Page 85 of Merciless Oath

I bury my head in my hands, unable to take any more.I just want to get off this fucking boat and away from this horror show.

“The maids are still here,” Enzo says, appearing in front of me. His heavy, warm hand strokes my hair absentmindedly, and I sink into his touch. “They hid down in the kitchen when they heard the gunshots. They have nothing to do with her, just employees for whoever rents out these yachts, but thankfully, they all had phones.”

“So, someone’s coming for us?” I ask with relief.

“Yeah, Lenny.” He smiles down at me, his eyes so full of love and hope. “My girls are safe now.”

“All of them,” I whisper back with a small, hopeful smile of my own.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Enzo

A month later.

“Everyone’s going to be late for school if we don’t find Mama’s car keys!”

I chuckle at the commotion downstairs as Matilda races past the bedroom, eyeing me suspiciously. I shrug my shoulders at her, the picture of innocence.

“Ugh, it’s Dad!” she shrieks, racing into the bedroom and catapulting herself at me.

Alessia’s face pops out of the doorway seconds later. A long-suffering sigh escapes as her face drops in realization, but her eyes dance with laughter.

“Enzo!” she pleads, grabbing Matilda by the foot and hauling her off the bed. “Please give the keys back.”

I grin at my girls, one who calls me “dad” exclusively and one who can only bring herself to use my name, for now. They’re so different, so unique.

Matilda, with her rambunctious nature and restless energy, is all Valentina, while Alessia is more serious and intense. She also has the driest sense of humor, just like Alexandra did. Yet, they’re mine.

Valentina appears in the doorway, slanting her eyes at me in mock annoyance. She juts her hip out, resting her hand there, and taps her foot impatiently.

“Enzo, I swear if you have?—”

“Oh, these?” I ask innocently, pulling the keys from Matilda’s jacket pocket. “How’d they get there?”

“What?” Matilda screeches, checking her pockets for more magical items. “How, Dad? How?”

“Girls,” Valentina laughs, striding over and snatching the keys from my hand. “Let’s go. We’re super late for schoolagain… thanks, Enzo.”

“No one appreciates my humor around here,” I yell as they hurry out of the house. “No one!”

Luigi walks by at that exact moment, raising his eyebrows at me, and I grin sheepishly. He pauses in the doorway, studying my lazy, pajama-clad pose on the bed, and shakes his head.

“You need to work on your delivery,” he finally says with a smirk and turns his attention back to his phone.

Oh sure, now that his brother doesn’t want to murder me anymore, it’s all let’s-bully-Enzo-but-with-love around here.

I close my eyes and think about how much life has changed in the last month.

Ever since the yacht incident, Valentina, the girls, and I have been inseparable. I even moved onto the Rossis’ compound to spend more time with them, much to Luigi’s annoyance.

As for Lev Rossi, well, whatever Valentina said to him must have opened his eyes. She drank half a bottle of wine, locked herself in the bathroom, and called him one night, intent on setting everything straight.

Somehow, that prompted Rossi to reach out to me.

“Enzo.”

“Lev, it’s been a while.”

---