Chapter 24
Enzo
It was fucking difficult leaving Rosie with Gianna, but Christiano told me Uncle Dario arrived at the warehouse where we keep our prisoners.
I bring the Mustang to a screeching stop and throw the door open. Not even making sure it shuts, I run toward the side door. The moment the men see me, they get up from their chairs and give me respectful nods.
Heading down a hallway, I pass by the cells, and when I rush into the open area, Uncle Dario is busy ripping a fingernail off Danil.
“You thought you could take my daughter?” he shakes his head. “It makes my stomach roll knowing filth like you touched her.”
There are several nails already lying on the floor along with half a pinky.
“I never considered this a form of torture until I accidentally ripped one off, shutting a door.” Uncle Dario’s voice is calm again, and it makes the tension drain from my body.
“Can you believe that?” he continues while gripping Danil’s thumbnail with a pair of pliers.
“I still don’t know how it happened, but fuck, it hurt like a bitch.
” He makes eye contact with Danil as he slowly rips it off.
While the fucker cries and shouts, struggling against the restraints keeping him tied to a metal chair that’s bolted to the floor, I have to admit, the sight is fucking satisfying.
I walk closer, and it draws Uncle Dario’s attention. He instantly frowns. “Who’s with Rosie?”
“Gianna. I’m only here to make sure you don’t kill them too fast. They have to suffer.”
He holds up the pliers. “I agree.” He gestures at Yegor. “You’ll have to put him on a soft diet. I don’t think he’ll be able to eat meat without his molars.”
I look at the ex-Pakhan and move to stand in front of him. Blood coats his mouth and chin, but he lifts his head, way too fucking proud for a man who’s going to die.
“Rodian called yesterday. He’s taken over the organization you tried to turn into a rotten piece of shit.”
Yegor gives me a hateful look, keeping quiet.
I lean down until we’re eye to eye. “I’m going to humble you, old man.”
Yegor’s accent is heavy as he growls, “Fuck you.” The corner of his mouth lifts. “Fuck that whore. Fuck the Cosa Nostra.” He lets out a chuckle. “I should’ve let my men take turns breaking the bitch. Maybe she would’ve worked harder.”
Rage surges through me as I stare him dead in the eye.
“He’s baiting you, Enzo,” Uncle Dario mutters. “The asshole wants a quick death.”
Straightening up, I look at one of my men and order, “Remove his clothes and bring the belt.” I look at Yegor, then smirk.
“My father had this neat belt made, where you have to electrocute yourself if you want to eat something.” I step out of the way as my men get to work.
“So everytime you want food, water, or just to take a piss, press the button.”
Bennie comes in with the belt, and when he fastens it around Yegor's waist, the ex-Pakhan tries to headbutt him. Instead, Bennie slams his forehead into the Russian’s nose and mutters something under his breath while finishing adjusting the strap.”
I pat Bennie’s shoulder, then I take hold of the button and strap it down on the armrest where Yegor can reach it. I push it and smile as the Russian’s ass lifts off the seat while his body convulses, and he clenches his front teeth.
As soon as the current stops, he slumps down, his breath bursting over his lips.
“Should I give you another example of how it works?” I ask, and not waiting for a reply, I press it again.
I watch with satisfaction as he seizes, and once it’s over, I say, “I have to go, but I’ll be back. Then the real fun will start.”
“Do you have another one of those belts?” Uncle Dario asks.
“Yes.” I smirk as I glance at Bennie. “Bring one for our other guest.” I pat Uncle Dario’s shoulder. “Enjoy yourself.”
“I will.”
Leaving the warehouse, I hurry back to my Mustang, wanting to get home to Rosie.
I hated leaving her so soon, and as long as Uncle Dario doesn’t kill the fuckers, he can have his way with them for the next week.
When I walk into my apartment and see Gianna sitting on the couch and watching TV, I ask, “Where’s Rosie?”
“She’s taking a nap upstairs.”
My sister climbs to her feet and switches off the TV. “She’s only been asleep for twenty minutes.”
I nod and give her a hug. “Thanks for staying with Rosie.”
“Duh. She’s my best friend.” Suddenly, Gianna scowls at me and crosses her arms over her chest. “By the way, this is bullshit. If it weren’t for you being such an overprotective dipshit, I wouldn’t leave her side. Everyone wants to see her, Enzo. We all need her.”
My temper flares as I lock eyes with her. “Watch your fucking tone, Gianna.”
She opens her mouth, but I don’t give her a chance to argue.
“I know you love her, but this isn’t about what you want.
It’s not about what any of us want. Rosie comes first. Her needs.
Her healing. Her space.” I lean closer, making sure she hears every word.
“Not you. Not me. Not the fucking Cosa Nostra. She’s done sacrificing every-fucking-thing to make everyone else okay. Those days are over. Get it?”
Gianna’s face pales, and her arms fall to her sides. For a second, she looks less like the woman who just challenged me and more like my baby sister who knows damn well when she’s crossed a line.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I shouldn’t have said it like that.” Her eyes flick toward the stairs before coming back to me. “I just miss her. We all do. But you’re right. Rosie comes first.”
I force myself to breathe, then pull out my phone because clearly everyone needs the same damn reminder.
Enzo: No one comes over unless Rosie asks for you. She needs space, and I’m giving it to her. Her needs come first from now on. Not the family. Not business. Not anyone’s feelings. Let her heal.
When I put my phone away, Gianna steps closer and hugs me. “I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I murmur as I squeeze her tightly before letting go.
As she walks to the elevator, she says, “Call me if you or Rosie need anything.”
I nod and watch as she leaves.
Needing to check on Rosie, I head upstairs, and when I nudge the bedroom door open and find the bed empty, I dart inside.
A second later, my feet come to a dead stop when I see her in the walk-in closet with only a towel wrapped around her body.
Standing with her back to me, I see the top half of a dragon in red ink.
She has a tattoo?
For way too long, I stare at the ink before my mind catches up, and a frown shoots to my forehead.
There’s no fucking way.
Rosie starts to lower the towel, revealing more of the tattoo that’s been seared into my mind for years.
Suddenly, her head jerks, and when she notices me, the blood drains from her face. “Oh, God! I didn’t know you were back.” Quickly, she hauls the towel up and spins to face me, pressing her back against the closet wall, like that can hide what I’ve already seen. “Let me explain. Please!”
“Explain?” The single word sounds hoarse as wave after wave of shock hits me. I can’t get anything else out.
“I didn’t know it was you at Paradiso. I… I… I didn’t look at the guy’s details and only afterward found out we were paired. I used a fake name and…” she rushes a few steps closer before stopping and shaking her head. “Please, Enzo. I didn’t know. It was… just… God.”
“Paradiso,” I echo her, trying to process what I’m hearing.
The tattoo, the dark room, the wet patches I found on the pillow afterward, which told me the girl had been crying… it all hits me right in the gut, and for a second, I can’t get air into my lungs.
Shaking my head, I groan, “That was you?”
Tears fill her eyes as she nods, then her face crumples. “I’m so sorry.” A sob sputters from her, making her cover her mouth with a hand.
Jesus. Fucking. Christ.
“Bella mia,” I breathe, still in shock. “I hurt you?”
“No.” She shakes her head hard, her grip tightening on the towel. “No, Enzo. You didn’t know it was me.”
“Christ.” I take a step backward, pressing a hand to my chest. “I hurt you!”
“You didn’t know.” Her voice breaks as she says it again. “It wasn’t your fault.”
A rough breath leaves me while I stare at her. Only then do I see the ungodly fear in her eyes, and it rips me out of the shock, allowing me to recover at the speed of light.
I take in how she clutches the towel, the way she looks at me like she’s waiting for me to hate her.
“It wasn’t your fault either,” I say. “But now I get why all the information disappeared without a trace.”
Her lips part, but no sound comes out.
She fucking erased herself like she was nothing.
When I take a step in her direction, a tear spirals down her cheek, and she quickly shakes her head. “I should’ve told you. I know.”
“Maybe.” I close the distance between us and keep my voice gentle as I say, “But I understand why you didn’t.”
“I was scared,” she whimpers.
“I know.” I reach for her, taking hold of her bicep.
“I didn’t want to lose you,” she sobs, her chest heaving as she breathes faster and faster.
“You haven’t.” I tilt my head to keep eye contact. “You hear me? You can never lose me.” Her face tightens as more tears fill her eyes, and the sight damn near guts me. “I’m so sorry, Rosie.” I finally get to say the words to the woman I hurt. “I’m so fucking sorry it happened like that.”
She shakes her head again. “Don’t.”
“You deserve an apology.” My voice turns rough.
“I’m sorry you cried into that fucking pillow.
I’m sorry you were alone afterward.” Then I remember the pain she was in the following day, when she told me she had her period.
“Most of all, I’m sorry you felt you had to hide it from me. I was a fucking shit friend to you.”
A small sob catches in her throat, and her shoulders curl forward.
Needing to be a hundred percent sure, I ask, “Was it your first time?”
She squeezes her eyes shut as she sucks in a deep breath.
Christ.
“Rosie,” I whisper. “Tell me.”
She nods once, the movement so small I almost miss it.
“Come here, bella mia,” I say softly as I pull her to my chest.
She opens her eyes, looking scared and unsure, and when I wrap my arms around her, her features tighten even more, and her voice sounds unbelievably fragile as she asks, “You’re not angry with me?”
“Of course not.” She presses her face to my chest, and I lower my head until my mouth brushes over her damp hair. “I’m sorry,” I whisper again.
“It wasn’t your fault,” she sobs.
“It wasn’t yours, either.”
Her fingers curl into my shirt, and for a few seconds, neither of us moves.
Then I lean back enough to see her face. “Why the hell did you go to that club to lose your virginity?”
A watery laugh escapes her, but there’s no humor in it. “Because I was young and stupid.” She lets out a shaky breath. “I just… I wanted to know what sex was like, and I thought if I went somewhere anonymous, it would be okay.”
My heart squeezes in my chest.
“I didn’t think it would be some big life-changing thing,” she admits. “I thought it would be easier with a stranger. No feelings. No expectations.”
“But it was me,” I murmur.
She nods, her face too fucking pale. “It was you.”
I wipe the tears from her cheeks. “And afterward?”
“Afterward, I wished it had happened differently.” Her voice cracks as she keeps her eyes on my chest. “I wished I’d waited.”
I frame her face with my hands and nudge her until she finally meets my eyes before I say, “You deserved so much better than that room.”
Her chin trembles. “I know.”
“You deserved someone looking you in the eyes and making damn sure you knew you were safe and taken care of.”
A breath quivers over her lips.
“And I hate that I didn’t give you that.” I shake my head, then ask, “Is this why you panicked yesterday when I told you I love you?”
She nods, and her eyebrows draw together. “I wanted to rip the damn tattoo off my back. I’ve waited so long to hear those words from you, and one stupid night ruined it all.”
“Nothing is ruined, bella mia.”
Her eyes search mine. “You don’t hate me?”
My head jerks back. “No,” I rasp. “Never.”
Her mouth trembles, and I lean down, pressing my mouth to her forehead before pulling her back into my embrace.
I’m sure as fuck not going to let a night from years ago come between us. Maybe I would’ve reacted differently if I had found out before Rosie was taken, but everything changed after I almost lost her.
When she stops trembling, I pull back so I can look into her eyes and say, “I love you, Rosie.”
A chuckle bursts over her lips, and finally, happiness bursts over her face, and it’s so strong it chases the shadows from her eyes.
“Are you sure?” she asks. “This isn’t because I was gone and you –”
I press my finger to her lips, stopping the rest. “I’ve always loved you, bella mia.
I was just too much of a dumbass to do anything about it.
” My voice turns rougher as I hold her gaze.
“I was so scared of losing you that I kept myself from having you, and all I did was waste the time we should’ve had together.
Losing you didn’t make me love you. It made me stop pretending I could live without you. ”
Rosie starts blinking faster, and for a moment she just stares at me, then she whispers, “Oh wow. That’s romantic.”
She actually looks like she’s in shock.
When I brush my hands over her shoulders, I feel how cold she is and snap, “Get dressed right now. Something warm.” I walk to the door and add, “Then come down to the kitchen. We’ll talk some more while I make you an early dinner.”
“Okay.”
Giving her privacy, I head down to the kitchen. I stop by the island and press my hand to my chest. My eyebrows lift as the realization strikes again.
I took Rosie’s virginity.
Hold up. Rosie’s had a crush on me since she was fifteen… sixteen.
Has she even been kissed?