Page 56 of Beautiful Liar

“Why do you think I would do anything toyou?”

The threat was implied in the you. He didn’t need to hurt me. All he had to do was destroy what little was left of my family. Nick and my sisters.

“Luca said.”

“Ah, yes,” he pulled back. I caught sight of the lines on his face. Near his eyes, around his mouth. His hair finer, with a dusting of greys. Aged. Enzo had aged, but he still looked as if he belonged anywhere. As if I should be grateful he had chosen me to save from my mother. He had chosenme. “My brother is rather territorial. He knows about us, of course. He’s the dog I use to protect my interests and Maddox is my interests, do youunderstand?”

“Maddox?” The confusion in my face made him laugh. It had once filled me with joy, now my blood ran cold.

“You should really be nicer to your brother. He loves you dearly. Was heartbroken that you didn’t make our wedding.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Of course, he would be devasted to learn what you did.”

What I did. Of course, because it’d been my fault. I didn’t realize I was nodding until he gave me the familiar warm look I had latched onto whenever I needed him to make all the bad go away.

“All I ever wanted was to keep you safe from your mother. You do know that?”

I swallowed hard. My throat clicked. Enzo looked sad, disappointed in me, and I felt ashamed that I put those feelings there.

“If you hadn’t become feral, I wouldn’t have had to tame you.”

The slow churn of memories swam in my mind. That night. The room. The pain.

Someone knocked on the door, taking me out of my headspace.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t tell anyone about us.”

The thought of anyone knowing made my chest clench. “No. Never.”

“Good. I knew you were a good boy.” He cupped my face again. “Now tell me, where is the drive?”

“Drive?”

“Jack had something that belonged to me,” he backtracked. “I want it back.”

I shook my head. “I don’t have it.”

Enzo moved so damn fast. He cupped my throat and slammed me against the wall between the sinks. Then he liftedme to my tiptoes. I couldn’t breathe. “Don’t fuck with me, Tomás. I will do anything,anything,” he repeated into my face. “To keep Maddox. He ismineand you will not take him away from me.”

I scratched at his hand, but it did nothing.

Another knock broke through his violent intent, and he released me. I sucked in oxygen, using the sink for support. “Go into a stall and fix yourself up.”

I did as he said, like a good little boy, and locked the stall. “And remember, Tomás. Your family has not been erased. Not yet.”

I sucked in a sob as I heard him leave. My legs wouldn’t hold me up and I leaned into the stall, breathing.

Just breathe, Tomás. Just breathe. Just breathe.

I wiped my tears. But I couldn’t breathe.

Dasher was right. I wasn’t a good liar. I couldn’t lie. Kieran was going to see my face and know. Just know. And Enzo would kill Nick and my sisters. I heard the door open then close before I opened the stall and stepped right into Luca Mancini leaning against the door.

He didn’t wear the face paint. He didn’t smile. His eyes weren’t cold. They just knew. He knew. A white tile moved rapidly between his fingers. It flashed back and forth, back and forth across his knuckles.

The fucking tears wouldn’t stop. “What do you want?” I managed to say through the wad in my throat.

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