Page 1 of The Forever One

CHAPTERONE

ENZO

The first sign that shit went wrong is the taste in my mouth as consciousness begins to tap at my frontal lobe. My mouth is pasty with an aftertaste of copper, which tells me I’ve got blood in or around my mouth. The salty, almost soapy taste at the back of my throat tells me even more. I was drugged, probably with some kind of Benzo. If I had to guess, I’d say liquid ecstasy fits the bill.

I’m lying on my side—the pressure along my ribs impossible to ignore—on cool, uneven flooring like an unfinished basement or a cabin exposed to the outside forces of nature. Keeping my eyes closed, I concentrate on any sounds I can recognize, but there are none.

No breathing, no rustling of clothing, and definitely no talking.

Slowly and carefully, I open one eye, hoping not to alert anyone who would be watching for me to wake up.

It takes everything in me not to flinch at the bright slash of the sunbeam coming through the window angled somewhere above me.

I see no one, hear nothing.

Taking in a deep breath, I concentrate on the recent events that could have brought me here.

What do I remember last?

With the drug still lingering in my system, I’m not surprised that my short-term memory is complete shit right now, but I have to try to figure out where I am and what the fuck happened.

As soon as I lift my head, a searing pain almost paralyzes me. Moving my eyebrows up and down, I can feel the sticky substance that’s pulling on my hair. Blood makes the most sense. My arms are tied behind my back so I can’t verify my theory, but it would explain the pain.

It’s like I got pummeled with a baseball bat. Or maybe sucker punched by an irate Godzilla.

Taking another deep breath, I open both my eyes and look around as much as possible.

The pain is almost unbearable, but I have to try. I can’t just lie here and rest forever.

My last memory is in the warehouse.

Marco’s with me and so is J. We’re planning the attack against the Ambrosios.

River. She arrived shortly after.

Then all Hell broke loose from an ambush.

That’s all I know for now.

I think about Madelina, who is probably worried sick about me. She seems flighty and carefree but my girl has empathy to infinity. She worries for those she loves and even though she won’t admit it, I know she loves me.

Marco will find a way to get to me, he’s got the resources and the will. We’re closer to brothers than colleagues and Marcoalwaysfights for his family.

Gathering all of my strength, I grit my teeth and lift my head to figure out where the fuck I am.

Stone walls, stone floors, a wooden table to the side, and a massive oak door right in front of me.

It smells like goats or pig shit. Maybe both.

Fuck, where the Hell am I? I know this isn’t The City, that’s for damn sure.

Looking around, my eyes land on a lump just behind me.

Tall, dark, and familiar.

He’s lying at an awkward angle, his face flat against the stones below, his shoulders pulled back from where his wrists are tightly tied at the small of his back.

A pool of blood below his head and shoulder tells me I may be too fucking late.

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