Page 45 of The Price of Mercy

And Enzo? He had been scared, too. Scared of losing him. Scared that he’d crossed a line from which there was no return. Thefear had never fully left him, but now, it twisted into something darker: regret.

I should have protected him better. I should have kept him out of this life. Out of this world.

He had promised Julian safety, promised him a future, but what kind of future was that? One where Julian’s life was constantly at risk, where people who wanted to use him as leverage were lurking in the shadows? One where the very act of loving Enzo meant living on the edge of a knife?

The thought made him sick to his stomach.

This is my fault.

He couldn’t stop blaming himself. It wasn’t just the kidnapping, though that was bad enough. It was everything that had led up to it; the decisions he’d made that had dragged Julian into this world in the first place. The lies he’d told himself. The way he’d convinced himself that Julian would be fine, that he could handle it.

But Julian couldn’t handle it.

Julian had been thrown into the violent, unforgiving world of the Moretti family because of him. Julian hadn’t asked for any of this, hadn’t asked to be dragged into a world of blood and power plays. He hadn’t asked to be Enzo’s obsession.

I pushed him into this life.

And now, in the silence of his office, all Enzo could do was sit with his guilt, hoping that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t too late to make things right.

The soft sound of footsteps outside his office door broke through the haze of his thoughts. Before he could even call out, the doorcreaked open, and Julian appeared in the doorway. His presence brought a slight shift in the air, something tangible, something that made Enzo’s heart stutter in his chest.

Julian looked different now; still the same in so many ways, but there was something in his eyes that had changed. A kind of wariness, like he was still trying to process everything, trying to find his place in the life Enzo had made for him. But there was also a quiet strength in him now, a resolve that hadn’t been there before.

He was alive. He was safe. And yet… Enzo couldn’t stop thinking that it was his fault that Julian had been forced to walk this dangerous path.

“I thought you might be here,” Julian said softly, his voice low but steady. He stepped inside, closing the door gently behind him.

Enzo looked up, his eyes locking with Julian’s. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them felt heavy with unspoken words, with the remnants of everything they’d been through.

Julian’s gaze softened as he took a step toward Enzo, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Enzo allowed himself to breathe. He hadn’t realized just how much he needed this; how much he needed Julian’s presence until now.

“I’m sorry,” Enzo said before Julian could speak, his voice raw. It wasn’t easy for him to admit, but it was the truth. “For everything. For dragging you into this life. For making you a part of this.”

Julian blinked, his expression unreadable for a moment, before he slowly crossed the room and sat across from Enzo. His gaze never left Enzo’s, steady and unflinching.

“Enzo, we’ve been through this already.”

“I know,” Enzo muttered, frustration lacing his words. He ran his hand through his hair again, his movements agitated. “But I can’t stop thinking about it. About how this could have been avoided. How you should have never been caught up in my mess. And now, all I can do is watch you…” He trailed off, his voice faltering as the weight of his words seemed to collapse in on him. “I almost lost you, Julian. I can’t live with that.”

There was a long pause, and for a moment, Enzo wasn’t sure if he was going to hear anything at all. But then Julian spoke, his voice calm and quiet but filled with a kind of understanding that reached deep inside Enzo.

“You didn’t lose me, Enzo,” Julian said softly. “You’re not to blame for what happened. You couldn’t have known.”

Enzo shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “I should have known. I should have protected you better.”

Julian reached out, his hand resting lightly on Enzo’s arm. The touch was warm, comforting, like an anchor in the storm that had been swirling around them both.

Enzo met his eyes, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt like he could see Julian clearly. The hurt, the fear; it was all there. But so was the love. And it was a love that didn’t come with strings attached. A love that wasn’t about ownership or control.

Enzo’s heart clenched.I’ve been so selfish.He thought as he hugged him closer, allowing himself to get lost in his kiss.

Later that night, after the passion of their union had settled into something quieter, something deeper, Enzo lay besideJulian, their bodies tangled under the sheets. The storm outside had passed, leaving the night still and calm, the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains and casting soft shadows across the room. The air was warm, heavy with the scent of sweat and skin, and the only sound was the steady rhythm of their breathing, synced in the quiet aftermath of their intimacy.

Julian’s fingers brushed gently across Enzo’s chest, tracing lazy circles on his skin. The touch was light, almost absentminded, but it sent a shiver through Enzo, a reminder of how much he’d come to crave this, crave him.

Julian’s head rested on Enzo’s shoulder, his breath warm against his skin, and for a moment, Enzo allowed himself to believe that this could be enough. That this fragile, quiet connection between them could be enough to quiet the storm that always seemed to rage inside him.

But there was still one thing left to say. One thing Enzo had been holding back, not out of fear, but out of a desperate need to protect what little peace they’d found. He couldn’t keep it buried any longer.

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