Page 72 of Twisted Games of Revenge

He drops his head, moving away from me to finish his task, stacking the dirty dishes. I wish I knew how to get through tohim. He’s been like this since he found out what happened to his mother and who his real papa is. I understand that was a whole lot to take. No one wants to find out they’re the spawn of the devil. After Dr. Northgate’s revelation, Geovani contacted Catherine, Elisa’s girlfriend, and after she did a little digging around, she believes the story to be true. Ricky had some blood tests run just to be sure, but they too were positive. Knowing he’s Enzo’s, it must have been heartbreaking to hear, especially when I know he despises the man.

“I was a mistake, Harley; I never should have been born.”

Slow goosebumps rise over my arms, and I swallow the lump in my throat. “This baby isn’t a mistake, just a surprise, Maddox,” I try to reassure him. This isn’t the same as what happened to his mother. “And you might not have been planned but your mother loved you and did what she could to try and protect you. And I for one am very grateful she did. I wouldn’t want a life without you in it.”

I know he’s listening to me, but he doesn’t look up. He’s trapped in his own hell. He goes through the motions of putting the tablet in the dish drawer then turning on the machine. It whirls to life, leaving him staring at the appliance.

“He’s going to pay for everything he put your mom through,” I assure him.

He moves back toward me, and his hands come to my hair, lacing their way through the silky strands before he tips my head back so I’m forced to stare up into his broken eyes. His lips meet mine, and he kisses me with all the hurt he feels inside. “How do we not fuck this kid up? You know as well as I do this isn’t a life to bring up a child. The shit we all had to see growing up, I don’t want that for him.”

“We will protect himor herfrom this.” I smirk back at him. Why does he assume we will have a boy?

“How your papa protected you?”

My hands go clammy because I know he’s right. We can’t hide our child away from this life, they will only end up like me. Clueless and vulnerable. “It will be different because we are different. I’m not like my parents, and you’re not like yours.”

“What if I am like him? This shit is ingrained in my DNA. I have done awful things, Harley, in the name of Moretti.”

“Now you can channel your anger into your fighting.”

He stares back at me for an extended beat. I hear someone clear their throat from behind us and turn to see Alex. He and Maddox have a silent conversation with their eyes.

“What?” I ask, not liking being kept in the dark.

“Go get a jacket and some jeans on. I want to show you something,” Maddox says.

I give him a look but don’t argue. If the big guy wants to let me in even a little bit, I’m not going to fight when he tells me what to wear.

Twenty minutes later, we arrive at The Flamingo Hotel. Maddox parks his bike in the lot, and the two of us go through the back entry. We walk through the lower floor of the club, and when we make it to the far side, Maddox pulls out a key and opens a black door that looks like nothing more than a janitor’s closet. He glances over his shoulder then holds out his hand for me to take. Once inside the dark space, he locks the door, closing us in, then pulls up the flashlight on his phone so we can both see.

“What is this place? It’s creepy as fuck.”

“Yeah, it is. This is where Enzo’s ma died.”

A shiver runs down my spine. “What?” I move in closer to him, clinging to his arm. From the small amount of light we have, I can make out what looks like the remains of a hotel room. The walls are blackened like the place has been torched.

“Enzo wasn’t always the selfish monster he is now. People aren’t born with so much hate and manipulation inside ofthem. He had it belted into him from a young age, much like Alessandro and the rest of us did once we moved into the Moretti estate. This place is where his life took a turn.”

“What happened here? How did his ma die?” Goosebumps prickle my skin as we walk further into the room, the eerie atmosphere of this place chilling me. I reach out for Maddox’s hand, needing to know he’s right beside me.

“About ten years ago, one of Alessandro’s relatives, Doña Carmela, got in touch with him and Geovani behind Enzo and Carlo’s back. She was sick, didn’t have much longer to live, and she wanted to connect with her grandchildren, make sure we knew our heritage before it was too late. That’s when the truth came out.”

“Enzo’s Spanish grandmother?” I ask, based on the name he said.

“Mexican,” he corrects me.

“What was the big secret? That he was dropped at birth and that’s why he’s a sadistic piece of shit?”

His lips twitch up at the sides, and I know he agrees with me. “Doña Carmela told them everything Enzo had been hiding from all of us about his childhood and his parents that we had never met.”

My stomach sinks, and I’m not sure if it’s the baby or my body is just preparing itself for whatever story I’m about to hear, because at this point, I know his childhood isn’t going to be all rainbows and lollipops.

“Enzo’s papa was a high-ranking member of the biggest Italian mafia family in the south. His mother was from a powerful Mexican cartel family, known for their ruthless violence and control of the drug trade. Doña Carmela said they all knew joining the two families was risky and their marriage was fated to fail. Her daughter, Enzo’s ma, had begged her not to force the marriage, but at the time, it strengthened a very importantalliance, uniting two criminal organizations. They didn’t listen to her, and she was forced to marry Enzo’s cruel papa. He was twenty years her senior and completely heartless. Carmela knew she had thrown her precious daughter to the wolves, but she was given no choice.” He shines the light up ahead, and I see what looks like a blood-stained wall.

Sickness washes over me. “I don’t like where this story is going. This place is really giving me the creeps, Maddox.” I clutch his hand a little tighter.

“I’m sorry, temptress, but I have to tell you it all. You need to understand where we came from.”

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