Page 21 of Enzo's Vow
Did she assume I bluffed to get the gun back? My word meantnienteto her. Of course, she wouldn’t trust me so soon. And why should she? She considered me a monster. “I’ll pack. You can have my room.”
“Where will you be sleeping?” Her gaze narrowed, suspicion swirling in those amber eyes.
“I’ll occupy the guest suite.” I brushed my fingers along her throat, the lightest touch, feeling her delicate pulse. The reassurance relaxed my tensed muscles. She’d handed over the gun without harming herself; no need to be afraid. Still, my fingers lingered, her skin smoother than I’d imagined. I swallowed and ignored the desire she evoked, a desire now tangled with an unsettling emotion close to… admiration?
Breaking our distance, I stalked into the walk-in and packed my items into a duffel, my movements jerky, agitated. From my peripheral, she stood outside the entry point to the large wardrobe, those unnerving eyes following my every move. “If you need me, tell the guards, and I’ll come to you.”
Even through slitted eyelids, her gaze pierced me, speaking volumes.Over my dead body.
Instead of confronting her disdain, I lugged the duffel over my shoulder and left the room.
Lucio stepped into the hallway, carrying two glasses and a decanter.
I cocked a brow at his pinched face. “What’s wrong?”
My younger brother raised the bottle. “Do you have a minute?”
I crooked a finger at him to follow and acknowledged the guards with a nod as we swept past. Adrenaline surged through my veins, the dangerous encounter leaving me twitchy. I burst through the guest suite doors, dumping my duffle on the floor.
“Already in the doghouse?” A slight grin twitched Lucio’s lips.
He enjoyed my plight a little too much. “You’re giving me grief now, after the day I’ve had?”
Grin still in place, he deposited the glasses on the dresser table and poured the golden liquid. “Good thing I brought this. Figured you could use a drink.”
He guessed right. We fetched our drinks and slumped into the two armchairs overlooking the balcony.
Lucio swigged his glass. “So, how’s the wife adapting?”
The image of Gemma, gun to her head, was still searing behind my eyelids. “Not well.” Her words echoed in my mind.“Why wait ‘til I crack?”Break her, yes, but not in the way she thought. I had a vow to see through, but my pledge to my mother seemed preposterous when challenged with Gemma harming herself. Months ago, I considered this stranger no more than an idea, a pawn in a game. Now my conscience hounded me for each tear I made her cry. Conscience? Since when did I grow a conscience where she was concerned? Would there be a sense of victory at the end of this game? Victory felt hollow, tasteless, even now.
He snorted a laugh, a humorless sound. “You’ve bitten off more than you can chew.”
An understatement. The file from my source painted a picture of quiet devotion: she worked at a daycare, volunteered with herchurch’s Bible study, and spent Sundays feeding the homeless in the city… if anything, I surmised she’d be too weak to put up a fight. Instead, I learned she attended target practice every Thursday. Clearly, the investigator missed something. The little lioness had teeth. She’d just kept them hidden.
Lucio sighed and swirled the liquid in his glass. “Our dear mother mentioned the birthday party. I don’t want to go, Enzo. I don’t want to meet those people.”
I pinched my nose bridge. “Carina will throw a fit if she doesn’t get her way.”
Lucio lunged from his seat and paced. The glass doors behind him framed the branches swaying in the gentle breeze. “They’re not family. Family wouldn’t leave us behind.”
My brother held false hopes about our mother’s relatives. “Did you suppose they’d rescue us from our predicament?”
He shrugged, his silent response answered enough. “They left us there, though.”
I blocked my brother’s path. “Be grateful they left us.Si, our childhood sucked, but we’d have suffered more under their roof.”
The Calafiore mafia were as ruthless as they come. My grandfather would have killed his own daughter all for the sake of restoring his honor. Carina’s pregnancies had kept her safe since the Calafiores had an honor code against harming pregnant women. Once Lucio and I were born, Carina relied on hired guards and mastered staying hidden.
Lucio sank back into the chair. “Maybe you’re right. What will we do about work? We can’t let the team deputize for too long, either.”
I bit back a yawn, either fatigue or the drink relaxing my body. “I’ll convince Carina you’re needed at the company. As for me, I’ll go with her to thisevent.”
He paused from taking another sip. “You think she’ll go for it?”
“We’ll see.” Knowing Carina, a fight was inevitable. I gulped the remaining liquid, humming at the burn in my throat. First Gemma, now my mother. There was no drink strong enough to help me against the stubborn women residing in this house.
Chapter 9
