Page 14 of Enzo

Am I bitter about him moving? Yes, I miss my brother. He was my partner in crime. Quite literally.

“Aw, I miss you too, bro.” Lorenzo laughs. “Give me a sec. I need to get out of bed. If you wake my wife, I actually will kill you.”

“I have no doubt,” I tell him, because there is nothing my brother loves more than his wife Kyla. He makes sure to tell me just how perfect she is at least twice every time we talk.

“What’s up?” Lorenzo finally asks after I hear the soft click of a door.

“Do I need a reason to call my brother?” I question him.

“No, but you usually have a reason, so spit it out, Enzo. I’m tired. It’s the middle of the fucking night over here, as I’m sure you’re aware by now.”

“Again, I’m not the one who moved. You are,” I retort.

“Have you heard from Aurora?”

“Nope, Pops says she’s fine though,” I tell him.

“She’s a survivor,” he says.

“How did you know?” I sigh.

“How did I know what?”

“That Kyla was worth risking everything for? I mean, you knew who her father was and you still went and married her,” I ask.

Kyla’s father is a psychopath, in every sense of the word. I’m honestly surprised my brother hasn’t been turned into pig food yet. The man’s known to feed people to his pigs for lesser crimes than marrying his eighteen-year-old daughter.

“Because I couldn’t imagine life without her. That’s how I knew. It didn’t matter what happened to me, because if I walked away from her without trying, I’d be tearing my own heart out. She owns me. I’m not afraid to admit that,” Lorenzo says. “Life without her isn’t a life. It’s hell.”

“What if you had to choose her or the family?”

Lorenzo sighs into the phone. “I love our family, Enzo, but Kyla… She will always come first,” he admits.

“Maybe don’t let Zio Theo hear you say that. I was there when you were sworn in. You took the oath right alongside me.”

“I remember,” he says. “Who is she?”

“No one important,” I tell him.

“That’s bullshit. If you’re asking these questions, she’s definitely important. Don’t give up the person who’s made for you if you’ve found her. Do whatever you have to do to keep her, Enzo. Trust me, you don’t want to live with the heartache of knowing you fucked it all up,” he says.

“Yeah, maybe. I gotta go. Tell Kyla I said hi.” I hang up before he can question me any further. I understand what my brother’s saying, but I don’t have the option of keeping Kayleigh. She’s a fucking cop. I’m a made man. There is no world where we live happily ever after.

Chapter Ten

I’ve spent the day being interrogated by Geoff. When I plugged my phone in and it finally had enough battery to bring it to life, I had twenty missed calls and ten messages. All from Geoff.

He wanted to know where I was, where I’d been, why I wasn’t responding to him. I don’t understand what his issue is. I’ve been on assignments before, and he’s never called me for check-ins. He’s never messaged either. Now, though, it’s as if he’s a worried mother hen.

Geoff and I have never been anything but professional towards each other. I’ve been picking up on a very different vibe from him the last couple of days, though. I’m not sure if he’s interested in the case or me. Either way, he’s really starting to get on my nerves.

I told him I spent the night at Enzo’s house, leaving out the part about me being drugged at a frat party and how I don’t remember a damn thing about the night. I also left out the part about Enzo wanting to take me out to dinner. He wasn’t serious. At least I don’t think he was.

My eyes go to the clock hanging on the wall above my desk. It’s six thirty. Enzo said he’d pick me up at seven. He’s not going to show. I keep telling myself that, even as I get up off my bed and open the closet.

I’m not getting dressed for a date. I just feel the need to change. More lies, just like the huge lie I’ve been telling myself all day. I am not attracted to Enzo Valentino. I do not want his lips on mine. I do not want his hands caressing my body.

I do not want Enzo Valentino. He’s a means to an end.

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