Chapter 5 Ethan
FIVE
ETHAN
Istayed with Rosalie as John and the guys fought downstairs.
I made sure she was OK, really hoping Cole hadn’t killed her dad.
I had no idea what happened to put my sweetheart into this condition, but I was aching to find out.
Having her this way terrified me. I’d been with her during the dark days.
She managed to claw her way out of them.
I didn’t want her to be flung back to the bottom of that pit of despair again.
I lived in that pit most days. She didn’t belong here in the darkness.
“I love you,” I whispered, kissing her forehead as she slept from the drugs. She’d be out for hours. “So much, sweetheart.”
The yelling quieted, and silence descended on the house for nearly an hour before I brushed my lips against Rosalie’s and tucked her in tighter.
I went downstairs to find the living room empty. Figuring the guys were in the office, I knocked lightly on the door before cracking it open.
Enzo gestured me in, and I moved into the room, noting John wasn’t here.
“What happened?” I asked tightly.
“How is Rosie?” Fox looked over at me, ignoring my question.
“She’s OK. She’s out. I doubt she’ll wake tonight.”
Fox nodded, a muscle thrumming along his jaw.
“What’s going on?” I sat on the couch next to Fox.
Cole laughed softly and drank deeply from his glass as Enzo sat in his chair.
“Is John OK?” I pressed.
“He’s fine. He’s gone to his hotel,” Fox mumbled.
“Is anyone going to tell me what the hell is going on?” I demanded, my patience fraying. Something big had clearly happened, and I wanted to know what the hell it was.
“No, because we don’t know,” Enzo finally said. “John said it was up to Rosalie to tell us.”
I looked at the guys in turn, wincing. She was definitely in no place to say anything.
“What do you think it is?” I ventured softly.
Cole scoffed. “Probably more bullshit from him. Wanting her to come home. Saying fucked up shit to her. Pick a number. I’m sure we can match it with something.”
“You didn’t fight with him, right?” I looked directly at Cole, who scowled back at me.
“It wasn’t without great effort on our part,” Fox said. “We had to hold him back a few times.”
“Should have just let me take his ass out. The fact that you guys were OK with him making her cry pisses me off—”
“Let’s get one fucking thing straight,” Fox snarled. “I am never OK with Rosie crying. Got it? Fucking killing her dad or beating his ass would only make her cry more. Get your shit together, Scott.”
Cole gave him a sour look before going silent.
“So what’s the plan?” I asked. “What are we going to do?”
“Wait for her to feel better. To wake. If she wants to tell us, fine. If she doesn’t…
” Enzo’s voice trailed off. “Well, I think she will eventually. She just needs time. She’s under a lot of stress.
Let’s give her the time she needs. She knows she can come to us when she’s ready. We don’t push her on this.”
I blinked rapidly at him, genuinely surprised he wasn’t going to push, considering how bad she’d been. “I’m sorry. Cole’s dick must have been in my ear. What did you say?”
“I’ve never stuck my dick in anyone’s ear,” Cole muttered.
“You heard me. We will give her time.” Enzo drank from his glass after shooting a smirk at Cole.
“You never told us about dinner with cunt knob,” Cole said after a brief silence. “How’d that shit go?”
“Vander Veer?” Enzo scoffed. “That guy was about two seconds away from a shotgun mouthwash.”
“What happened?” Fox asked tightly as he sat forward.
I stared at him for a moment. Fox didn’t look well.
He had black circles around his eyes like he wasn’t sleeping, and he’d lost weight.
I knew he was going through something, but Fox kept to himself when he was upset.
And that worried me. I recognized what silently falling apart looked like.
I didn’t know how to help him, though. I couldn’t even help myself.
“Vander Veer kept telling me she was common at dinner. It pissed me off. I had to give him a gentle reminder on how to interact properly with me. He then told me I should let her go. That she’s too soft and sweet for our world and that Celeste would be a better fit.”
“Are you going to let her go?” Fox asked, his voice soft.
I looked from Fox to Enzo, my heart in my throat. I hated being a co-dependent fuck-all, but I knew I couldn’t live without Rosalie. She made me feel like I had something to strive for. This life was worth everything if she were at my side.
“Never,” Enzo replied just as softly. “She belongs to us. Everything I’ve done, that we’ve done, has been to secure a safe world for her.”
“It’ll never be safe.” Fox sighed. “You know that.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’d die to protect her,” Cole said. “I know I would. I trust in Enzo.”
“I do too,” I said softly, looking at the floor. So many thoughts flooded my mind. Life without Rosalie popped into my head. My stomach twisted painfully at the thought.
“Is that all John said?” I pressed, knowing it couldn’t have been because they had argued for a long time.
“He wants to take Rosie home with him,” Fox said. “He doesn’t think she’s safe here.”
“I told him no.” Enzo glanced over at me. “She’s safe with us here.”
“And I told him to take her,” Fox said, looking sourly at Enzo.
“I-I don’t want her to go,” I started, those feelings from my guts bubbling to my chest.
“She’s not a fucking puppy, Ethan,” Fox snapped at me. “She’s a fucking girl with feelings. With potential, and you pricks are holding her back.”
“What? I-I want her to succeed—”
“Yeah? Is that why you begged her never to leave? To give up her dreams?” Fox demanded.
“I-I didn’t… I don’t want her to give up her dreams,” I said, stunned at his words.
“Well, she did,” Fox snapped at me again.
I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Enough,” Enzo shouted. “We’re not going to do this!
I’m sick of fighting!” He threw his whiskey glass as he got to his feet.
It smashed against the wall as his chest heaved.
“This isn’t our decision to make. Yes, I want her here.
We don’t know the context of what happened tonight.
John is adamant that she return home. In the end, it is her choice. It’s not ours.”
“It is—” Cole started.
“It’s not,” Fox murmured, glancing at Enzo. “It’s Rosalie’s.”
Enzo stomped to the bar and got a new glass. He filled it with alcohol before downing it. He slammed the glass back onto the counter before resting his hands on the bar, his head down.
“I don’t. . . I don’t want her to go,” I said. “I know that’s selfish of me, but I love her. I need her—”
“You’re co-dependent, E,” Fox said, his jaw trembling, telling me shit I already knew.
“You need to learn to stand and breathe on your own. You can’t keep using Rosalie as your crutch.
Same with the drugs. Enzo and Cole won’t tell you the harsh truths, but I will.
Rosalie would give everything up for you.
For all of us. And if we allow her to do it, that only makes us selfish pricks.
I don’t. . . I don’t want to be a selfish prick. ”
His words hit me hard. I blinked at them, my chest aching. He was right. I knew he was. I depended on Rosalie’s love. Her support. Her presence. Just her. I loved her more than anything.
“You’re out of fucking line,” Cole snapped at Fox.
“He’s not. He’s right. I-I do depend on her. I depend on all of you. The last year has been hard on me.” I blinked away the tears, willing myself not to cry like a bitch. “But it’s also been hard on you guys. I-I don’t mean to be this way—”
“E,” Fox sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, man. I shouldn’t have said that shit. I know you’re trying. I’m just really frustrated right now. I’m worried about her. Fuck, man. I’m worried about you. About all of us. I’m just in my head too much lately. I’m sorry. Really.”
I nodded and breathed out. “It’s OK. I-I won’t promise to work on things. I know you’re an action man, Fox. I’m always promising to get better, and I don’t. That’s on me. I’ll prove it to you. I swear.”
“OK,” Fox said softly. “I believe you.”
“Let’s just go to bed. Rosalie is our top concern right now,” Enzo said. “We’ll sleep with her tonight. Make sure she’s OK. We’ll take things step by step right now.”
“What about Everett or the Russians? We still need to sort out the attack. I know Jake was in here earlier. Did he find out anything? Emilio? Your old man? You think Everett was behind Rosalie being almost kidnapped and raped in the alley?” Cole asked, his voice soft and vibrating with quietly controlled rage.
We’d been hitting dead ends all around with finding out who had been brave enough to try to take her from us.
“I don’t fucking know anymore, but I wouldn’t put it past him.
” Enzo sighed. “I don’t have any connections to Everett Church.
None. He’s the one prick in this world I can’t seem to get close to.
Anson may have been good, but he’s broken away from him, and I highly doubt he’s interested in returning.
Besides, Everett is smart. He’d know something is up.
I don’t think Everett has anything to do with it, though.
He has no reason to be involved in anything we do.
Aside from him just being a fucking prick, there’s no reason.
” Enzo poured another glass of alcohol and drank.
“Fuck. I just… I need to marry her. As Rosalie De Luca, no one would dare touch her—”
“She’s already Lorenzo De Luca’s girl,” Fox practically shouted. “It didn’t offer her much protection in a fucking dark alley, so I highly doubt it’ll help with your name attached to hers.”
“Fox, man, I love you, but you’re really starting to piss me off,” Enzo said, stepping around the bar to return to us. Cole and I both got to our feet. This wasn’t going to go down well, but maybe it needed to.
“Yeah? I’m pissing you off?” Fox scoffed. “Fuck you, De Luca. You’re the reason we’re in this fucking mess. You and your stubborn ass and useless fucking traditions! When I was in charge—”
“When you were in charge, we lost Rosalie and were stuck fucking your girlfriend. Remember that?” Enzo demanded, his dark eyes flashing as he poked Fox hard in the chest. “Do you fucking remember railing into Juliet’s dank fucking pussy with me?
Because I remember it. I remember thinking if I were in charge, this shit wouldn’t be happening to us!
I remember thinking all of this shit was because you were too fucking stubborn!
So fuck you, Fox. What needs to happen is you understanding that she chose me, Foxy boy. She picked me to marry.”
“Only because you didn’t give her much of a choice.” Fox backed away from him. “I’ll be the one to give her a choice. I’m the only one who can now.”
He stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.
I looked from Cole to Enzo.
“This isn’t working,” I murmured. “We’re falling apart.”
“All great empires fall so new ones can arise,” Enzo replied softly. “This is just one of those times.”
God, I hoped not. I needed Fox and the guys like I needed my sweetheart.