Page 45 of Enforcer's Obsession

“Are you talking about my fucking fiancé, Federico?” I said through clenched teeth, my fist lying on the table.

“No, I’m talking about some tramp that you took out ofCarlo’s,” Federico said, his thumb tapping against the table.

“Why I don’t know what tramp you’re talking about, but I have a fiancé, and you will respect her. Or?—”

I trailed off when Enzo tapped my shoulder.

My rage was so potent I’d forgotten Enzo was there.

Ordinarily, I be pissed at him stepping in, but given that I was seconds away from scooping out Federico’s eyes with his fucking soup spoon, I’d forgive him.

All this because Federico had called Hope a whore. It was something he had done on purpose to gauge my reaction, and I had fallen right into his trap.

I remembered then that I called her Trouble for a reason. And another unmistakable sign that I needed to get rid of her.

I had the perfect opportunity to do so now. Give Hope to Federico, buy the Morettis some goodwill.

There was a time I might have called it a good trade, but the thought of Hope with those animals, the thought of Hope anywhere but in my bed was intolerable.

That realization left me with an undeniable truth, one that I needed to process before I could accept.

“We done here, Federico,” I said.

“So you’re turning down my proposal?” he said.

“Fuck your proposal, and fuck you. Stay away from Moretti territory,” I said.

“As long as the Morettis do the same,” he said.

“And don’t ever say my fiancé’s name; don’t even think about her or you’ll see a side of me that will haunt the few nightmares you have left,” I said. Then I stood and looked at Enzo. “Let’s go.”

When we got in the car, he glared at me.

“What the fuck, Nico?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Don’t play dumb, you dumb motherfucker,” he grumbled.

I chuckled. “A contradiction, but what’s this about, Enzo?”

“Your fucking fiancé, Nico?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Does she know that?” he asked.

I chuckled. “Not yet.”

TWELVE

Hope

After Nico left,I’d settled in my corner, determined to make sure I didn’t have to see Sebastian again.

I looked up from counting the grain lines in Nico’s floor when I heard footsteps approaching some hours later. At least, I’d assumed it was hours.

I hadn’t been keeping track.

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