Chapter 10 Nothing In This World Can Touch You As Long As I’m Here
Nothing In This World Can Touch You As Long As I'm Here
I heard thunder last night. It reminds me of the nights I would sneak into your room so you wouldn’t be scared. —Enzo
Izzy
“Stupid slut thought I wouldn’t find out that she was marrying me to get information,” Lucas laughs, as his friend's hips slam into me.
The pain is unbearable. But my limbs won’t cooperate. I can’t move.
“Dumb bitch,” the man above me says, spitting on my face. Tears pour from my eyes, but they do nothing except spur them on.
Someone’s hand grasps my throat and squeezes until my vision blurs, only releasing me when I’m on the verge of passing out.
I gasp for breath, but before I can truly feel any relief, a fist slams into my temple. My head rings, my brain foggy.
The ropes around my wrists and ankles spread me open, adding to my humiliation as another one takes his friend's place.
Lucas leans down, his face so close I can feel his putrid breath against my skin. “I’m going to destroy your little organization. I know who you work for. I always knew.
“I wouldn’t have stood for the deception so long, but I know how much money you have from your father.” He grins at me while I whimper. “That money will be mine now, whore.”
I gasp, clawing at my throat.
“Izzy!” a voice roars from somewhere behind me.
I cower, unsure of what’s real and what’s fake.
Enzo’s frame comes into view, and I sob with relief, flying from the couch and crashing into his arms. He catches me effortlessly, lifting me so he’s taking all of my weight as I cry into his shoulder.
He jostles me as he walks us to his room. Sitting on the edge of the bed he keeps me in his arms, stroking my hair until I can catch my breath.
“What happened?” he asks.
“I… I was back there,” I whimper, feeling stupid for having such a reaction to a dream. But it was so real.
“That night?”
I nod, grateful he doesn’t say his name.
“What time is it?” I croak, my throat dry and scratchy.
Enzo rearranges the covers with one hand, then lifts me off him, depositing me into the bed and tucking me under the comforter.
“It’s almost two in the morning,” he tells me, kissing my head then disappearing.
He reappears with a glass of water for me which I gulp greedily.
I watch as Enzo undresses—undoing his tie and sliding it off his neck, unbuttoning his shirt, lowering his zipper.
I wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off him if I tried, which I’m not.
He stands there gloriously gorgeous in his boxer briefs, sculpted muscles on display.
My mouth waters, the nightmare forgotten.
Then he slips into bed next to me and pulls me close. "Sleep, Iz," he whispers, pressing a lingering kiss to my temple. "You're safe with me. Nothing in this world can touch you as long as I'm here."
Enzo
My phone ringing wakes me.
Izzy’s warmth is nestled against me, her ass fitting snuggly against my crotch—which is sporting a painfully hard erection.
Carefully, to not wake her, I scoot backwards and reach out for my phone on the nightstand.
Tess’s name lights up the screen.
My boner immediately deflates.
Izzy moans in her sleep, reaching out a hand towards me. My goddamn heart clenches.
Unable to move, as her palm rests over my heart, wanting to absorb every moment I can from her, I answer Tess’s call with a hushed whisper. “Hey, sorella5.”
“Hello brother, why are we whispering?” she teases keeping her own voice quiet.
“No reason,” I snap, harsher than I intended. “Sorry,” I wince, “that was uncalled for. I just don’t want to wake Izzy.”
“Ewwww. You have a woman in your bed right now?”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not like that but yes.”
“Is now a bad time?”
“No, now’s fine. Sorry I haven’t really spoken to you recently.”
Even though we haven’t known each other long, I care deeply for my younger sister. She’s been through so much, and I really should have been making sure she’s okay.
“It’s okay, I can catch you up now!” Oh lord.
“Okay, so what have you missed? Well, first—Carina and Nate finally set a wedding date! I mean, it took them long enough, but it’s happening.
Spring wedding, because apparently, Nate despises summer—which, honestly, relatable.
I too, hate sweating. Carina will probably message you about it, but I figured I’d be the first to tell you because, well, I know things. ”
She takes a dramatic breath, but I don’t get a chance to speak before she’s off again.
“Oh! My therapist says I use humor as a defense mechanism. Which, like… rude? But also, she’s not wrong.
I just don’t appreciate being called out like that, you know?
What else, what else—oh, right! Did I tell you about the old lady down the street who thinks I’m in a cult? Because that’s a whole thing—”
I tune her out. I shouldn’t. But the girl can talk. My mind is also stuck on the idea of therapy. Not for myself—for Izzy.
The woman in question stirs next to me, blinking up at me with bleary eyes. She smiles up at me sleepily and I swear I fall in love with her all over again. The way she looks right now, all puffy faced, pillow lines, hooded eyes—fuck, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.
“Morning,” she mouths.
“Good morning,” I mouth back with the phone pressed to my ear as Tess chats away.
“Oh! I didn’t even tell you about the doctor who did my last baby scan.
Traumatizing. Like, I may never recover.
First of all, his hands were freezing, and second—tell me why this man had to press way too close to my hip bone like he was trying to summon a demon?
I swear, I nearly jumped off the table. And then—then—he had the audacity to say, ‘Relax.’ Relax?
Sir, you just introduced yourself five minutes ago, and now you’re all up in my personal space like we’re on a third date. ”
“Speaking of the baby, Chiacchierone. Everything good with that?” I interject, because if I don’t, she will never shut up.
Izzy looks at me, brow furrowed. I mouth, “My sister.” Unsurprisingly, that only deepens her frown—like she suddenly has even more questions.
“Did you just call me a chatterbox in Italian?” Tess gasps.
Shit.
“No?”
“You did! Carina’s been teaching me.”
Fuck.
“I will be holding a grudge but, yes! Everything is good. Although, don’t think you’re off the hook for telling Max before I could! He cried on the phone to me this morning. It was weird.”
My papa. Crying. The thought alone is almost offensive. I can’t even picture it.
“Tess, I gotta go, but can you send me your therapist’s details?”
“Sure! She’s the one Carina used—apparently, you met her once. Why do—”
“If it’s Emily Morgan, then yes I did.”
“That’s her! So why—”
“Bye.”
I end the call, tossing my phone onto the bed and reaching out to pull Izzy closer, burying my face in her hair so I can inhale her honeysuckle scent.
We used to sneak into each other's room to cuddle. It takes me a moment to realize that my actions are a little too friendly now we’re adults.
She giggles, and the sound goes straight to my heart. And my cock. Fuck.
“You have a sister?” she asks, peering up at me with big blue eyes. Her blonde hair is fanned out next to her head, in sharp contrast to my dark grey sheets.
“Half-sister,” I tell her. “It’s a long story but we’ve only known each other for a few months.”
Izzy smiles at me, her pearly white teeth on show. “And she’s pregnant?”
“Yep. About four, maybe five, months.”
“How are you feeling about becoming an uncle?”
My fingers tousle my hair as I twist myself to lean against the headboard. “I’m excited, I think. I love children. But she lives in England, so I probably won’t see them much.”
Izzy rests her head on my chest, and I instinctively hold her closer. “Do you want kids?” she asks me, and I feel my heart stutter in my chest.
Thoughts of little Izzy’s run rampant through my mind. A little girl with honey-blonde hair being chased by a boy with my dark hair and her blue eyes. Me, holding a baby with chubby cheeks and a perfect smile.
I push the thoughts away, not wanting to dwell on a future that will never be mine.
“I do… but I wouldn’t want to bring kids into my world. It’s too dangerous.”
She hums, and I’m not sure if it’s in agreement.
“What about you?”
She stills, then says, “Yeah, I want three.”
I let my arms tighten around her, not saying anything, until I know it’s time for me to let go. Hesitantly, I get up, leaving Izzy behind in my bed as I shower and get ready for the day.
I prepare breakfast and leave some out on the side for her, before shutting myself in my office.
Now she’s awake, and I know who was behind her attack, it’s time for me to make the bastards pay.
My office is my favorite room in my apartment—a sanctuary of order and quiet amid the chaos of my life.
The walls are painted a deep forest green, the same tone as my spare room, a color that’s always reminded me of Izzy.
I don’t know why green is her favorite, but I do know that blue is mine—the exact shade of her eyes.
That’s why the space is accented with rare art pieces in varying hues of blue, each one carefully chosen, each one a quiet tribute to her.
Dark wood bookshelves line one wall, filled with an assortment of books, some read, some not. In the center stands my desk, overlooking the wall of glass to my right where I can see out onto the city skyline.
Sinking into my chair while I wait for my computer to turn on, I call Kai.
Both of us know our way around technology and can track someone down with very little information.
Two eyes are always better than one, and I want this done quickly.
My skills rival his—that’s not bragging, he’d say the same thing—but only because I have more resources at my disposal.
The call rings out.
“What’s up?” he asks, answering just as I’m about to give up.
“Lucas Delaney. Find out everything you can about him and anyone he associates with. No detail is insignificant.”
He huffs. “Hello to you too.”
“Tess is clearly influencing you too much if you want to make small talk with me.”
I’m pretty sure I hear him roll his eyes. “Alright, I’m on it. Wanna tell me why?”
“Nope. Thanks.”
I hang up.
Normally, I’d be down to chat with him, but I desperately need to find out something—anything—about the other men involved in her attack. Finding her sobbing after a nightmare last night broke me. I need blood to spill. I need it now.
I lose myself in my search, only resurfacing when a hesitant knock at my door startles me.
“Come in,” I call, leaning back in my chair.
The door creaks open slowly, and Izzy peeks her head around the corner, her wide eyes cautious, her smile unsure—like she’s waiting for me to scold her.
I lift a hand, motioning her inside. She steps in and settles into the chair across from me, her bare legs curling beneath her.
She’s wearing one of my shirts, oversized on her frame, the buttons left undone just enough to tease at the curve of her breasts.
Her golden hair tumbles in soft waves over her shoulders, catching the dim light like spun honey.
She’s so beautiful it’s almost painful.
I should have some clothes sent up for her. But damn it, she looks so much better in mine.
“You okay?” I ask when the silence between us stretches too thin, scratching at the edges of my patience.
“Yeah.” She nods, tapping her fingers idly against my desk. “Just bored.” Her gaze flicks to my screen. “What are you doing?”
I hesitate, debating whether to tell her the truth. But I’ll need her to identify the rest of her attackers eventually, so there’s no point in lying.
“Looking up Lucas’s known associates.”
She blinks, surprised. “For me?”
My jaw tightens. “I’m going to kill every last one of them.”
I brace for her reaction—for fear, for hesitation, for the moment she realizes the kind of man I’ve become. But she doesn’t cower. She doesn’t even flinch. Instead, she smiles, like my answer satisfies something deep inside her.
“I want to be there when you do,” she says, and the venom in her voice almost makes me flinch. It doesn’t surprise me, but it unsettles me all the same.
“You’re not going to talk me out of it?”
She lets out a humorless laugh. “Talk you out of killing the men who raped me? Who beat me until I couldn’t stand? No, Enzo, I don’t think I will.” Her voice is razor-sharp, edged with a coldness that wasn’t there before.
She’s still light and warmth most of the time. But right now, in this moment, I see something else—something darker. And I’m reminded of just how much I don’t know about her anymore.