Chapter 16
Enzo
Slamming the laptop shut, I let out a tired sigh.
After spending the entire day going over the finances, I climb to my feet and stalk out into the hallway.
“Are you heading home?” I hear Christiano call out when I pass his office.
“Yes.” I don’t stop and continue through the warehouse toward the exit.
“Enzo! Hold up,” my brother shouts.
I only listen because he’s the Capo dei Capi. Taking a deep breath, I turn to face him. “What?”
His eyes are sharp on my face as he comes to a stop in front of me. “How are you holding up?”
I’m so fucking tired of hearing that question and glare at him. “How would you hold up if Sienna were dead?” When his features tighten, I sigh again. “Sorry. Just stop asking me. Okay? I’m fucked and only going on with life because that's what you all expect of me.”
Turning away from him, I begin to walk, but Christiano grabs hold of my arm and hauls me into a hug.
At first, I tense up even more than what has now become my natural state, but then my brother says, “I can’t imagine what I’d do if I lost Sienna.
I’m so fucking sorry for the pain you’re in, and I know there’s nothing any of us can do to make it better.
” He pulls back and locks eyes with me. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop showing you that I fucking care. ”
I nod and take a step backward.
“Come over for dinner tonight,” he says.
I shake my head. “I have other things to do.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Like?”
Whenever I mention that I’m still looking for Rosie, they all go into overprotective mode and take turns babysitting me. Fuck knows why.
Instead, I say, “I’m going to work out and burn some of the tension away.”
“That’s good.” Christiano pats my shoulder. “See you tomorrow.”
Since I returned to work, he’s had me stay in the office at the warehouse, not sending me out to take care of my usual responsibilities.
Nodding again, I walk to my Mustang and get in. My eyes touch on Ciro and Nathan as they climb into an SUV, getting ready to follow me.
For a moment, everything becomes too suffocating and chaotic, and I breathe through it.
Christ, the pain. It’s eating me alive. I groan as the relentless agony tears through me for the millionth time.
I can’t live without you, Rosie. I’m willing to face anything on this goddamn planet, but losing you is the one thing I don’t know how to survive.
When I switch on the car, words appear on the dashboard screen.
‘LIVING ON A PRAYER.’
The next second, a song begins to play, and it shows it’s I Swear by All-4-One.
I recognize it as the Minions song Rosie serenaded me with on our last shopping trip.
The image of her being silly flashes through my mind, and it’s so fucking painful I slap my hand against my chest, right over the organ that feels like it’s been hemorrhaging non-stop.
“Rosie,” I groan as I stare at the screen, then words flash on it for less than three seconds before the usual information appears.
‘AH, HA, HA, HA, STAYIN' ALIVE.’
Goosebumps spread over my body, and there’s a weird wooshing sensation in my head, then it hits like a fucking bolt of lightning.
Rosie is sending me messages. She’s alive!
Christiano walks toward the Mustang, a frown on his forehead. “What’s wrong?”
In a stunned daze, I glance at him. “Rosie is reaching out to me.” My voice grows stronger with each word. “She serenaded this song to me.”
Christiano comes to crouch in the open door and places his hand on my thigh. “Brother. It’s just a song. You’re going to drive yourself insane if you start looking for hidden messages in every single thing.”
I indicate for him to move as I get out of the car, and pointing at the screen, I say, “There were two messages. Ah, ah, ah, ah, stayin’ alive and Living’ on a prayer!”
“Aren’t those titles of songs?”
“That’s Rosie, Christiano. She used to drive me insane with songs and knows I will get the message.”
Christiano places his hand on my shoulder, his expression growing somber. “I fucking hate what this is doing to you, Enzo. Maybe take some more time off and see a therapist.”
I stare at him and realize he doesn’t believe for one second that Rosie could be alive.
Pulling away, I climb back into the car.
“Enzo!”
“Just drop it, Christiano.”
“Let me take you home,” he offers as I reach for the door.
“I’ll be fine. It was just a moment of insanity,” I lie to get him off my back. “Two hours in the gym will get my head sorted out.”
“Don’t speed,” he orders as he steps out of the way so I can pull the door shut.
I slam the car into first, and only as I drive away, I realize the song has stopped.
With my phone connected to Bluetooth, I say, “Call Dario.”
It rings but goes to voicemail. “Rosie reached out to me via songs and coded messages.” I hang up and steer the Mustang toward my apartment.
It’s been two months of not hearing her voice. Not seeing her mischievous smile. Not catching her watching me. Not touching her.
Uncle Dario gave up searching for Rosie last week because it was taking a toll on Aunt Eden, and he needed to be there for her.
Everyone thinks she’s dead. Everyone’s given up.
I can’t. I will never give up on her.
Hammering my foot down on the gas, I leave Ciro and Nathan behind in my hurry to get home so I can search the internet for any clues.
By the time I park the Mustang in my regular spot, sweat beads all over my body. I shove the door open and quickly get out before slamming it shut again and running toward the elevator. Once inside, I scan my keycard and impatiently wait during the ride to the top floor.
The instant the doors open, I run to where the encrypted laptop is lying on the coffee table. I learned a couple of things watching Uncle Dario work over the past seven weeks.
Dropping down on the couch, I open the laptop and key in the password.
Suddenly, the entertainment system turns on by itself, and my head snaps up.
For a second, there’s only the soft hum of the speakers coming alive, then the first notes of a song fill the room, and once again goosebumps erupt over my skin.
It’s the last song she played for me. Lonely by Akon.
“Rosie!” Desperation fills my voice as I shoot to my feet, and walking closer to the entertainment system, I notice the volume bar moving on its own.
Three notches up. One down. Three up again.
My heart slams against my ribs as the air bursts over my lips and intense relief pours through me with indescribable force.
“Rosie!” I shout in case she can hear me.
Running to the nearest camera, I look up, my voice is hoarse as I say, “Send me GPS coordinates so I can find you.” I lift my arm as another wave of relief sends shivers over my body and reach for the camera.
“Thank you, bella mia. Fuck. Thank you for this sign. I’ll find you.
I promise I won’t rest until I have you back. ”
The song ends, and the entertainment system switches off, and as silence falls around me, I gasp through the emotions flooding my chest.
So much fucking relief and gratefulness. Hope. God, the intense hope makes my head spin, and bending over, I brace my hands on my knees while breathing through the miracle that’s just been handed to me.
My woman is alive.
Thank you, God.
Fuck.
Rosie is alive.
I knew it. I fucking knew it!
Straightening up, I dig my phone out of my pocket and dial Uncle Dario’s number again.
This time it only rings twice before he answers, “Hi, Enzo.” His voice sounds drained of all life.
“Did you get my message?”
“No, I haven’t had a chance to listen.”
“Rosie is alive. She’s been sending me messages for the past thirty minutes.”
“What?” he gasps.
“Music has always been her thing. She sent me two songs she knew I’d recognize and two messages on my dashboard screen. Ah, ah, ah, ah, stayin’ alive and Living’ on a prayer. She’s alive, Uncle Dario. Come over and see if you can track her. Maybe she left crumbs for you to follow.”
“I’m coming! Fuck, Enzo. I’m coming!”
The call ends, and I look at the camera again. I don’t even care if Rosie can or cannot hear or see me as I say, “I miss you so fucking much, bella mia. I swear, I will find you and bring you home. Keep sending messages.”
Once again, relief moves through me like a fucking tidal wave. It’s so overpowering, I become breathless.
Then a smile spreads over my face for the first time since this fucking nightmare started.
Uncle Dario makes it to my place in record time, and when he jogs into the foyer and sees my grin, his face crumbles and tears begin to roll down his cheeks.
“What did she say? Tell me everything!”
We walk to the laptop as I explain what happened, not leaving a single detail out.
Sitting down beside each other, Uncle Dario grabs me around the neck and hugs the fuck out of me. “Christ, son. This is…” He can’t find the right word, and pulling back, there’s a look of disbelief on his face.
“It’s proof of life.”
He nods and picks up the laptop, then gets to work while sucking in deep breaths so he can calm down.
I don’t leave his side, watching how he goes in and out of programs, typing complicated code I’ll never understand.
Somewhere between all those numbers and letters is Rosie.
Uncle Dario’s phone beeps, and he takes it out of his pocket, then glances at me with wide eyes before showing me a text from an unknown number.
Listen to ‘Sugar, Sugar’ by the Archies for $4.99.
I bring the song up on my phone and press play, and as we listen to the words, Uncle Dario’s breaths speed up and he gets emotional again.
His voice cracks over the words as he says, “That’s definitely, Rosie.”
The song cuts out, and Adriano’s name shows on the screen as my phone rings.
I swipe to accept the call. “Hey.”
“The lights in my house keep flickering like they did when Rosie was learning to hack into shit.”
“She’s been sending songs to Uncle Dario and me,” I tell him.
“She’s alive.” Laughter comes over the line. “Fuck. What do we do?”
“Uncle Dario is looking for any crumbs she might have left. Come to my place.”
“Be right there.”
We hang up, and I look at my future father-in-law, seeing as I’m marrying Rosie the instant I have her back.
“Rosie made the lights in Adriano’s house flicker.”
“Yes, Rosellina! I’m going to find you.” He gets back to work, his fingers flying over the keyboard.
I lean back and let out a deep breath, then I’m hit with a fresh wave of hope and relief, and I almost start fucking crying from the happiness coursing through my veins.
We’ll find you, bella mia, and then I’m never letting you out of my fucking sight again.