Page 42 of Loyalties & Longings

Those pricks had balls of steel to pick me up right by our house.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Blaze

Being in a proper gym again is amazing. The prison gym was basic as shit, and we only got a limited amount of supervised time in there each day. So, I love being back in a proper gym.

The burn of my muscles that grows with each repetition sends me into a state of euphoria. It’s almost as good as being balls deep in Lake. Almost. I will the thoughts of being inside her away before I start getting hard in the middle of a workout. That could get awkward really fast.

My cell rings, snapping me out of everything. Shit, I forgot what rep I was up to. Putting the dumbbells down, I hit the call button on my headphones.

“It’s Blaze,” I answer, picking up my towel to mop up the sweat forming on my brows.

“Blaze, I need you here as soon as possible,” Enzo barks down the line.

“Sure thing, boss,” I reply before he hangs up.

Well, there go my plans of getting a decent workout in today. Swiftly putting the weights back and collecting my things, I head for the showers. Not wasting any time, I scrub the slimy coating of sweat off. I dry and dress just as fast in a hurry to head to Enzo’s house.

Pulling up at Enzo’s place, I notice a few more cars than usual. Everyone’s here. Well, everyone but Massimo. Thank fuck. I’m not sure I could handle seeing that smug prick’s face at the moment. I don’t know what’s going on, but for Enzo to call everyone in, it must be important.

The tension in the house is palpable when I let myself in. My eyes instantly seek out Lake. I want to make sure she is okay. I sidle up next to Enzo, standing in front of the rest of the group,giving each of them instructions. I listen in, trying to catch up.

Enzo directs his capos in an authoritative tone. “Massimo is out at the docks, seeing that today’s shipment is taken care of.”

Well, that explains where he is.

“Paolo and Dom, I want you to go and checkon our soldiers and the streets. See if they’ve seen or heard anything, particularly about Jordan. Gio, I want youto check in on the clubs to see if everything is still going smoothly for them. Just because we haven’t heard from the managers doesn’t mean shit isn’t going down. And Angelo and Dante, run through the list I gave you and check in with our other associates, make sure their supplies got to them okay.”

Wait, what?Otherassociates?

“All of you.” He looks around the room, making eye contact with everyone. “I want you to call me if anything comes up. Otherwise, I want you back here tomorrow afternoon. That should give me enough time to figure out what the hell is going on and what went wrong.

“I want heads for this. If you can’t give me heads, then I want names. I’m going to get to the bottom of what the fuck is going on, and I’m going to make them pay. With their lives if need be.”

I feel a burning tingle run over my body and realize everyone is now looking at me. Everyone except Enzo. They all avert their eyes when my gaze lands on them. I try not to look fazed like I already know all the information. I know full well that Enzo will catch me up once everyone is out on their tasks.

Why the hell are they all looking at me? The others leave the instant Enzo dismisses them. Enzo still doesn’t look at me. Back turned, he sits, hunched over the glass of amber liquid in hand, swirling the contents around. This behavior is strange for him, considering he is never one to shy away from confrontation.

Since I first met Enzo, he has always been one to get straight to the point. He sees no reason to beat around the bush and isa no-bullshit kind of guy. Today, however, everything feels off. Something is still not sitting right with me from him calling me here urgently then not acknowledging that I’m here, and where is Lake? She’s usually here for these things lately, if not in the next room.

“What’s going on? Where is Lake?” I ask to break the silence, hoping to all that is holy this isn’t about her.

Enzo sits back, tipping his drink back and finishing it in one long swig.

“I think she went for a run,” he says, gesturing his hand vaguely to the front door. He looks stressed, and being the man he is, in the position of power he is in, he never looks stressed. It’s almost as if his mind is still elsewhere. I look at my watch, noting that I haven’t been here long, and she may have left just before I arrived.

He places his glass on the side table before turning to me with anger—and possibly betrayal—in his eyes.

“Tell me what happened at the meeting with the Orlov brothers,” he asks in a deadpan voice, his eyes burning.

My brows knit together in confusion. Why would he ask about the deal? I take a moment to collect my thoughts before replying. “They were more than happy to make the agreement with us. They seemed very pleased, in fact.”

Enzo stands, collects his glass, and moves over to the corner to top off his drink. He turns slightly, looking over his shoulder, motioning to question if I’d like one. I shake my head. I already feel too uneasy about why Enzo had everyone here, and the last thing I need is a drink adding to the feeling. My workout high has well and truly dissipated.

After putting the stopper back on the decanter, Enzo slowly turns to face me. He leans back, casually resting against the edge of the small corner table. He doesn’t say anything for a long while, letting the tension hang in the air.

I’ve seen him do this to people multiple times before. He is trying to make me feel uncomfortable, waiting for the tension to get to me, for me to confess.

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