need to know the truth.
Is she the enemy?
“You’re making a mistake, Nazario,” Althea crosses her arms, shielding herself.
Quite the opposite of the fierce little devil I know her to be.
But maybe that’s why she’s so good at what she does.
She appears frightened and angry, but in reality she’s trying to get our guards down so she can strike.
Nazario matches her stance. His face is the picture of calm, but I know he’s a hair trigger away from losing his shit, which has me on edge.
“So, you’re saying Mesias’s man is lying?
” Naz asks. “You just happen to be in the same shitty-ass strip club as the man who shot my brother, and the motherfucker who has been stirring up shit for my businesses all over fucking town? And you also just happened to be in my club fucking my enforcer the night my brother was shot?”
“ Naz .” It’s a warning. One I shouldn’t issue, but all rational thought I have is currently hanging on by a fucking thread.
Nazario turns his glare on me, his finger pointed in my face. “ No ! You and I both know if you hadn’t been led by your dick that night, you would’ve been there and my brother wouldn’t have been shot! This is on you just as much as it is her!”
“Naz, come on, man.” Mauro steps in. “That’s not fair, and you know it. Even if Enzo was there, there was no way he could’ve stopped a fucking sniper on the roof.”
“ But we fucking should have !” Nazario roars.
Stalking over to me, his finger now in my chest. Althea looks ready to strike.
I feel her hand on her blade in my back pocket.
I reach back and grip her wrist firmly, holding her to me.
If she pulls that knife on Naz, there’s no way I’ll be able to save her.
If there’s even a reason to save her.
Fuck.
“If you don’t handle this shit, Enzo … I will .” Nazario turns on his heels and walks across the street to where Ang and our men are waiting.
Once they’ve gone across the street, I pull Althea’s hand from my back and switch my grip, pulling her firmly against my chest.
“Enzo,” she pleads softly. “I have nothing to do with that asshole who shot Santo. I wasn’t … I didn’t …”
Althea’s argument dies on her lips as I lean down, resting my forehead against hers as I fight to gain some kind of control.
“You have to believe me.” She tries again, and I fucking snap.