Page 48 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

Enzo’s hand darted towards his gun before relaxing as he recognized my vehicle.

Without a word, he slid into the passenger seat; the leather creaking beneath his weight. The second his door slammed closed, I tore away from the curb.

Enzo groaned as he reached for the seatbelt. “Good to see you, man. Thanks for the ride.”

“Holy shit, you fucker. We’ve been lookingeverywherefor you.”

My fingers flew over my phone as I divided my attention between my cell and the road. Muscle memory took over as I sent a terse message to my brothers.

Marco

Found Enzo. He’s alive. Heading back.

The soft blue glow of the screen illuminated my friend’s face for a moment before I clicked the damn thing off and shifted to tuck it into my pocket. But that dim light had been enough to note his split lip, the wicked bruise blooming over his cheekbone, and the gnarly cut across his eyebrow. Anger bubbled up inside of me, hot and sharp, at the sight of hisinjuries. The metallic notes of blood tinged Enzo’s natural scent of cinnamon bark and citrus.

“What the hell happened?” I finally demanded, unable to help but steal glances at my friend. Relief mixed with my frustration.

Enzo grimaced, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery. The lights of the city painted his bruised face in a kaleidoscope of colors. “Vincent,” he muttered darkly, the name dripping with venom. “Bastard caught me. Got a few solid hits in before I could shake him off.

My grip tightened on the steering wheel, the leather creaking in protest. The mention of Vincent sent a surge of rage through me. We may have struck first, but we had a damn good reason.Thisfucker had the audacity to put his hands on one of my guys, and he was going to pay for that lapse of judgment. If the Valentinos wanted to escalate shit, we’d escalate shit right back.

“Why the hell didn’t you call us?” I hissed, the words escaping through clenched teeth. “We would’ve been there.”

Enzo shook his head wearily, wincing at the movement. “Don’t you think I wanted to? My phone got trashed in the scuffle,” he explained, shoving a hand through his hair.

The sides were shaved to the skin, but the top was usually impeccably styled. That he looked like a fucking mess spoke to how bad shit had gotten. That man spent more time in the bathroom than any chick I’d ever known.

“Had to lay low,” he finished.

I let out a slew of curses; the words echoing in the quiet, confined space of my car. My fingers drummed wildly against the steering wheel, the tension in my body coiling like a spring ready to snap. “They were already fucking with us,” I growled, “but everything’s heightened since we picked off half their guys and took Kitania.”

At the mention of her name, my heart rate sped up. The memory of my Omega’s scent, sweet and intoxicating, flooded me. I had to push the thoughts of her aside so I could focus on the present. I didn’t trust myself not to jerk the damn wheel and drive straight back to the penthouse where Gio was keeping an eye on our girl. The temptation to return home was strong.

Enzo’s brows furrowed before he hissed, the cut on his brow splitting again. A thin trail of blood made its way down his face, and he lifted the hem of his shirt, the fabric rustling as he used it to blot at the wound. “Kitania? The Omega you saved?”

“I’m sure the Valentinos would use the word ‘stole,’ but yeah. The woman we rescued… she’s our scent match.” The words felt surreal coming out of my mouth, even now.

“You’re shittin’ me.” Enzo’s voice was a mix of disbelief and awe.

I chuckled. “I guess D left that out when he was giving you orders. Trust me, I wouldn’t joke about something this serious.”

Enzo huffed a laugh. “Well, fuck me,” he muttered, shaking his head.

I flashed him a million watt smile, happy to find our way back to our natural state—bickering assholes. “You’re very pretty, but no thanks, man. I’ll pass.” The familiar quip was comforting, despite the gravity of our situation.

My friend smirked, wincing as the expression pulled at his split lip. “So you think the Valentinos are escalating shit with us to… what? Get her back?”

The muscles in my jaw clenched, teeth grinding together. “You know they’ve been making moves for the past couple of months. My guess? They’re more motivated to eliminate us now. Their retaliation was as strategic as it was personal.”

He took a moment, lost in thought as the streets rushed by. The rhythm of traffic created a hypnotic pattern of light andshadow as we crossed town to the club we’d set as our designated meet.

Scrubbing a hand down his face, mindful of his injuries, he mulled over what I’d said with a frown. “Even though their forces are depleted, Rocco and Vincent are some scrappy bastards. I wouldn’t put it past them to up recruitment or use hired guns. Or fuckin’ both.”

My attention flicked to Enzo, studying his battered profile. “Did you learn anything when you tracked ‘em down?”

Enzo shifted uncomfortably, his gaze fixated out the windshield. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken words. His voice was low and tinged with regret when he finally relented. “Nah. We’d followed them to a safe-house, but they burned it when they caught our tail. We got cocky and comfortable, and we didn’t see ‘em before it was too late. They got a jump on Nick and I, and... well,fuck, you know the rest.” He waved a hand down his body, gesturing toward his injuries. His attention snapped back to me. “Have you heard from Nick?”

The question hung in the air as my heart dropped into my damn stomach.

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