Page 69 of Enzo's Vow
Enzo
Gemma slumped onto her plate, her cheek squished against the half-eaten fish.
“Gemma?” I shook her, a jolt of worry engulfing me.
“Don’t bother, Enzo.” Carina sipped her wine with casual indifference, her focus centered ahead. “I poisoned her.”
The world swam, the air thinning in my lungs. I stared at my mother. This had to be a joke. “Poison?” The word scraped my throat.
I surged from my seat and laid her on the floor. Her skin clammy to the touch.
“Is she all right?” Lucio bolted out of his seat, rushing over.
“Gemma!” I patted her cheek, harder this time. “Wake up! Gemma, wake up!”
“Why are you surprised?” Carina refilled her wineglass. “You knew this was coming.”
“Are you insane!” I shouted. My fingers trembled as I searched for a pulse. Beating. Maybe the poison hadn’t quite taken hold. “Call an ambulance!”
Carina stood from the table, wineglass in hand. “No need, she’ll be fine.”
I whirled around, my breathing ragged. “What did you give her?”
“The same drug you slipped her the first night.” One shoulder lifted in a casual shrug. “Let her sleep it off. She’ll be fine by morning.”
I raked a hand through my hair, tempted to strangle my own mother. “You said you used poison.”
She rolled her eyes, utterly unrepentant. “As a warning, because next time will be poison unless you agree to the peace deal.”
“Not this again!” I roared, smacking my palm into the cold tiles.
“Yes, this again.” A muscle twitched Carina’s jaw. She took a deep breath, her hand tightening around the wineglass. “Have you forgotten your vow to me? Don’t you see, Enzo?” Tears welled in Carina’s eyes, a dangerous, fevered glint in them. “You’ve betrayed me, just like Lorenzo. You chose the daughter of my worst enemy over me!” She snatched the wine bottle, hurling it against the wall. An explosion of red liquid and shattered glass painted the wallpaper. “Either I kill her, or De Luca will, but she won’t live in peace here at your side.”
I scooped Gemma into my arms, her body limp and heavy. “Lucio, help me get her to the car. I’m driving her to the hospital.”
Carina pummeled her fist on the table. “I told you she’ll be fine. You have my word.”
I tightened my grip on Gemma. “Your word means nothing. I’m taking her.”
Lucio hurried after me, opening the car door. I lowered her into the back seat, jumped behind the wheel, and tore out of the estate.
In the emergency room, I cradled her in my arms. “Help me!” I shouted. A nurse rushed over. “I think she’s been poisoned.Per favore!”
Nurses wheeled a gurney to our side and I laid her onto the bed. They disappeared down the hall. The distance ate me alive. I plodded to the waiting area. The plastic chair was cold and hard beneath me, offering no solace. Déjà vu slammed into me. I’d been sitting in this exact spot just a few weeks ago, when I’d first rushed her here. Would this become our life? Me, rushing her to the hospital, again and again?
Half an hour later, a doctor met me in the foyer. “How is she?”
“We found no poison, but a powerful sedative. We’ll monitor her overnight.”
Relief crashed over me, so intense it made me sink back into my chair. “Thank you, doctor.”
Carina hadn’t lied this time, but I knew she’d keep her word, eventually. How many near-misses would Gemma have to endure because of me? First the De Lucas, now my own mother. She was in constant danger. How could I be so selfish, thinking I could keep her safe? Had I really forgotten who I was dealing with? I should have known better. This vow was a chain I couldn’t break. What I had to do—what Imustdo—made my heart clench. I wiped a hand down my face and pulled out my phone.
“Enzo?” Lucio’s voice vibrated the phone, strained with worry. “How’s Gemma?”
I tweaked my nose bridge. “It’s not poison.” His harsh sigh echoed in my ear. “Thank God.”
“Lucio,” my throat clogged, my body physically preventing me from what I was about to do. “I have a favor to ask.”
