Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Kira
Ijoin Enzo at his club. Being alone in our house makes me too scared that Matteo is going to find me again and try to hurt me. I still haven’t told Enzo about Matteo. If he knew, I’d never be allowed to leave the house ever again.
Crystal is at the club, dancing around a pole. It’s still day time but I guess she has to practice before the club opens.
Enzo doesn’t even spare Crystal a second glance as he goes to his office. I follow behind. The memory of Enzo touching me on his desk is implanted in my mind.
When he glances at me, I flush, looking away. I want Enzo to touch me again but all I can think about is Matteo’s hands on my skin when I didn’t want them.
“I can’t believe you lied to me about you being a virgin,” he says. “I never would have known.”
“I’m a good liar.”
“That’s the scary part.” He settles behind his desk and starts working. With nothing else to do, I sit on the couch across from his desk and scroll on my phone. Watching TikTok videos helps me not think of Matteo.
The door to his office opens and a man enters – one I’ve never seen before. He’s conventionally handsome but a little older. Probably in his forties.
“Marco,” Enzo says in a wary tone. “Nice to see you.”
Marco gives me a disgusted look before turning to Enzo. “You brought her here?”
“She is my wife after all.”
“I never agreed with you about making the deal with the Bratva.”
“Well, it’s done now. And we have peace. We’re still making money. More of it. So what’s the problem?”
“The problem, Enzo, is that the Bratva are filthy Russians. They’re going to backstab us at some point. I just know it.”
“Funny you say that with a Russian behind your back,” I snap.
Enzo chuckles as Marco stares at me in shock.
“She’s got you there, Marco. Now, I have things to get to.
You should go. If you have a problem with me working with the Bratva, then do something about it.
Otherwise, I’m done listening to you complain about this.
This is a good deal for all of us and if you can’t see that, then you’re fucking delusional. ”
Marco sneers. “You’re going to pay for this one day, Enzo. You don’t get to speak to me like this.”
“Just go.”
Marco throws a glare in my direction before storming out of the office.
“Who was that?” I ask.
“Just Marco Amato. He was never on board with us working together. But I can handle him. He’s always been talk and no action.”
“You don’t even seem fazed.”
He shrugs. “I’m used to dealing with big personalities in my line of work. You get used to it.”
If only I had an ounce of the power that Enzo possesses, then I wouldn’t be so afraid of what Matteo tried to do to me.
And speaking of Matteo…
He comes into the office right at that moment. “Marco looks pissed. I passed him by on the way in.”
“Marco is always pissed,” Enzo says. “What can I do for you, Matteo?”
“Can’t a man talk to his friend?”
“You can but I have work to do.”
“So why is your wife here?” When Matteo lays his eyes onto me, I freeze. My entire body is unable to move. All I can do is look at Matteo with wide eyes as the memory of what he tried to do to me enters my mind.
“Kira didn’t want to be stuck at home so I suggested she come here.”
“That’s good. It’s good to spend time with your wife.” Matteo smiles at me. “Kira, how are you doing? Take any good trips to the park lately?”
I can’t get any words out. I screamed for my life when Matteo tried to rape me but now, I couldn’t utter a word if my life depended on it.
Enzo frowns. “Kira? What is he talking about?”
“Oh, everyone knows about Kira’s trip to Central Park with your sister.”
“Do they?” Enzo asks, rubbing his temple. “I don’t want my sister to be in danger.”
“Word gets out. Mostly because of your aunt. She’s been saying some nasty things about your wife and how she kidnapped Gianna and took her to Central Park. An insane woman, if you ask me.” Matteo flits his eyes back onto me. “So, Kira, how have you been?”
I still can’t say a word. Enzo looks between me and Matteo with a furrowed brow.
Matteo smirks. “I guess she’s so star struck in my presence. I know I’m handsome but staring is considered rude.”
I can’t look away from him. If I do, he might attack me. He might try to rape me again.
“Kira?” Enzo asks. There’s a warning in his tone.
The air in the room becomes uncomfortable. A heavy weight of things unspoken.
“I’ll get going,” Matteo says. With a whistle, he leaves the room, all nonchalant like he hadn’t tried to rape me.
“Why were you staring at Matteo?” Enzo asks in a dark voice.
“It’s nothing.”
“Do you like him?”
I blow out a breath. “No. How can you ask that of me?”
“Because you flirted with him the last time you met him and now today, you couldn’t take your eyes off him. So, I’m going to ask again: do you like him?”
“No.” I can’t look Enzo in the eye in case he can tell I’m keeping something from him.
Enzo walks over to me. His presence is intimidating and powerful. It would be sexy if I wasn’t so afraid of him finding out the truth. “You are mine, Kira. My wife. Not Matteo’s. I don’t like you looking at him like that.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Then what is it? What should I think when my wife stares at another man like she wants him?”
“I don’t want him.”
“Then prove it.” He leans over me, blocking me onto the couch.
His face is so close to mine. His lips so close to kiss. But all I can see is Matteo forcing me onto the ground. His hands on my body when I didn’t want them.
There’s a breath between Enzo and I before he places his lips to mine. It’s electric and intense. It’s passionate and wild. Kissing Enzo feels like I’m waking up from a dream.
“You are mine,” he growls before pulling my hips to the edge of the couch. “Do I need to remind you?”
His hands find the waistband of my jeans but it only makes me think of Matteo and I can’t help but scream. I push away from Enzo and curl into a ball.
He rocks back, stunned. “What’s wrong? You welcomed my touch before. In this very room to be exact.”
“It’s nothing,” I mumble.
“Clearly, it’s not nothing. Something happened to you when you left the house yesterday. What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Kira.”
“Enzo.”
He sighs, running his hand down his face. “Something happened. You were acting weird around Matteo.” He drops his hand as a frown crosses his face. “Wait a minute. Did… did he do something to you?”
“Enzo…”
“Did he?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter. If he did something to you…”
“Then what? You’ll kill him? He’s your friend. And I don’t want to be locked away forever. I want my freedom. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want you to lock me in a room for the rest of my life.”
“Tell me what? Kira.”
I sigh. There’s no getting out of this now. “Matteo. He…”
“He what?”
“He tried to rape me,” I whisper.
“What?”
“I’m sure you don’t believe me. But I went to Central Park and was in a woodsy area. No one else was around but he found me there and he… he tried…”
“But he didn’t succeed?”
I flinch. “No. I managed to get away but I can still feel his hands on me. I didn’t want it, Enzo. You have to believe me. I’m not someone who wanted his touch.” I close my eyes, waiting for him to scold me. To tell me that I must have asked for it.
But what he says next shocks me. “I believe you.”
My eyes snap open. “What? You do?”
“Judging by your reaction to my touch today, you’re scared. And I saw you yesterday. You looked terrified.”
“But I’m a good liar. I could be lying.”
“Are you lying?”
“No,” I mumble.
“Then I believe you. I know you lied about not being a virgin but this is different. I saw the way Matteo looked at you. I’m an observant man. And I saw the way you looked at him. You’re afraid of him. He hurt you.”
“He didn’t rape me though.”
“Doesn’t matter. He still touched what isn’t his. I’m going to make him pay for this.”
“But he’s your friend. You’d go to war with your friend over me?”
“Matteo is just a business partner. You’re my wife. So yes. I’m going to make him fucking pay.”
Seeing the passion on Enzo’s face spreads a warm heat through me. Enzo cares for me for some reason. He’s willing to fight for me.
It makes me stand up, grab his face, and kiss him. He deepens the kiss but doesn’t touch me further.
“What was that for?” he asks when I pull back.
“For fighting for me. My dad and brother didn’t fight for me when I was forced to marry you. But you’re going to fight for me.”
“I’m not going to let that fucker get his hands on you. No way. Now, I need to get you back home where you’ll be safe. Then I’m going to deal with Matteo.”
“What’s going to happen?”
“I’m going to kill him,” he says simply. For once, a shiver doesn’t run down my body at the thought of Enzo’s violence. Instead, a shiver of happiness does.
I’m not sure what that says about me but I’m not going to be afraid of it.
Enzo
I’ll need help in taking Matteo down. He tried to rape my wife and that cannot stand.
I know two other men who will be just as angry about it as I am.
I show up at Gregor’s house, where he invites me in. “Enzo. I can’t say it’s nice to see you but I have no choice with you being married to my daughter.”
“One of my men, Matteo Conti, tried to rape Kira. He needs to die for it.”
All the air leaves Gregor’s body as he stumbles back. “What?”
“You heard me. He needs to die for it.”
“How could you let that happen? You were supposed to protect my daughter.”
“She wasn’t raped. She got away in time. And now I’m going to protect her by killing Matteo. But I’ll need yours and Maksim’s help. It’s why we made a deal in the first place: to help each other.”
“But won’t killing one of your men lead to a war? A war we want to prevent?”
“Maybe. But isn’t it worth killing the fucker who tried to rape your daughter?”
“Kira is your responsibility now. Not mine. And yes, I want any man who’s hurt her dead.
Including you. But I agreed to peace with you for the sake of my entire family.
But if you’re going to plunge us into a war, I can’t stand for that.
Kira will only end up hurt. So no. I can’t help you with this, Enzo.
You shouldn’t kill one of your men. You shouldn’t put my daughter in danger. ”
“Then I’ll do this myself,” I snarl before leaving his house. If Gregor doesn’t want to help me, fine. Then I’ll kill Matteo by myself and worry about the consequences later.