8. Enrico
8
ENRICO
“W hat the fuck ?” The words barely leave my lips before a gunshot rings out.
Cops in riot gear push their way in, shields in hand and weapons drawn. I’m momentarily frozen in place, unable to comprehend that these motherfuckers had the balls to raid the compound, even though Aurelio told me as much on the phone a few seconds ago.
He said they found a flimsy excuse to barge in—something about a truck full of stolen weapons that may be considered a stockpile. I know the truck they’re referring to. I also know one of our trusted family members, Maximo, was ordered to drive the damn truck as far away from here as possible earlier this morning, so there’s nothing for the cops to find.
The crack of another bullet slicing through the air brings me back to the present moment. I draw my gun and hold it out in front of me, ready to defend my home and my woman with my life.
“Stay inside,” I call out to Valerie over my shoulder. “Go hide in one of the bathrooms. It’ll be safer there.”
I step out onto the strip of grass connecting the row of houses lining the compound, keeping track of the line of police to my right. Aurelio, Marco, and Lorenzo are to my left, armed and ready to fight. They’ve already called in the rank-and-file members to fill out our numbers, making it harder for the cops to find what they’re looking for.
One policeman steps forward with a megaphone. “We know you have a stockpile of weapons,” he announces. “A white semi-truck was seen entering the compound last night.”
No one says anything on either side of the invisible line between us and the cops.
“We’re willing to make a deal,” the policeman continues.
Aurelio laughs sardonically. “A deal? Why on earth would we make a deal with you?”
“Hand over my sister, and we’ll look the other way on your little weapons problem.”
I furrow my brow, looking at Lorenzo and Marco. They’re the only people who’ve brought women into the compound recently, but I can’t imagine either of them being related to this fucking pig.
Wait. No. It can’t be…
“I can explain,” Valerie says softly. She’s standing right behind me.
I turn to look at her, hardly able to comprehend what’s happening right now. “You’re…” I can’t even finish the sentence without choking on my rage.
I feel like such a fool for trusting her. Why didn’t I question her story more? I didn’t even ask her name until she was already inside my house, behind the locked doors of the compound. Did I endanger the entire Family by letting her in?
“Hand her over, and this will all go away,” the douchebag cop says over the megaphone.
I whip my head in that direction, then peer over at the Boss. His features are hard and unreadable, but I know he’s coming up with a way to eradicate me from the Family even after spending practically our entire lives together. It might pain him to do so, but I fucked up. Majorly. I deserve whatever punishment he has in store.
The tense standoff is focused on me and the woman I thought I knew. I need answers.
“Was this your plan all along?” I grit out. I can’t look at her right now, so I stare at a spot above her left shoulder. “Was any of this real, or was I just a means to an end?”
“No,” she insists, a panicked edge to her voice. “I didn’t think he’d go this far. I didn’t know…”
“But you knew your brother was a dirty cop, right?” I spit out. “You knew his existence threatened my livelihood and the safety of the Family.”
“Yes,” she whispers.
Fuck me. I’m boiling with anger, but her broken voice still lances my heart. I finally look at Valerie, my chest tightening as my brain races and tears itself apart with all the conflicting emotions.
“I also knew you would save me. I knew you were a good man, and I hoped you’d understand when?—”
“When what?” I hiss. “When you brought our goddamn enemies to the front door? No, Valerie, I don’t understand.”
“It’s not like that,” Valerie pleads. “I was scared, and I didn’t tell you the whole truth. I wanted to, so many times. I just… I was selfish. I thought you’d kick me out. The thought of going back home…” She squeezes her eyes shut and wraps her arms around her stomach as if trying to physically hold herself together. “He hurt me,” she whispers. “Almost every week, I had a new bruise, black eye, or fracture. I couldn’t go back.”
Her words from earlier this week replay in my head. She told me about the abuse, but I didn’t ask for specifics.
“Valerie,” I breathe.
Jesus. She came to me with a sore shoulder and a scrape on her cheek, but I had no idea the scale and frequency of violence she experienced. My heart shatters, the anger slowly draining away.
“That day in front of Grimaldi’s, I couldn’t even speak,” she continues softly. “I didn’t expect you to take me in without question. I certainly never expected to fall in love with you, but I did. I’m sorry. I screwed everything up.”
Tears well up in her eyes and fall down her cheeks. She wipes them away with the back of her hand, but it doesn’t help as a seemingly endless well of pain and hopelessness pours out of her. Her motions grow frantic and aggressive as she digs the heels of her hands into her eyes to stem the flow of tears.
I reach out to pull her hands away so she doesn’t hurt herself, just as a bullet whizzes past me. I shove Valerie behind me to block any other bullets aimed at us, then point my gun at the piece of shit who dared to hurt my woman.
“Enough!” Aurelio roars. “Take the girl or leave her. It’s up to you. But the semi you’re looking for isn’t here.”
I growl at the thought of handing Valerie over. Aurelio burns a hole right through me with his glare, instantly silencing me.
“Bullshit,” one of the cops yells.
“Do you see an eighteen-wheeler parked in front of any of these houses?” Aurelio demands. “That’s a pretty big thing to hide. So unless you have another reason for this invasion, I suggest you get the hell off my property. I’m sure you’re all acquainted with the stand-your-ground laws in place in this state.”
“No fuckin’ way,” the first cop says. “You must’ve sent the truck somewhere. Or you have the weapons elsewhere on the property.” His uncertain tone betrays his confident words, however.
“Is this really what you want to do right now?” The Boss is stoic, almost calm as he continues. He knows he has the upper hand, something the cops are about to discover. “As we speak, a copy of your under-the-table accounting practices is being sent to every media outlet in the state and the FBI. It’s not a good look to raid a private property without just cause, especially when the landowner has spilled your dirty little secrets to the world.”
The cop—Valerie’s brother, though the thought makes my stomach turn—looks to his thieving brothers in blue, who stare back at him with the same bewildered expressions.
“How…?
“What the fuck?”
“He’s lying.”
Discord and infighting break out among the officers, each pointing their finger at someone else. The group dismantles as one cop leaves, followed by another, none of them wanting to be the last person standing on our land.
I spin around, needing to hold Valerie, touch her, and reassure her that my momentary lapse in judgment is over. I’m still confused and hurt, but she said she loved me. That has to mean something.
Only… she’s not here.
“Val—”
“Enrico,” Aurelio’s deep voice cuts me off. The Boss stands a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest. “Do you want to tell me what the fuck just happened? Did we not agree to a lockdown? How the hell could you be so ignorant as to let a complete stranger into your home?”
“It was before the lockdown. I didn’t know,” I reply lamely. “I have no excuse, Boss. I know it’s crazy, but I trust her. I should’ve insisted on getting her story sooner, and yes, Valerie could have given me the details earlier, but I believe she didn’t think this would happen.” The broken angel I scooped up from the street outside Grimaldi’s nearly a week ago was terrified and needed protection. She wasn’t thinking about her brother as a cop who could use her as leverage. She was simply running away from a monster.
“Boss, we need to get him to Doc Bianchi,” Marco says. I’m unsure who he’s referring to, but then Marco tips his chin in my direction.
I look down at my left arm, noticing for the first time that my suit is soaked in blood. Apparently, that bullet didn’t whiz past me. It grazed my bicep.
“Fuck,” Aurelio says under his breath. “This conversation is far from over. But I can’t have you lose an arm or bleed out. Get cleaned up. We’ll finish this later. I expect Valerie to be present at our next meeting. I want the truth from both of you, and then we’ll see where the cards lie.”
“But Valerie…” I wince, my breath hitching as pain radiates from my left arm. The combination of shock and adrenaline must have kept the wound numb until now.
“Shut up and get yourself to Doc.” Aurelio shakes his head and lets out an exasperated sigh.
I hate that I’ve disappointed him and he feels betrayed. But right now, I have more pressing worries. Like where Valerie ran off to.
“I’ll be fine,” I grit out.
“Stubborn ass,” Marco says from his position next to me. “But I get it. I’d go after my girl before worrying about myself, too. Here, let me…” Marco rips a large strip of cloth from the shirt he’s wearing and binds the open wound on my arm.
I hiss as he ties a knot in the makeshift bandage and tightens it. “Thanks,” I manage before taking a few deep breaths.
Without another word, I head inside my house, praying that Valerie is hiding somewhere. Even as I wander through each room, I already know she’s gone. I can’t feel her presence, her warmth, her light anywhere.
Circling back to the kitchen, I halt when I see a folded sheet of paper that looks like a page from Valerie’s sketchbook. My stomach sinks, knowing it’s a goodbye letter before I even pick it up.
When I unfold the thick sheet of paper, I’m shocked to see a portrait of myself. Severe features blend with a soft look in my eyes. I don’t know how she captured my essence while also showing me how much I’ve changed in such a short time. It’s all thanks to Valerie. I’ve only ever let my guard down that much with my angel, and I know I’m the only one she’s shown her vulnerable, precious heart to.
Her neatly scrawled note has tears stinging the backs of my eyes while my stomach drops to the floor.
I’m so sorry for putting you in danger, for being a burden and a liability. I'm sorry for everything. I can’t thank you enough for your kindness, but you don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m already gone.
I fucked this up. I need to find her and make it right. I need to fix this.