Page 113 of The Bonventi Hitman
"Gabriel, there's something else we need to discuss," he says. "I'm going to be straight with you, I know you killed Luca."
My heart stops at his words.
I feel the blood drain from my face as panic floods my system. I struggle to maintain my composure, but I can feel my hands starting to tremble. My mind races, desperately searching for a way out of this, an explanation, anything.
How the fuck did he find out?
I open my mouth to speak, but he holds up a hand, silencing me.
"That day I came here unexpectedly, after that mishap you and Luca were supposed to handle."
I nod slowly, unable to form words with my mouth dry. I can feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead, but I force myself to stay calm, to think clearly.
"I noticed things, Gabriel. Things that didn't add up," Enzo continues, his eyes never leaving mine. "The missing rug here in your office, for one. The smell of cleaning supplies, the smell was so goddamn strong, like someone had just finished scrubbing the place down."
How could I have been so careless?
"And then there were the specks of blood on the floor," Enzo says. "Small, easy to miss if cleaning in a hurry."
I want to speak. To say something, anything, but I can't find the words.
"Now, I didn't act immediately because I wasn't 100% sure," he says, his eyes still locked on mine. "And frankly, we had bigger issues to deal with. The Russians were breathing down our necks."
He takes a pause before continuing.
"You see, at first, I thought maybe I was overthinking things," Enzo continues. "But then Luca disappeared. No calls, no messages. It wasn't like him. And then," he says, his voice growing harder, "I started hearing whispers. Rumors about you and Luca's girl. The one you're with now."
I can feel the muscle in my jaw twitching.
"People talk, Gabriel," Enzo says. "And I listen. I heard about the tension between you two. How you both seemed interested in the same woman."
I swallow hard, trying to find my voice.
Enzo leans forward. "I didn’t know how to feel about it all, but I knew I was going to have to do something about it."
My blood runs cold. I know exactly what Enzo means.
"But then," he continues, "something happened that changed everything. Delaney came to me with those videos of Isabella, and we learn she was talking to the feds. Still can't believe it. Luca's own wife, a fucking rat."
It did come as a shock to me at the time, too.
"At first, I was furious," Enzo says. "But then I started thinking. How the fuck wouldn't Luca know she's meeting with the feds all those times? It's not a stretch to think he was a fucking rat, too. I mean, the guy had a big mouth. I've had to clean up his shit on more than one occasion."
He leans back, his stern face breaks into a smile. "And that's when I realized something, Gabriel. It was a sign from God."
I raise an eyebrow, not quite following. "A sign?"
Enzo shakes his head. "Yes, a sign. You whack the man whose wife was leaking intel to the FBI. It's like divine justice. Like God himself was looking out for our family."
Enzo isn't just letting me off the hook; he's justifying my actions.
"So you see, Gabriel, when I realized all this, I knew I couldn't go through with my original plan. You didn't just kill Luca. You saved our family from a traitor."
I nod slowly, still processing everything, but making sure not to be a fool and take what he's offering. "Enzo, I—I don't know what to say."
He smiles, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "You don't need to say anything, Gabriel. You did what needed to be done, even if you had different motives, the universe had you protect this family, just like you always have."
I'm so confused about what's happening, but I don't question it. I'm not dead, and I have Anna — that's the only thing I care about right now.
