Page 15 of The Price of Mercy

Julian’s hands stilled for a moment before he continued his work. “I’ve been busy. Your men needed patching up, remember?”

Enzo stepped further into the room, his presence filling the space. “You’ve also been mouthing off to my men. Questioning my decisions. Undermining my authority.”

Julian finally turned to face him, his blue eyes blazing with defiance. “Your authority? You mean your tyranny? You drag me into this mess, force me to clean up after your wars, and expect me to just fall in line? Sorry, but I told you already; I’m not one of your lackeys.”

Enzo’s jaw tightened, his patience wearing thin. “You’re here because I allow it, Julian. Don’t forget that.”

Julian took a step closer, his voice rising. “And don’t you forget that you’re here because I saved your life. You owe me, Enzo. Not the other way around.”

The words hung in the air, the tension between them crackling like a live wire. Enzo’s eyes narrowed, his temper flaring, but beneath the anger was something else, something he couldn’t quite name. Julian’s defiance was infuriating, but it was also exhilarating. No one had ever dared to speak to him like this, to stand up to him with such raw, unfiltered honesty. It was a challenge, and Enzo had never been one to back down from a challenge.

“You think I don’t know that?” Enzo said, his voice low and dangerous. “You think I don’t know what you’ve done for me? But here’s the thing, Julian, you’re in my world now. And in my world, debts are paid on my terms.”

Julian shook his head, his expression a mix of anger and disbelief. “Your world is a nightmare. And I want no part of it.”

Enzo stepped closer, closing the distance between them until they were inches apart. Julian didn’t back down, his chin lifted in defiance, but Enzo could see the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. It was a small victory, but one that only fueled Enzo’s determination.

“You don’t get to walk away,” Enzo said, his voice a low growl. “Not from me. Not from this.”

Julian’s breath hitched, but he held his ground. “You can’t keep me here forever.”

Enzo’s lips curved into a cold smile. “Watch me.”

For a moment, they just stood there, the tension between them thick and suffocating. Julian’s chest rose and fell quickly, his eyes locked on Enzo’s. There was something in his gaze, something raw and unguarded, that made Enzo’s pulse quicken. He didn’t know what it was, but it stirred something deep inside him, something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Finally, Julian broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re a monster.”

Enzo’s smile didn’t waver. “Maybe. But I’m a monster that owns you.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Julian’s eyes widened, but before he could respond, Enzo turned and walkedout of the room, leaving the doctor standing there, his mind racing and his heart pounding.

As Enzo made his way back to his study, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between them. Julian’s defiance had sparked something in him; something dangerous and unpredictable. And for the first time in a long time, Enzo found himself looking forward to the fight.

???

The moment Enzo walked out of the room, Julian felt like he could breathe again. But the relief was short-lived. His hands were still trembling, and his heart pounded against his ribs, a furious, erratic rhythm that had nothing to do with fear. Or at least, not the kind he wanted to admit to.

"Damn it," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

He should hate Enzo. He did hate him, or at least, he wanted to. The man had torn him from his life, from his routine, from his carefully constructed world of order and logic. One moment, he had been a doctor saving lives, and the next, he was a captive, forced into playing the personal physician to a criminal. To him.

Julian exhaled sharply, his body still humming with the remnants of their argument. He could still hear Enzo’s voice, rough and edged with something dangerously close to amusement, as if he enjoyed riling Julian up, enjoyed pushing him to the edge of his patience. It infuriated him. It confused him.

Because it wasn't just anger that curled in his chest whenever Enzo was near. No, that would have been too easy. Instead, therewas something else, something dark and unwanted, something that made Julian’s skin prickle and his breath catch.

He loathed the way Enzo could look at him; intense, unwavering, like he was something fascinating, something to be studied. He despised the way his own body betrayed him in those moments, how his stomach tightened, how his throat dried.

He was a prisoner here. He was supposed to be plotting his escape, not wondering what it would feel like if Enzo ever touched him in a way that wasn’t meant to intimidate. Not wondering why his voice could send shivers down his spine, or why the scent of his cologne still lingered in the air, wrapping around Julian like a vice.

Julian let out a breath and clenched his fists.

No. This was nothing. Just a side effect of captivity. Frustration, misplaced adrenaline, maybe even Stockholm syndrome setting in quicker than he'd like to admit.

That was all.

It had to be all.

Chapter 11

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