Page 25 of The Price of Mercy

Enzo didn’t answer right away. His gaze drifted to the fire, the flames reflecting in his dark eyes. For a moment, Julian thought he wouldn’t answer at all, that he’d shut down like he always did when the conversation veered too close to something personal. But then Enzo exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing just a fraction.

“My father was a soldier for the old boss,” he said, his voice low and rough, like gravel. “A loyal man, but not a strong one. He did what he was told, never questioned orders. It got him killed.”

Julian kept his hands steady, but his breath caught. He hadn’t expected an answer, let alone one so personal. He didn’t know much about Enzo’s past, only the rumors and the stories that circulated like myths. But this, this was real. Raw. And it made something twist in Julian’s chest.

“I was seventeen when it happened,” Enzo continued, his tone flat, as if he were recounting someone else’s story. “No money. No protection. Just a name that meant something to the wrong people.” His jaw tensed, a muscle flickering in his cheek. “They came for me, thinking I’d be weak like him. That I’d kneel.”

Julian’s fingers hesitated for the briefest second before resuming their work. He could feel the tension in Enzo’s body, the way his muscles coiled beneath his skin, as if the memories were still alive, still sharp enough to cut. “And you didn’t.”

A grim smile tugged at Enzo’s lips. “No. I didn’t.”

He exhaled slowly, tilting his head back against the chair. The firelight caught the lines of his face, the shadows deepening the hollows beneath his cheekbones. “I learned quickly that power is the only thing that keeps you alive. You either take it, or you get buried by it. So, I took it.”

Julian should have felt disgusted. Should have reminded himself that the man sitting before him was a criminal, a killer. But all he could see was the boy Enzo must have been; the one who had lost everything, who had been forced to claw his way to the top just to survive. It didn’t excuse what he’d become, but it made Julian’s chest ache in a way he couldn’t explain.

“Do you regret it?” Julian found himself asking, his voice barely above a whisper. He wasn’t sure why he asked, why he cared about the answer. But he needed to know. Needed to understand.

Enzo’s eyes met his, unreadable and yet filled with something heavier than Julian could name. “No,” he said simply. “Regret is a weakness I can’t afford.”

Julian nodded, though he wasn’t sure he believed him. He finished securing the fresh bandage, fingers lingering for just a moment longer than necessary before he pulled away. The room felt too quiet, the weight of Enzo’s words hanging between them like a storm cloud.

But Enzo caught his wrist before he could move too far.

Julian’s breath hitched, the grip firm yet not painful, grounding in a way he didn’t expect. Enzo’s thumb brushed absently against the pulse point at his wrist, his touch burning in its intensity. Julian swallowed hard, his mind screaming at him to pull away, to put distance between them before the moment slipped further out of control. But he couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

“I don’t regret what I’ve done,” Enzo murmured, his voice lower now, almost intimate. The firelight flickered in his eyes, softening the hard edges of his face. “But sometimes, I wonder what it would have been like… if things had been different.”

Julian’s heart pounded, torn between the unease curling in his stomach and the pull of something dangerously magnetic. “You mean if you hadn’t become the man you are?”

Enzo’s lips twitched, but there was no amusement in his expression. “Maybe. Or maybe if I had someone to remind me of the man I used to be.”

Julian’s throat went dry, a slow heat spreading through his chest that had nothing to do with the fire warming the room. He told himself this was nothing. Just a moment of exhaustion, of misplaced trust between two men who shouldn’t be anything toeach other. But the way Enzo was looking at him, like he was seeing something no one else could, made it impossible to think straight.

“And do you think that’s possible?” Julian asked, his voice barely audible. “To go back?”

Enzo’s grip on his wrist tightened slightly, his thumb still tracing slow circles against Julian’s skin. “No,” he said after a long pause. “But maybe… maybe it’s not about going back. Maybe it’s about finding something worth staying for.”

Julian’s breath caught, his pulse racing beneath Enzo’s touch. He wanted to pull away, to remind himself of who Enzo was, of the danger that came with letting him too close. But he couldn’t. Not when Enzo was looking at him like that, like he was the only thing that mattered in that moment.

And then, just as quickly as it had started, the moment was over. Enzo released his wrist, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. The vulnerability was gone, replaced by the familiar mask of control. But Julian felt the absence of his touch far too keenly, the warmth of his hand lingering on his skin like a brand.

He stepped back, his hands trembling slightly as he gathered the used bandages and supplies. The room felt too small suddenly, the air thick with unspoken words and emotions neither of them was ready to face.

“Get some rest,” Julian said, his voice steadier than he felt. “You’ll need it.”

Enzo nodded, his gaze drifting back to the fire. “Goodnight, Julian.”

Julian hesitated for a moment, his eyes lingering on Enzo’s profile before he turned and left the room. The door clicked shutbehind him, but the weight of the moment stayed with him, heavy and unshakable.

And for the first time, Julian wasn’t sure if he was more afraid of Enzo… or of the part of himself that wanted to understand him.

Chapter 18

A Line Crossed

Julian exhaled, exhausted as he exited the hospital doors. The night was crisp, the chill sinking into his scrubs, but he welcomed it. Anything to shake off the tension of the long shift. The streetlights flickered dimly, casting elongated shadows along the pavement. The city was alive with distant traffic, an occasional honk breaking the quiet of the night. He was about to step into the waiting black SUV when a sudden burst of gunfire shattered the stillness.

“Get in!” Maurizio barked, already pulling open the door. Julian barely registered what was happening before rough hands yanked him forward, shoving him into the backseat. The SUV roared to life, tires screeching against the asphalt as Maurizio took off, dodging a hail of bullets that ricocheted off the pavement. Glass shattered behind them, sending fragments spraying across the backseat.

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