Page 21 of Damaged & Deadly

I huff out a breath, closing my eyes as I lean back against the headrest. This is not how I wanted either of them to be for this meeting—riled up and pissed off. There’s no way we’ll all leave alive at this rate.

A thick silence envelops the car as the city streets give way to rundown suburban roads. “Are you sure this is the right place?” Enzo asks as he slows the car to a stop outside a small, detached house. I peer out the window, taking in the street. The house is one of the more cared for homes. One of the only ones with no weeds sticking up between paving stones or overgrown grass. The walls look like they’ve been painted fairly recently and the porch has been varnished.

I double-check the address on my phone. “Yeah, this is it.”

Curious as to where we are, I push open the car door and step out, hearing the others get out behind me. I swallow nervously, already knowing this is going to be a disaster of epic proportions, but it’s a disaster that needs to happen.

The front door creaks as it’s pushed open, and Cain’s broad frame fills the doorway. His eyes meet mine before flicking to the two men behind me. I’d hazard a guess that he suspected the reason for this meeting, but his gaze hardens nevertheless.

When he returns his attention to me, I can see the anger simmering in his green eyes, and I smile softly, trying to lighten the blow.

“I guess you’d better come inside,” he growls in a furious tone as his eyes dart around the street. He mumbles something under his breath that sounds a lot likeI don’t need dead bodies littering my street,and I glower at him.

“Who the fuck is this asshole?” Enzo mumbles in a low voice, earning his own glower. Why did I think this was a good idea?

“Just come on,” I grumble, striding through the chain-link fence and up the tapered path to the house.

“Behave,” I mouth when I reach Cain.

“You’re in so much trouble, Red,” he growls, and I smirk, knowing exactly what trouble with Cain can result in. There’s a creak on the steps as Enzo and Dante follow, and I continue on past him into the house.

I am greeted with a narrow corridor that has been freshly painted in a bright off-white color. There's a doorway on my right leading into a small living room, but I don’t take in the details. All I can see is the tall, lean man standing in the middle of the room, dressed simply in navy jeans and a white Henley. A goofy grin lights up my face as I trail my eyes over him.

“Trouble,” Oliver purrs, only making me grin wider. He steps toward me, but as he reaches out to pull me into his arms, he hears the others come in and pauses. Frowning, he looks over my shoulder.

His demeanor completely changes when Dante comes into view, his shoulders straightening as he takes a step back, standing to his full height. “What is this all about?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Dante rumbles as I step aside. He moves into the room like he owns the place, and Oliver turns to watch him. Enzo is next, with Cain bringing up the rear, and with all four of them in the small space, I can hardly breathe. Fucking hell, this is literally the worst idea I’ve ever had. The tension is so high, you could light a match and send all of us to Kingdom Come.

All four of them stare at me, and my cheeks flush under their scrutiny. Fuck, having all of them looking at me like that is intense. I gesture for them to sit, feeling like somehow that will make them less likely to resort to violence. Dante and Enzo claim the sofa by the window, while Cain and Oliver take the one by the door, and I stand in front of the fireplace, nervously twisting my hands as I look between both pairs of men.

“Uhh, this is Dante and Enzo,” I introduce, waving pointlessly at the two of them. Of course, Cain and Oliver already know who they are. “And this is Cain and Oliver. They’re, uh…”

“Rejects.” Dante finishes when I trail off.

“Yeah, and, uh, my boyfriends.”

My words are met with a deafening silence, and I can’t decide if that’s better or worse than if Dante and Enzo started yelling. I drop my gaze, unable to look them in the eye. This feels so fucking awkward, however, I feel lighter knowing the last of my secrets have officially seen the light.

Both Dante and Enzo are under the impression that I’m theirs, and on some level I think I am, but I’m notjusttheirs. So before we fall any further into whatever this is between us, they need to be made aware of the stark reality of our situation. Because, let’s face it, it’s complicated as fuck. Hell, Dante has reservations about sharing me with his one and only friend, never mind with people he doesn’t even know.God, remind me what I was thinking again?

When the silence becomes too much to bear, I glance up through my eyelashes, first focusing on Cain and Oliver. Oliver’s sporting a small, encouraging smile, and pride shines in Cain’s eyes. Despite the hostility emanating from both parties, their love for me shines through, bolstering me, and pushing back my shoulders, I find the courage to meet Dante’s unrelenting stare.

Confusion and fury swirl in his russet brown depths, along with something much more predatorial, and I swear my heart stops beating for a second as fear skitters along my spine. Fear that I’ve pushed him too far. Fear that he’s going to go apeshit. Fear that this may be too much for him. I want him to start opening himself up to the feelings he normally denies himself, but I also can’t continue to lie to him anymore.

Tearing my eyes away, I swallow roughly around a lump in my throat as I land on Enzo’s impassive expression. Cold and shut down, he gives nothing away regarding his feelings, and it hurts me more than I could have anticipated. Somehow, Enzo is the most complicated out of all these men because of our history. I spent so many years not trusting him, sensing that he was keeping me at arm's length. Then, like the flick of a switch, he started letting me in. But because of his relationship with Dante, we haven’t had a proper chance to act on the chemistry between us. I know he cares for me. He’s gone to great lengths to ensure I’m at ease in Dante’s house. In the run-up to the wedding, we spent a lot of time together, and I could see the warmth and honesty in his eyes when we talked. The hurt that still scars his heart when he speaks of his father and his betrayal, what Giovanni did to him, and the years of undeserving suffering he’s endured. The last thing I want to do is cause him any more pain.

I implore them both with my eyes. “That’s why I can’t let you retaliate.”

“Because you’re fucking them,” Enzo sneers. The sheer venom in his voice makes me flinch as a ball of emotion wedges itself in the back of my throat.

“No,” I croak. “Because they are actually trying to clean up this town. They care about the people, their livelihoods, their safety.” With every word out of my mouth, I stand taller. I get that they're pissed, but Cain and Oliver aren’t the bad guys here. Hell, they’re the only ones with the power to make a difference who actually give a shit.

“Why did you bring us here?” Dante asks in his typical, monotonous voice that I’ve come to realize he uses when he can’t handle the brewing storm of emotions swelling inside him.

“Because you needed to know the truth, and I think we can help one another.”

Uneasiness passes between all four of them, but it’s Enzo who speaks up. “You want us to work together?” he scoffs, shaking his head in outrage.

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