Page 46 of The Price of Mercy

“Julian,” Enzo murmured, his voice low and rough, as he propped himself up on one elbow to look down at him. The moonlight caught the sharp angles of Julian’s face, his features softened by the quiet of the night, and Enzo felt his chest tighten. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Julian’s forehead, his touch lingering for a moment before he spoke again. “I am offering you a choice. One I should have given you from the beginning.”

Julian turned his head, his eyes locking with Enzo’s, the unspoken question hanging in the air between them. There wasno fear in his gaze, no anger, just a quiet curiosity, a willingness to listen that made Enzo’s heart ache.

“You can leave,” Enzo continued, his voice soft but firm, each word measured and deliberate. “You can go back to your life, back to everything that was before me. Forget you ever met me, forget all of this. I will not stop you.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and final, and for a moment, neither of them moved. Julian’s fingers stilled on Enzo’s chest, his breath catching as he processed what Enzo had just said.

Enzo watched him closely, his heart pounding in his chest, the weight of everything he’d been holding back finally released. He’d laid himself bare, offered Julian the one thing he’d never offered anyone before: a way out.

Julian’s heart seemed to stop for a moment, the silence stretching between them like a thread pulled taut. But then, as if finally understanding the weight of Enzo’s words, he nodded slightly, his hand resting lightly on Enzo’s chest, his touch grounding and steady.

“I… I need time to think,” Julian said quietly, his voice distant but calm, his eyes searching Enzo’s as if looking for something; reassurance, maybe, or understanding. “This… it’s a lot. And I need to be sure.”

Enzo nodded, his heart sinking slightly, but he understood. He’d known this wouldn’t be easy, that Julian needed to make this choice for himself, without pressure or manipulation. “Of course,” he said, his voice steady despite the ache in his chest. “Take as long as you need.”

The silence between them deepened, the weight of Julian’s words settling over them like a blanket. Julian settled back against the pillows, his eyes focused on the ceiling, hisexpression unreadable. Enzo stayed where he was, propped up on his elbow, his gaze never leaving Julian’s face.

He wanted to say more; to tell Julian how much he meant to him; how much he’d come to rely on him in ways he’d never relied on anyone before. But he didn’t. He couldn’t. This was Julian’s choice to make, and Enzo wouldn’t, couldn’t, influence it.

Instead, he reached out, his hand brushing against Julian’s, their fingers tangling together in a silent promise. Julian didn’t pull away, and for now, that was enough.

???

The mansion stood quiet as dusk fell over the city, the sun dipping beneath the horizon, casting the world in soft, amber light. Inside, the air was still, thick with the weight of unspoken words and emotions too complicated to express.

Julian sat at the grand window, his fingers brushing the cool glass as he stared out at the sprawling estate. His mind was heavy with everything that had happened in the past few weeks.

The kidnapping. The fear. The bloodshed. The raw, painful moments that had unfolded so quickly. He could still feel the remnants of it all; the bruises, the fear, the suffocating silence, but beneath it all, there was something else. Something new.

Love.

It had crept in slowly, silently, when he’d least expected it. He had fought against it, resisted it with everything he had. He told himself it was dangerous, foolish, something that could onlybring him pain. Because loving Enzo Moretti meant embracing a life of uncertainty, of constant risk. A life where everything could change in an instant.

But as he sat there now, in the quiet of the room that had become his refuge, Julian realized something that he had been too afraid to admit before: love wasn’t something you chose. It chose you. And somewhere, in the mess of chaos and pain, he had chosen Enzo.

Julian turned away from the window, his heart heavy with the choice that had been placed in his hands. Enzo had given him a choice, one that was both a blessing and a curse. He could leave. He could go back to his old life, to the familiarity of his apartment, the comfortable routine of normalcy. He could step away from the world of the Morettis, the danger, the power, the blood, and find peace again.

But the other option was more complicated. To stay. To remain by Enzo’s side. To embrace the chaos, the uncertainty, and the storm that always seemed to follow Enzo wherever he went. It would mean facing the darkness that loomed over them both, knowing that nothing was ever truly safe. That love would always come at a cost.

But as Julian thought about the last few days; Enzo’s touch, his whispered promises of love, the way he’d held him as if he were the only thing in the world that mattered, he realized that no life, no future, could feel complete without Enzo in it. Not anymore.

He pushed himself to his feet, the familiar ache in his body a reminder of everything he’d endured. But it was the ache in his chest, the flutter of something fragile and undeniable, that consumed him now.

Down the hall, he heard Enzo’s voice, low and steady, giving instructions to one of the men. The sound of his presence was a comfort, but it also reminded Julian of how far he’d come from the life he once knew. The Morettis had turned his world upside down. And somewhere along the way, he had stopped trying to fix it.

Julian moved toward the door; his steps steady but hesitant. He had known, in the deepest part of himself, that this moment was coming. That the choice would eventually be his to make. And now, with the weight of it all pressing down on him, he had made it.

He stepped into the hallway, his hand brushing against the cool stone of the wall as he walked. When he reached the large, open room where Enzo stood, his heart skipped a beat.

Enzo turned, his eyes dark and intense, but there was a softness there now, something that hadn't been there when they met. A vulnerability, that only Julian was allowed to see.

The tension between them was palpable, like an electric charge in the air, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. But Julian didn’t need to say anything. The decision was already made.

Enzo’s voice broke the silence, quiet and searching. “You don’t have to stay, Julian. You can go back to your life. The one you had before any of this... before me. I’ll never ask you to stay. But if you do... I can’t promise it’ll be easy. It won’t be perfect. But I can promise I’ll fight for you. Always.”

Julian felt a lump form in his throat, his chest tightening as he met Enzo’s gaze. The weight of the words hung heavy in the air, but the truth of them was clear. He didn’t need promises. Not anymore.

“I know,” Julian whispered, his voice barely audible. He took a step forward, his body moving on its own accord, drawn to Enzo like a magnet. The space between them closed, and for the first time in days, Julian allowed himself to breathe. “I don’t want to leave.”

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