Chapter 38 #3
My entire nervous system short-circuits, and I almost miss the expensive bouquet of white lilies perched in his hands like he’s walking into a funeral.
“Enzo,” Leo says, keeping his arm clutched at my side while attempting to sit up straight. He clenches his teeth.
Enzo smiles as his calm grey eyes sweep the room. “When I heard you got shot, I wanted to stop by and express my condolences. That’s what friends do, right?”
Leo’s throat constricts, swallowing hard. “That’s very kind of you.”
“I know, right?” he says, his grin widening. Every muscle in my body is on high alert, wishing I’d brought my gun in with me. “I can be very kind to the people I like.
Leo nods, watching Enzo closely as he walks over to the window and sets the bouquet down. We’re both silent as he fusses over the flowers.
It’s a message.
A very morbid yet pretty message.
“Mia, I apologize for not recognizing you that night at the club,” he says, quickly changing subjects. “That last time I saw you, you were hiding behind your father’s legs.”
I try to wiggle out of Leo’s hold and bound to my feet, but his hand tightens around my waist.
“You remember my father?”
Enzo’s mouth curves. “Of course I do. Tony was a good man. Reliable and loyal to a fault. Men like him are hard to replace.”
A cold and harsh realization prickles across my spine. “Then why did he have to die.”
He studies me for a few beats, those dark irises zeroing in on the way Leo’s grip on me tightens. “Some things are better left in the past.”
It’s not a confession. Not by a long shot. But fuck if it doesn’t make my blood boil.
“You look at me like you want revenge,” he says casually. “But trust me, revenge has a funny way of consuming people.” Enzo’s attention shifts back to Leo. “Isn’t that right, Leo?”
Leo lowers his voice. “Just say what you came here to say.”
He smiles faintly, taking a few steps toward the bed. His shoes squeak against the linoleum floor, grating in my eardrums.
“If I wanted you dead, you’d already be six feet in the ground, so calm down,” Enzo sighs. “I’m here to offer you an opportunity to be smarter than Adrian. He always had a way of making things unnecessarily messy. He never learned how to go out on a high note.”
The temperature of the room drops, but I can feel Leo’s skin become hot to the touch.
“This is clearly a warning,” Leo says, lifting his chin in defiance. My heart flutters inside my ribcage.
“Not necessarily,” Enzo smiles, turning his head slowly like a predator preparing to go in for the kill. “Consider it advice from someone who’s old enough to know better.”
“You don’t scare me,” Leo says flatly.
“I should,” Enzo says, making tiny beads of sweat pop up along my hairline. “Unlike Adrian, I have a much larger pool of resources and a particular soft spot for pretty brunettes like your sister. Her name is Maribella, right? She’s enrolled in Columbia and spends entirely too much time alone.”
Now I’m the one holding Leo back as his chest trembles with rage.
“Touch her and I’ll—”
“Please don’t,” Enzo laughs, tossing his head back. “I know you’ve spent a lot of time preparing for war, Leo. But unlike Adrian, I’m not interested in playing games. So let me save you a great deal of pain and mistakes by telling you something you should’ve learned from your parents.”
Silence drowns the space around us as Enzo makes his way toward the door. Before he can leave, he turns back.
“A man who has something to lose is easy to destroy, so be smart and stand down while you still have it,” he says.
And then his eyes flash to me with a sinister snarl. “Take care of him, Mia. You two make an adorable couple. You’ll have a long and beautiful life together if you’re careful.”
Enzo gives us one more leveling look before stepping into the hall and shutting the door behind him.
Leo is the first one to break the silence, dragging a hand roughly through his hair. “I meant what I said before. I can’t live knowing that man is still getting away with everything.”
“I know,” I answer, grabbing his hand and lacing our fingers together. “He wouldn’t have come down here if he wasn’t threatened.”
He stares at me for a long time, possibly waiting for me to push back. But if anything, I’m more determined than I was before.
“We will take down Enzo Caruso and we’ll do it together,” I say, squeezing his hand tighter.
Leo lifts my hand to his mouth and peppers kisses on the peaks of my knuckles. “I love you.”
“I know,” I say, sighing. Even with the overwhelming fear I just felt with Enzo, it’s not enough to chase me away from this feeling. His battles are mine now, and I’m happy to be by his side. “You need to call Michael. Someone needs to protect Maribella.”
Leo’s heated gaze connects with mine as he nods. “I will,” he says, leaning forward and pressing a hard kiss on my lips. “I won’t let him hurt her. I won’t let him hurt anyone ever again.”
And then his hand slides across my jawline and his fingers curl into my hair, softly gripping the back of my head and pulling my forehead to his.
Outside this room there’s a long road ahead of us.
But for the first time, I don’t feel scared of what’s waiting at the end.
THE END