Page 35 of The Enforcer's Brat

Matteo pulled him aside just before they left, his eyes intense as he cupped Enzo's face in his hands. "Promise me you'll be careful," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Promise me you'll follow my lead, no matter what happens."

Enzo nodded, leaning into Matteo's touch. "I promise," he said softly. "I trust you, Matteo. With my life."

Matteo kissed him then, hard and desperate, like a man facing his own execution. When they broke apart, both were breathing heavily. "I love you," Matteo murmured. "Remember that, no matter what happens tonight."

The drive to the docks was tense, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Enzo found himself going over the plan in his head, trying to anticipate every possible outcome. But nothing could have prepared him for the reality of what was to come.

They arrived at the docks under the cover of darkness. Enzo took his position, trying to look casual and unaware as he pretended to oversee the loading of a shipping container. Matteo and the others melted into the shadows, their presence a reassuring weight even though Enzo couldn't see them.

For a while, nothing happened. The night was quiet save for the lapping of waves against the pier and the distant hum of the city. Enzo was just starting to think maybe they'd gotten it wrong when all hell broke loose.

The first shot rang out, shattering the eerie calm. Enzo instinctively dove for cover behind a stack of crates, his heart pounding in his ears. More gunfire erupted, the sound of return fire from Matteo and the team mixing with the attackers' shots.

"Enzo!" Matteo's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Status?"

"I'm okay," Enzo gasped, trying to keep his voice steady. "Behind cover, near the east side of the warehouse."

"Stay put," Matteo ordered. "We're coming to you."

Enzo peered around the edge of the crates, trying to get a sense of the situation. He could make out shadowy figures moving in the darkness, the muzzle flashes of guns illuminating brief glimpses of the chaos.

Suddenly, a figure loomed over him. Enzo looked up, terror gripping his heart as he stared down the barrel of a gun. The man's face was twisted in a cruel smirk.

"End of the line, Ricci," the gunman sneered.

Time seemed to slow. Enzo saw the man's finger tightening on the trigger, knew with sickening certainty that this was it. He was going to die here, on these dirty docks, without ever seeing Matteo again.

But then a blur of motion caught his eye. Matteo, appearing as if from nowhere, tackled the gunman with a roar of fury. The gun went off, the bullet whizzing past Enzo's ear close enough that he felt the displaced air.

Matteo and the attacker grappled on the ground, trading vicious blows. Enzo scrambled to his feet, looking for a way to help. He spotted the fallen gun and lunged for it, his fingers closing around the grip just as another shot rang out.

For a moment, everything went still. Enzo turned, the gun heavy in his hand, to see Matteo and the attacker frozen in a macabre tableau. Then, slowly, the gunman toppled backwards, a dark stain spreading across his chest.

Matteo staggered to his feet, one hand pressed to his side. Even in the dim light, Enzo could see the blood seeping between his fingers.

"Matteo!" Enzo cried, rushing to his side. "Oh God, you're hit. We need to get you out of here."

Matteo shook his head, his jaw clenched in pain. "Not yet. Have to... finish this."

As if on cue, more gunshots echoed from the other side of the warehouse. Matteo straightened, his face a mask of determination despite the obvious agony he was in. "Stay behind me," he growled, pushing Enzo back towards cover.

What followed was a blur of violence and adrenaline. Enzo watched in awe and terror as Matteo moved through the battlefield like an avenging angel, taking down attackers with brutal efficiency despite his injury. Enzo did his best to provide cover fire, his hands shaking but his aim surprisingly true.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, silence fell. The last of the attackers lay motionless on the ground, and the sound of approaching sirens filled the air.

"We need to move," Tony's voice came through the comm. "Cops'll be here any minute."

Enzo turned to Matteo, ready to help him to the car, only to find the older man swaying on his feet. "Matteo?" he said, alarm coloring his voice.

Matteo's eyes, glazed with pain, focused on Enzo's face. "Baby," he mumbled. "You okay?"

Then his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed. Enzo barely managed to catch him, crying out at the dead weight in his arms.

"Help!" he shouted, panic clawing at his throat. "Somebody help me!"

As Tony and the others rushed to their aid, Enzo cradled Matteo's unconscious form, whispering desperate pleas for him to hold on. The night air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, and in that moment, Enzo knew nothing would ever be the same again.

CHAPTER 12

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