Chapter 43
FORTY-THREE
ANSON
The last thing I wanted to do was go to one of my best friend’s funerals, but there I was, standing in a church with hundreds of other people who cried like they’d known him.
And who knew.
Maybe they had.
Fox was popular. I never heard anyone say a bad thing about him. The headlines read he died in a tragic fire. No doubt Enzo made sure it was printed that way.
It didn’t matter. Fox was gone. Despite Cole threatening me, there was no way I was going to miss being here.
The last time I’d missed attending something involving Rosalie, this shit happened.
Never again.
If nothing else, I was another set of eyes to ensure no one was going to shoot the place up.
There were armed guards at the doors, though, and people were patted down before being allowed entry. The person who set this up knew what they were doing.
Something told me it wasn’t Enzo either.
I looked across the room and frowned as I spotted someone. It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t Matteo.
“Santino,” I murmured. He looked like my father. Hell, he looked like Fox.
The fact that he was here in Chicago, out in the open, made chills run down my spine.
Nothing good would come from this if Santino De Santis were willing to unveil himself in the middle of this city.
The Carpenter.
I knew his name well. People still whispered it in the underground. He’d been a monster. I think even Matteo feared him.
I breathed out and decided I needed to introduce myself to him since Rosalie was nowhere to be seen.
“Mr. Evans?” I called out.
He turned to face me, no emotion on his face.
“Alessandro,” he murmured, stepping forward.
“I-I just wanted to say how sorry I am. Fox was one of my best friends. He was more than that to me, though. He was family,” I said thickly. “I miss him.”
He studied me wordlessly for a long time before he spoke. “He liked you a lot.”
“H-He was a good man. The best,” I said, my voice trembling. “I-I don’t want to believe he’s gone. Rosalie… I-I want to help.” I began spilling my guts to him.
“Have you seen her?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. Without Fox, it’s too dangerous. He always kept things from escalating too much. Cole and Enzo aren’t my biggest fans. Cole especially.”
He sighed. “I’m not surprised. Cole Scott was always a violent little shit.”
I said nothing. Movement at one of the doors pulled my attention away.
Rosalie.
She looked like hell. She’d lost so much weight.
Cole steadied her as they walked. Fox’s casket was closed, but it was just as well.
I knew the sort of damage the underground could inflict on people.
I didn’t want her to see him that way anyway.
A large framed photo of him in his football uniform sat atop the black casket.
There were photos of him and the guys. He and his family.
Football. Singing. Riding his dirt bike.
Then a motorcycle. In all his pictures, he was smiling.
It made me sick.
Fuck, I missed him.
I turned back to speak to Santino, but he’d already moved past me and was walking forward to Rosalie and the guys.
Not fucking good…
Deciding fuck it, I went after him. I wasn’t sure if he’d need help, but I wanted to punch Cole in the face anyway, so this might work in my favor.
But then I thought about how broken my LeeLee already was, and I decided I had to be the voice of reason, making sure things remained calm.
“Rosalie,” Santino said softly as he stopped in front of her.
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. It took her all of a moment to break away from Cole and throw her arms around Santino’s neck.
He held her back, rocking her in his arms as he whispered words to her that I couldn’t hear.
I took that opportunity to look at the guys. Cole outright glared at me. Enzo was focused on Rosalie and Santino, looking more tense than I’d ever seen him.
And then there was Ethan.
Fuck…
He looked like hell. His face was busted to fuck. Black and blue. Cuts. Tears. He was so thin and frail.
“Ethan,” I choked out, stepping toward him.
“Don’t even think about it,” Cole snarled at me, getting between me and E.
I swallowed and took a step back.
Santino released Rosalie, and she looked at me.
“Ani,” she whispered, her face soaked with tears.
“LeeLee,” I answered, my heart shattering.
She came to me, falling against my chest as she clung to my suit. I held her back, noting that Cole had moved forward. Santino took that opportunity to get between us.
He was snarling at Cole and Enzo. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, and I honestly didn’t give a shit. Rosalie needed me, and I was here for her.
“Ani… my heart. My-My Foxy…”
“I know, baby. I know,” I whispered thickly into her hair as I held her tightly.
“It’s OK. I promise it’ll be OK. It hurts like hell right now, but I swear it’ll be OK.
You’re my strong girl. Your Foxy is watching you be so strong right now.
He loves that you are. So keep being strong.
For him. For you. For your family. Can you do that, baby? Can you keep being strong?”
“I don’t want to be strong anymore,” she choked out. “I want to be with him.”
I closed my eyes, my throat tightening as my tears fell.
“He wouldn’t want that. You know he wouldn’t. He’d want you to live your dreams. To be happy. To live for him. Don’t… fuck, LeeLee, stay for him. For me.”
Her small body shook against me as I continued to hold her.
Fox wanted me to take her away if he died.
How could I? I know I promised, but she just lost Fox.
E was clearly a mess. If I took her from them, she’d lose four guys instead of just one.
I was lost. I had no idea what I should do because I didn’t want her to hurt more. Taking her would likely make her worse.
FUCK.
Cole stepped angrily around Santino and grabbed Rosalie roughly from me. She reached out for me, my name on her lips.
“Don’t,” I warned, my voice trembling as he shoved her behind him to Enzo. “Not fucking here, Scott. Now isn’t the time.”
“I said I’d fucking kill you,” he snarled at me. “You think I was bluffing? Do you think this funeral will stop me?”
I balled my hands into fists. I really didn’t want to do this here, but if he wanted to throw down, so be it.
Santino shoved Cole away.
“You want to fuck with someone?” he demanded. “Fuck with me because I’m sure as hell going to fuck with you.”
Cole eyed him wearily.
“I’m sure Fox told you exactly who the fuck I am,” Santino continued.
“And if he didn’t, here’s my introduction.
My name is Santino De Santis. I’m the rightful heir to this fucking city.
If you don’t sit the fuck down, I’ll tear your entire world apart, brick by fucking brick.
Is that what you want? To watch what you built crumble?
I’m the man who can make that happen. One snap of my fucking fingers and it’s over.
Do you think I sat around being silent all these years?
” He left out a dark, dangerous laugh. “Don’t.
Fucking. Try. Me. Keep this shit up. You’re making it worse for yourselves.
You already killed my son. Do you really want to kill yourselves, too?
Huh? Because believe me, when I say death can find you when you least expect it, I fucking mean it.
While you’re warm in your bed, thinking you’re safe.
Twelve. Seventeen. Forty-eight. The code changes every twenty-four hours.
That was yesterday’s code. Today it’s nineteen, thirty-three, twenty, right?
” He narrowed his eyes at the guys. Enzo had been quiet the entire time, but I knew Enzo. He was assessing.
I also knew the numbers Santino was rattling off.
They were the security codes to get into the house. They did change daily. He had them. I didn’t know how he had them, but he did. Santino wasn’t playing.
I looked from Cole to Enzo, who appeared like he was ready to lay it all on the line as he stepped forward.
“Careful, Lorenzo,” Santino warned. “You’re only still alive because of Rosalie.
Don’t make me break my promise to her.” He backed away.
“If she isn’t cared for, you’ll be hearing from me sooner than you think.
Now get your shit together and have some respect for my son.
If you think you’re going to fight on my dime, you’re wrong.
I’ll kill you in front of this entire room to set a fucking example of what happens when you fuck with a De Santis. ”
Without another word, Santino turned and left.
Enzo looked to Rosalie, who was openly weeping. Ethan stood behind everyone, staring at his feet. Not a single word from him.
“Enzo, can we talk?” I asked.
Enzo looked at me, his face emotionless. He wasn’t touching Rosalie. Even in her sorrow, when she needed someone, he didn’t touch her. Didn’t comfort her. It was Cole who stepped back to her and cinched her to his body. E was a shell, that much was certain. He likely wasn’t even in his right mind.
Enzo nodded to Cole to take Rosalie and E away. Cole shot me a scowl before doing as silently instructed.
“Let’s do this now since I don’t have a lot of time,” Enzo said.
“I want to thank you for helping and giving me the information we needed to get E out. I will be grateful to you forever for that. Fox is dead, though, and without him, you are not welcome. Cole hates you. E isn’t well enough to even tie his own fucking shoes.
And me? I tolerated you because Rosalie cared for you, and Fox liked you.
You were an excellent help many times, but the company you keep with Matteo and now Santino is something I can’t stand by. I can’t trust you, Anson.”
“I have never betrayed you,” I said. “Fucking never, Enzo.”
“Ask yourself why, and you’ll have the other reason why you need to go.”
I swallowed at his words. “Rosalie.”
He nodded. “She’s not well. She doesn’t need you around, making shit worse for her.
You… remind her too much of him.” His dark eyes skirted over me.
I knew he meant how closely Fox and I resembled one another with our black hair and blue eyes.
We were even the same height and had the same muscular body type.
If one didn’t know better, they’d think we were siblings.
“I promised Fox,” I said. “I promised him I’d be here for her if anything ever happened. Don’t make me break that promise.”
“Fox would understand,” he murmured. “But it’s a moot point since he can’t speak for himself now.
You inspected the underground. Came up empty-handed.
Had you actually done your job and worked harder to find him and E, things may have been different.
At this point, all I see is a man in bed with my enemies and a possible reason why my best friend is dead.
A man who has stolen a woman and is marrying her.
You don’t scream loyal, Alessandro. I keep hoping that it was an accident that Fox and E were overlooked.
I fucking pray it was and not some part of your sick, fucked up game you’re playing as you straddle the fence on loyalty.
I hope you understand, but then again, I don’t give a fuck.
Stay away from Rosalie. Cole wasn’t lying.
We will kill you. If you care about her, stay alive.
She doesn’t need another dead body to give her nightmares. ”
And with those words, he stepped around me and went to Cole, who continued to hold Rosalie as she buried her face in his chest, E still staring at his shoes.
I watched, my throat tight.
“It’s a rough time,” a man said from beside me. I looked over, not recognizing him.
“I’m Colten,” he said, holding out his hand to me.
“Colten Scott,” I replied, eyeing him. “Cole’s older brother.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “They’re good guys. They’re just fucked up right now. Give them some time.”
“I don’t think there’s enough time in the world,” I murmured, watching Rosalie sob so hard that Cole had a hard time controlling her in his arms. She looked like she was on the brink of collapse, and there wasn’t fuck all I could do about it either.
All I wanted was to sweep her into my arms and bring back Fox for her.
Hell, I’d even die so he could come back if it meant she’d be happy again.
“Here, give me your phone,” he continued.
I looked back at him and handed him my phone. He typed in his number and sent himself a message.
“That’s my number. If you’d like to check in on her, please feel free to message me. I’ll be in town for a few more days. I spend a lot of time with her these days since the guys have been gone.”
“How is everything?”
He shook his head. “A disaster. Ethan is so fucked up right now.” He blew out a breath. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we woke up and he’s killed himself. He’s not OK.”
I winced at his words, really fucking hoping he didn’t do something like that. It would end Rosalie if she lost two guys. As it were, it was looking like she might not make it past Fox’s death.
“Rosalie doesn’t come out of her room much.
Barely eats. God knows I can’t make her eat.
Neither can Jamie, her best friend.” He nodded to a pretty brunette who was sitting beside Rosalie, rubbing her back as Cole and Enzo discreetly tried to drug Ethan, who looked like he was on the brink of a freakout.
“Dominic De Santis can, though,” he said.
I frowned at that information. “What?”
Colten let out a soft huff of air. “He comes over nearly every day and has been since the guys went missing. He takes care of her. Sleeps in her bed with her. Holds her when she cries. Hell, he even forced her to shower one day. It gives the rest of us a little break, not that it matters because Rosalie is a good girl and needs the help, but…” He scratched his head. “It’s hard, I guess.”
I said nothing as I absorbed that information. Dominic was sleeping with my LeeLee in her bed. Holding her, wiping her tears. I suppose he was probably the best one for the job, considering he knew how it felt, but I didn’t like it.
That said a lot about what a jealous prick I was.