Page 26 of Merciless Oath

“Lita’s. It’s a bar on the east side of town that has very secure, very private back rooms,” I answer, keeping my eyes on the road. I know if I look at her, we’ll probably end up dead in a ditch.

Even now, her energy is pulling me in. Her intoxicating, fruity, jasmine scent wraps around my throat like a noose.

“Enzo?” she breathes, and I can’t resist sneaking a peek at her. She’s dressed head to toe in black—black wool coat, black leather pants, shiny black boots, topped off with her glistening black waves.

Fuck. I’m a dead man.

There’s no way I’ll survive round two of getting my heart broken by Valentina.

“Thanks for this,” she finally says when I don’t respond. “We have a lot to talk about.”

“Yep.” I had so many things I wanted to ask her, but now, the only thing on my mind is her.

“I know, I know. You think I’m a major bitch, don’t you?”

"What? No," I say, though my first reaction to learning about my daughter was a storm of anger, frustration, and pain. But Iget it. I disappeared without a word, and she thought I was paid off by her father. Why would she try to find me—or tell me about our baby? Would her father even let her?

We drive in silence for a few minutes, mulling our predicament over, until I pull into Lita’s parking lot. The snow is coming down hard tonight, making the roads slippery. I grab one of her gloved hands and lead her carefully to the secret back entrance.

The hostess instantly recognizes me and guides us to my favorite room.

“Whiskey, please,” I tell her before she scurries away. We settle into the velvet armchairs and face each other awkwardly.

Although Lita’s back rooms are comfortable and homey, with fireplaces, plush chairs, and low lighting, a chill lingers in my bones.

“So …” I start, but she cuts me off right away—frank and direct, as always.

“She’s yours, Enzo,” she says, not taking her eyes off mine. “About a month after you left, I found out I was pregnant. I had no idea where you went. I couldn’t contact you, and… I was pissed as hell.”

“I get that,” I mumble, nervously rubbing the back of my neck. "Does she know about me?”

“No.” She hesitates. “My father thought it would be better if she didn’t.”

“Of course he did,” I growl. The urge to punch Lev Rossi in his stupid, meddling face is so intense that I’m grateful when our bottle of whiskey arrives. I busy myself pouring us both a glass.

“He was just trying to protect me,” she whispers, but I know she doesn’t fully believe it.

“Doubtful,” I scoff, taking a deep gulp of the amber liquid. It burns its way down my throat, giving me the courage to have this conversation.

“What happened that summer? Why did you disappear like that?” she asks. “You said you didn’t leave because he paid you off, like I thought all these years.”

“Lenny, no,” I whisper, sliding my hand over hers. She stills but doesn’t pull away, so I keep it there, savoring the warmth and feel of her. “Listen, I want to tell you, but it’s going to cause a lot of emotions for you.”

“Just fucking tell me, Enzo. I've had plenty of emotions all these years, might as well have the truth too.”

“It’s going to make you hate your father,” I warn, still unsure of the right thing to do. She stares me down, her eyes already shining with anger. But behind the anger, I see determination.

“Fine,” I say. “He tried to offer me three million dollars to disappear, even wrote the check right in front of my eyes. I refused, of course. I never wanted money; I only wanted you. Then he threatened to fire me, and I didn’t give a shit. Then he threatened to kill me…”

“Fuck, I knew it.”

“…but I didn’t give a shit about that either,” I continue, and her eyes turn soft and watery.

“So, what made you finally… give a shit?” she asks, sniffling subtly.

I watch her entire world crashing down—every truth, every protection she had built for herself over the years, crumbles. She really convinced herself that I left for money.

“He threatened to kill you,” I finally say, keeping my eyes trained on my half-empty glass. Silence stretches across the room, but I’m too terrified to look up.

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