Page 52 of Bound to the Enforcer

My chest tightens as I stare at his name, the anger I thought I'd buried bubbling up again like a slow burn.

The message is simple, but it pulls me out of bed like a rope around my neck.

"Meet me. East side, Central Park. Alone."

I sit up slowly, careful not to make any noise. I glance over my shoulder. Sophia is still asleep, curled on her side, the blankets rising and falling with her steady breath. This is something I have to do alone.

I slip out of bed, moving silently as I grab my jeans and boots from the chair in the corner. The room feels colder thanbefore, the weight of what I'm about to do sitting heavy on my shoulders. I don't trust Matteo. I shouldn't trust him.

But I need answers.

I pause at the door, looking back at Sophia one last time. She doesn't stir, and I'm glad for it. She needs rest, and I need to go and not try and kill my former friend.

The drive to Central Park feels longer than it is. The streets are empty at this hour, the orange glow of streetlights casting long shadows against the pavement. My hands grip the wheel tightly, the quiet in the car only making the storm in my chest worse.

Matteo's face flashes through my mind—his words, his betrayal, the gunfire in the warehouse. I can't get the image out of my head. I trusted him. I fought beside him. And he threw it all away.

For what?

The anger burns hot in my veins, but underneath it is something else, something I don't want to admit. A fracture I don't want to see. Matteo wasn't just a soldier to me. He was a friend. Someone I thought would have my back no matter what.

I should've known better.

I park two blocks away from the park entrance, killing the engine and sitting there for a moment. The quiet is suffocating. I check the gun at my side, sliding it into the holster under my jacket, then step out of the car. The air is cold, sharp against my face as I walk through the empty streets.

Central Park is quiet this early—dark and still, the kind of silence that makes you feel like you're the only person left in the world. I move quickly, my boots barely making a sound against the path as I make my way to the east side.

The bench Matteo mentioned comes into view. A lone figure sits there, hunched forward, his elbows on his knees. Matteo.

The sight of him sends my anger boiling over. He looks up as I approach, his face partially hidden under the brim of his cap, but I know it's him.

I stop a few feet away, my fists clenching at my sides. "You've got some nerve calling me."

Matteo raises his hands slightly, palms up, like he's surrendering. "You came, didn't you?"

I grit my teeth, the sight of his calm face only making me angrier. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't put a bullet in you right now."

"Because you'd regret it," he says simply. "You don't shoot a man until you know the whole story."

I step closer, my eyes locked on him. "You betrayed me. You betrayedSophia. What the hell could you possibly say to make that right?"

Matteo exhales slowly, leaning back against the bench. "You think I wanted to do that? You think I had a choice?"

"Youalwayshave a choice."

"No," he speaks sharply, cutting through the air like a knife. "Not when my sister's life is on the line."

I freeze, his words hitting me like a punch to the gut. That's right, he mentioned that before.

"What?"

Matteo rubs a hand over his face, his shoulders sagging. "Domenico has her. He's had her for weeks, Alessio. If I didn't give him something, if I didn't act like I was on his side, he would've killed her."

I stare at him, my jaw tight, my mind trying to process what he's saying.

"And what about us?" I demand. "What about Sophia? You sold us out, Matteo. Do you have any idea what you almost cost us?"

"I knew you'd get out," Matteo says, his eyes meeting mine now, fierce and unflinching. "I didn't want it to go that far. But I needed Domenico to trust me. I needed to get close enough to learn what he was planning."

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