Page 34 of The Forbidden Husband

“It’s too soon after the attack. I will hurt you.”

I thought back to all the time we had spent together. I considered our wedding and the gentle touches he had offered, even through his frustrations. I considered the way he had gone out of his waynotto hurt me on our wedding night. He hadn’t reacted when he learned of my communications with Noemi.

Enzo was the monster everyone said he was. As he stood before me covered in blood, I knew that without a second thought.

This still felt like uncharted territory.

“Let me help you,” I begged him.

Even now, he held my wrist with tight, trembling fingers, but he didn’t hurt me. I couldn’t escape his grip if I tried, but it wasn’t painful.

“You don’t know what I had to do today.”

Would a true monster be this affected by killing people?

My mind flashed to my father, and I shut down the line of thinking before it could sink in any further.

“I don’t care, Enzo.”

His fingers trembled on my wrist, and from closer, I could see the rapidness of his breathing. But his eyes… God they were cold, unseeing, and hardened by whatever he had done.

“The Russians taunted my men and they reacted. It wasn’t an orchestrated ambush. They just attacked on a whim, and when my guys were pinned down, they called me in to negotiate. I didn’t have to say a damn word to figure out they were there for blood. And they got it.” He huffed out a hoarse, unamused chuckle. “They fucking got it.”

“Enzo—”

“These mother fuckers think we’re confined to the Bronx. I control all of the Bronx. I have my hand in half of fucking Manhattan. The Russians didn’t know that they were picking a fight they couldn’t win. Even your fucking dad has his head shoved so far up his ass that he doesn’t know—” He cut himself off and shook his head, eyes darting. “We have five times the men anyone knows about, Aria. Do you know what that means?” I shook my head quickly, feeling slight tendrils of fear rising in me. “It means five times more reasons to kill the assholes who threaten us.”

He finally released my wrist with a deep exhale and stepped back before turning and walking toward his personal suite. I hesitated for no more than three seconds. I had never gone into his suite. It had always felt too risky. But now, there wasn’t a single thing in the world that would stop me from following him. I wanted to say it was from sheer curiosity and purpose. If I were less in tune with myself, maybe I could chalk it up to that.

But I knew my motivations.

I knew I cared to some extent about seeing him okay.

By the time I walked into the room, he had already grabbed the first aid kit and headed for the attached bathroom. I had only enough time to take in the basic room. It was as if an interior designer had decorated the entire house, barring this room. Only a basic wooden dresser sat beside the large bed. A small sitting room sat on the other side of the room, a flatscreen adjacent to it.

All the furniture in this room was worn. Old and used. It was a startling contrast to the rest of the house.

I turned and stepped into the attached bathroom, and I froze, mouth falling open.

I should have focused on the blood that stained every part of his body. Or the clear black bruise on his right thigh. I should have been examining his skin for more injuries. But I couldn’t look away from a physique that had undoubtedly been forged from years of hard work and physical challenges.

If I were to paint the portrait of a God in mortal form, he would be my muse.

No questions asked.

“I… I…”

But he didn’t give me a chance to say anything. He lunged toward me and captured my arm, pulling me along with him into the shower that had already been started. I pulled my arm, but he didn’t release me as I stepped across the barrier and into the spray.

Blood began running off of him in streams, but he didn’t break my gaze.

“What are you doing?” I asked breathlessly.

“Do you know how much I fucking want you, Aria?”

“Enzo, you’re hurt and bleeding. You—”

“Shut up and fucking listen to me.” I inhaled sharply, unable to ignore the harsh demand. “I have wanted you since the day in your father’s office. You’re an enigma, and I can’t figure you out. You hate me, or you say you do, and then you do shit like this. You insist onhelpingme.Me. The man who took you away from your home and the sisters you love. You continue being friends with Jaimie even though she betrayed you. You do everything for other people, and I have never once seen you do a thing for yourself. Not once, Aria. Why the fuck do you do that?”

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