Page 44 of Loyalties & Longings

Now, I am the one shaking, but I’m shaking with anger.

Enzo sits with Lake while I stand, trying to keep my distance as required because we’re in Enzo’s space. I lean back against the table Enzo was at earlier, arms crossed, squeezing my fists. All I want to do is bring her into my arms, hug her tightly, and tell her she is safe now.

I want to hold her, protect her, and tell her nobody is ever going to get to her again.

Enzo leans forward and rests his hand on hers. “It’s okay, you’re home now. Take a breath. Take your time. But,Bella, I need to know everything.” His words are slow and deliberate, with an air of authority.

Drawing in a long, deep breath, Lake pauses before releasing it nice and slowly, albeit shakily. She opens her mouth to talk, but the only sound that comes out is a strangled rasp.

“I’ll get you some water,” I say. I look down at her hands and notice the state of her legs, so I add, “And the first-aid kit.”

I storm to the bathroom on a mission to find the first-aid kit, which takes me no less than a minute before heading to the kitchen, where I take out a glass and fill it with cool water. If Enzo wants Lake to talk and be comfortable, she needs to feel that way. Sometimes, the guy has no clue, but I suppose it’s easier to brush off getting her patched up since his daughter has been attacked.

Getting the information for retaliation is paramount to him—being bandaged up can wait.

Taking the glass of water and the first-aid kit back to the living room, I place the kit on the coffee table before handing the water to Lake. She reaches up and takes it with two shaky hands and aslight nod of her head.

After taking a sip to wet her throat, she croaks out, “Thank you.”

I nod once back to her. There are so many words I want to say to her, yet I can’t even manage to get out a ‘welcome.’ Instead of returning to the other side of the room, I opt to sit on the armrest of the sofa Enzo is sitting on.

The three of us don’t speak for a beat. There are so many questions hanging in the air. I have so many myself, the first beingwho, so I can kill them. But Enzo and I don’t want to bombard or overwhelm her, nor do I want to add to the anxiety I can already see on her face. It’s in the way she worries at her lip with her teeth and how her eyes dart between us.

Enzo leans forward, reaching for the first-aid kit.

“Bella, start at the beginning,” he says with a nod, urging her to start. He pulls out some bandages and alcohol swabs to get her cleaned up, shifting closer to her.

“I went for a run to clear my head. I first noticed a van I didn’t recognize parked across the road. I assumed it was a delivery van dropping something off at the Coltons.” She doesn’t even get through the beginning of her retelling before the alcohol swab Enzo rubs over her knee has her hissing in pain.

Her face screws into a grimace as she looks down at her palms. Even covered in grazes and bruises, she is so absolutely beautiful. She must feel the heat of my eyes on her because her electrifying green orbs find mine.

Her dad snaps us out of the moment of connection when he covers her knees in gauze and bandages. His dressing is quite haphazard with gauze hanging out, and some parts look too tight.

What a mess.

I lean over to the first-aid kit and grab some more alcohol swabs, looking between them as if I’m asking themboth.

“Do you mind?” I ask softly. Lake shakes her head quickly, and Enzo hands me the end of the bandage on the leg he had just finished wrapping. Not wanting to insult him by undoing all of his frantic work in front of him, I pin it in place, mentally noting that I will fix it later when Lake and I are alone.

He sits back while I prepare the rest of the things I need to clean her hands up.

“Go on.” He urges her to continue with her recount.

“The whole time I was out for my run, I just felt, I don’t know… off. I thought I noticed the van following me, but when I turned around, it had turned down a different street.” She looks so vulnerable with her hands turned, palms facing up, resting on her now-bandaged knees. I rinse her hands with saline solution to clear away the blood and see what I’m working with. There are a few small stones embedded into her hands.

“Shit. This might hurt a little.”

She winces before continuing her tale. “I should never have had my earbuds in. It was such a stupid thing to do. I let my guard down. I know better,” she admonishes herself. Enzo doesn’t say anything. After heaving a deep sigh, she continues, “Anyway, I was just around the corner, about to round onto our street, when someone came up behind me. No matter how much I struggled, he held me tight. All of a sudden, there was another one, and they dragged me into the van. There was a third guy in there, and they said they weren’t going to hurt me yet. But they wanted you to know that there’s someone new around, and he’s going to start coming after you. Something about all of your business and everything, everyoneyou love. You’re going to lose it all, including me.” I glance up to see her looking at her dad. Tears are in her eyes and running down her face.

When I look back at Enzo, he looks exactly how I feel. Rage is written all over his face. He throws his glass of whiskey at the wall.

“CAZZO!”he yells, chest heaving.

He’s going to pass out if he keeps breathing like that. He stands in place with his back turned to us. I’ve never seen him hulk out like this before, although that’s exactly how I feel. Lake lets out a little gasp while snatching her hands back. Goddammit, I must have been squeezing them.

I look to Lake, who still has tears silently falling down her flushed cheeks. I wish I could comfort her the way she needs me to right now. My eyes plead with her to forgive me. For a fraction of a second, it looks as though she has fear in her eyes.

“Sorry,” I apologize, holding out a hand for her to give me one back. I need to get those stones out and patch her up.

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