Page 121 of Enforcer

It has worry seeding in my gut.

I step into her. “Is she alright?”

She chews her cheek, eyes narrowing as she pauses.

“Come on, Brynne. You and I are friends. I need to know she’s okay.”

She sighs as she shakes her head. “No. She’s not. Your last text fucked her up, Dante. You didn’t hear that shit from me, though. You got me?”

I nod. “I got you. Thank you, B.”

She smiles as she leaves the room, and I note that the smile doesn’t reach her eyes. Not even close.

Fuck.

I hadn’t meant to hurt Alyssa, even though part of me knew the texting these last six months was likely doing just that. I couldn’t let her go.

Even if I was mad at how she left me after the accident.

Brynne pops back in the room, and Slate and I freeze again.

“You know, I wish you and her would work this out. Mauro is driving me insane. I want my right-hand man back.”

I give her a tight smile in answer.

I’d love to tell her that I forsee me and Alyssa working shit out, but I don’t have much hope anymore.

Not this far gone.

Slate gives me a look that says make his wife happy or else, and I roll my eyes at him.

“Sir,what are we doing? You said you were through with this?” Pauly says.

“I know what I said, just…give me a few minutes.” I get out of the car and lean against it, the New York cold nipping my nose as I look up as if I can see her through any of the street-facing windows.

Everything Slate and Brynne said stuck with me on the way home, and I rerouted Pauly faster than anything I’ve ever done.

We’ve been here for an hour now, and she hasn’t returned. I don’t know which apartment is hers or her routine. I only found her address pinned to Brynne’s freezer when I was helping put food away after dinner and snapped a picture of it when no one was looking.

“Sir,” Pauly warns through his now-open window.

He’s right. This is weird.

I told her I’d leave her alone and that I needed to.

No matter what I know about how she reacted to my last text.

No matter how much I want to march in that building, kick down every door until I find her, and spank her fucking ass raw.

“I’m coming,” I tell Pauly, opening the door and giving the building one backward glance.

I slide in and shut the door as Pauly moves away from the curb.

“This isn’t healthy,” Pauly tells me, but my head and heart are too overwhelmed to listen to him.

I don’t know which way is up and what’s the right thing to do anymore. Not when it comes to her.

I wish I were someone different. Someone whose life she wasn’t petrified of.

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