Chapter 57
ENZO
It had never been a big deal for my bedroom to be next to Cole’s. We shared a wall for five years. It had always been peaceful.
Until now.
I listened, staring up at my ceiling, as their soft moans sounded out around me.
Cole was fucking her. I assumed Anson was fucking her with him, which only made me sicker to my stomach.
It used to be Cole and me fucking her.
Now? I was the chump in the room next door, listening as it happened.
And fuck, it sounded like they were having a damn good time.
The fact that Cole was doing this with Anson told me all I needed to know.
I’d already lost my brother.
It fucking hurt, but I loved Cole. I wanted his crazy ass to be happy, and if this made him happy, I’d let him go.
I’d still be bitter over it, but hey, I was trying.
I breathed out and tried to block out the noises I could hear, but it was a losing battle, even with my pillow pulled tightly over my head.
Ryder had left to return to Klaus’s place, so at least he wasn’t privy to this shit show. I’m sure he was used to listening to Rosalie with men, considering he was her bodyguard, but I wondered how he managed when he clearly had a thing for her.
I’d have asked him if he were here. He’d likely have denied his feelings and told me to fuck off, but a broken man could easily recognize another broken man.
Sighing, I got up, left my room, and went to E’s room. It was further down the hall and on the opposite side, so it would be quiet there, and I knew he wouldn’t care if I slept in his bed since I’d done it before.
I lay back down, this time in E’s bed, and closed my eyes, my heart heavy. I kept trying to push Rosalie away, but fuck, it was killing me.
I’d die a little more tomorrow, I suppose.
I went downstairs to find Cole, Anson, and Rosalie already in the kitchen. It was early, so Ellis was likely still in bed.
I swallowed and tried not to stare as Cole wound his arms around Rosalie’s waist while she made them breakfast. Or when he nuzzled into her neck and kissed her throat. Or when Anson stood and tilted her head up after sliding his fingers beneath her jaw to kiss her while Cole continued to hold her.
They’d already worked out a dynamic.
And Cole fucking fit right in without bloodshed.
My stomach knotted.
This was definitely happening.
I texted E to come meet me this morning. I needed my brothers together so we could talk.
Enzo: Can you come over? We need to talk.
E: Yeah. Everything OK?
Enzo: I don’t know. It’s Cole. He slept with Rosalie last night. It’s looking official. I just think we should talk.
E: Damn. Well, good for him. I’ll be there in a few. I have to drop Laz off at Ann’s.
“Morning,” Cole called out cheerfully, still clinging to Rosalie.
“Morning,” I muttered, not bothering to stop as I went and sat on the couch. I sent E a text back that simply said “OK” before looking at Jade’s text.
We’d not been speaking much. It was mostly me avoiding her, even though she definitely still tried to talk to me. I’d given her paid time off and a nice check for her troubles with her broken arm. She’d accepted without batting an eyelash, so I knew she could be paid off easily enough.
Jade: If you’re not busy, I’d love to get coffee. We could catch up on work.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes before sending her a message. I tried to ignore Rosalie’s soft laugh from the kitchen as Cole fucked with her. I forced myself not to look. I didn’t need to be hurting my feelings even more.
Enzo: Work is fine. Lacey is working out as the stand-in assistant. If there are any issues, I will reach out, but I do not foresee it happening. Please rest.
Her response came immediately.
Jade: I honestly just want to talk. Can we please meet?
I stared at the message for a long time. I’d been short with her after I’d been told what she’d done to Rosalie. It pissed me off. I didn’t like that mean girl shit at all. On the other hand, I did want to know why the fuck she did it because I had no issues firing her ass.
Enzo: I’ll let you know. I have some things to take care of today, but if I have free time, I’ll text you to set up a time to meet.
Jade: Perfect. I can’t wait! :)
I left it at that, not bothering to respond, and looked back into the kitchen to see Anson had left the room, presumably to check on Ellis, and Cole was now slow dancing in matching pink aprons with Rosalie, a look of pure bliss on his face as they spoke in soft voices to one another.
The front door opened, and E came in. If Cole gave a shit, he definitely didn’t show it. He didn’t jerk away from Rosalie. Instead, he continued to dance and whisper to her, lost in his own little world.
“Wow,” E murmured, settling next to me on the couch. “That’s… really nice to see.”
“Does it hurt?” I asked softly.
“Like hell,” he answered back in a low voice. “But this is a good thing. He wanted this more than anything. He’s more than earned it.”
I nodded tightly before getting to my feet. E stood too.
“Cole?” I called out.
He continued to dance, this time twirling Rosalie before she laughed softly.
I cleared my throat. “Cole?”
He blinked and finally looked over at me.
“Oh, hey, E! I didn’t hear you come in!” he called out.
“Meeting. Office. Now,” I said, walking to my office. I caught Rosalie’s eye, though, and took note of the faint blush on her cheeks.
“Hey, E,” Rosalie said as I retreated.
“Hey,” he answered.
I didn’t hear what else he said to her because I went into my office, closed the door, and sat behind my desk, my heart in turmoil.
Finally, the door opened, and Cole and E came in.
“It’s a good morning to have a good morning,” Cole said, grinning like a fool.
E chuckled softly and clapped him on the shoulder as they took the seats across from me.
“I had a rough night,” I started.
“Sorry,” Cole said, immediately knowing what I was referring to. “I didn’t mean for that… I mean, I didn’t expect it. Things just sort of happened, you know?”
“What happened?” E pressed, smirking at him.
“A gentleman never tells,” Cole replied.
I snorted. “I could hear you railing into her pussy for hours last night. You don’t need to tell.”
Cole narrowed his eyes at me. “I’m sorry you heard that, but again, I’m not going to talk about it.”
I blinked at his seriousness. Cole always bragged to us when he fucked Rosalie.
“We’ve all been there before,” I muttered. “It’s not like we don’t know what she’s like.”
“Mediocre?” Cole raised his brows at me.
I looked away, my throat tight.
“Yeah, dick. She told me what you said to her,” he continued. “That’s fucked up, even for you.”
“Wait. What?” E asked.
“Enzo told Rosalie he wasted two years of his life fucking her mediocre pussy,” Cole said.
I winced at his words. I’d been so fucking out of line and had regretted my words immediately.
“What the fuck? There’s nothing about Rosalie that’s mediocre—” E said, his voice holding an edge of anger in it.
“I was angry. I let my anger speak,” I mumbled.
“Yeah, well, you ever speak to my girl like that again, and I will lay you on your ass,” Cole said, glaring at me.
I scoffed. “Your girl? She looks like she’s Anson’s girl—”
“She’s ours,” he said softly, his voice shaking.
I stared at him, my throat tight.
“Officially?” E asked, his voice low.
“I-I think so. There’s a lot that has to happen, but yeah. For all intents and purposes, she’s my girl. I got her back.”
“What has to happen?” I asked.
Cole said nothing as he stared down at his hands clasped in his lap.
“Cole?” I pressed.
“Uh, well, a stipulation is that I, uh, sort of have to… leave.”
“Leave?” I raised my brows and looked over at E. “What the hell does that mean?”
Cole blew out a breath. “It means that I need to walk away from this life and embrace a new one. It’s their rules. If I want to be with her and in my daughter’s life, I need to walk out of this one. For good.” He didn’t look at me as he said the words softly.
I knew this was a possibility. It sort of went hand in hand with the new contract Church might write up for us.
However, if he didn’t, Cole could very well be tortured and executed in the underground for violating the contract that was already in place.
Rosalie may be able to pull a lot of strings, but I doubted she could rein in a pissed-off Dante Church and his fucking blood contracts.
I said as much to Cole.
“I don’t care,” he said, shaking his head, still not looking at me. “Whether he changes the contract or not, I know what I want, and I’m going to get it. If it means I die for it, so be it. I’d rather die than be without my family.”
E cast a quick look at me.
I wasn’t surprised this was Cole’s answer.
“What about us?” I asked. “What does it mean for… us?”
“I-I don’t know.”
I licked my lips. “Cole, walking out of this life includes us. You’re prepared to go no contact with me and E? Forever?”
He was quiet for a long time before he looked at me, tears in his blue eyes.
“I love you,” he whispered. “Both of you, but they’re my family. You know how much I’ve prayed for this. I-I would leave. I’m sorry.”
“It’s OK,” E said. “I understand. We knew it was a possibility going into this. I want your happiness, Cole. If it’s away from us, so be it. I will always be on your side. No hard feelings. Only happiness for you, brother. ”
“Thank you,” Cole whispered.
He looked to me. “Enzo?”
I said nothing as we locked eyes.
“Come with me. Both of you. We don’t need the money from this mob shit. We could all have a new life. A family with the girl we love. Please…?”
“That is not a possibility,” I said gently. “We left to protect her. E doesn’t want her to know about Riot, and he looks just like E. We couldn’t explain that away. Plus, once she does realize it, she might boot you out for keeping it from her.”
“She deserves the truth. Foxy would want that for her,” he murmured. “Foxy would want us to have a new life and to be together. She’s a good girl. She’d accept Riot, and he’d get a little sister to protect. I know Rosalie would take him as her own. She could love all of us—”
“Her and her new group?” I scoffed. “And don’t forget Ryder, because he’s working his way in. Do you really want to share your girl with men you barely know?”
“I know Anson and you guys,” he mumbled.
“You hate Anson. Just because your cocks touched last night doesn’t mean he’s your bestie, Cole. It means he’s tolerating you, but will likely push your ass out the first misstep you take.” I stared Cole down.
Cole frowned at my words. It wasn’t like I wanted him to stay behind with us, because I did want his happiness, but I also did want him to stay behind. He was my best friend. Losing him would be like losing Rosalie. The same held true for E.
“As for Fox,” I started. “Maybe we should go to his grave today, and sort of talk things out—”
“No.” E shook his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Don’t… I-I’m not going to his grave ever again.”
Both Cole and I looked at him like he’d lost his mind. E made weekly trips to Fox’s grave. In the beginning, he’d sit out there for hours talking to the air because he missed him and blamed himself. This was unlike him.
“What?” I asked.
“I’ll go to Foxy’s,” Cole said.
“I’m not going, and that’s final,” E said in a no-nonsense voice. “We don’t need to be wasting our time out there. It’s pointless. He moved on.”
“Uh, yeah, E. He died,” Cole said softly.
E scoffed, shaking his head.
I frowned as I took in the way E’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He was being weird.
“E, what’s going on?” I asked gently. “You always go to Fox’s grave—”
“Well, I’m fucking done,” he snapped, his green eyes flashing.
“Fuck going out there. It was a waste of time, and it will continue to be one. Fox is dead to us. Let him rest in peace. It’s what he’d want.
And this Rosalie thing? It’s over, Cole.
Stop trying to make it happen. You got the girl, man.
Just fucking keep her. I don’t… I can’t…
” E stood and left the room abruptly, leaving Cole and me to stare in confusion.
“Did I miss something?” Cole asked.
I shook my head. “Perhaps we both did, brother,” I murmured.
I’d figure it out, though. Wasn’t like I was doing anything else these days.