Page 11 of Enzo

I towered over her at six-five, but that didn’t stop me from bending to kiss her cheek.

“Father called, and I’m here.” She laughed, but it was somewhat strangled.

“Are the little rascals giving you a hard time?” I asked, surprised that none of my half-siblings were lurking around. I loved Inessa, Romeo, Iryna, and Fausto, but the four managed to tear down the house effortlessly. They were the happiest children I’d ever seen, and the most destructive.

The world better watch out when they decided to spread their wings.

Isla waved her hand, smiling softly. “I swear, they’re more like you and Amadeo each day. I’m bound to murder them, or at least escape to a remote island and live out my days in peace.”

I grinned, and she chuckled. “It’s a good thing you love them more than you value your peace and quiet.”

She nodded, then patted my cheek. The gesture was somewhat comical with me towering over her. “You and Amadeo, too.”

I believed her. Almost from the moment she walked into my father’s life, she’d become our fiercest protector. We might’ve taken a minute to warm up to her and accept the love, but she’d had us wrapped around her pinkies since day one.

“Has Amadeo arrived already?” I asked instead of leading my stepmom down Sentimental Lane. Unlike our father, Amadeo, and me, she wore her heart on her sleeve. We were still learning how to cope with all that emotional, mushy shit.

“Yes, an hour ago.” The anguish on her face was unmistakable, but before I had a chance to ask what was troubling her, she said, “Can you promise me one thing, Enzo?”

“Anything.”

And it was true; I’d do anything for Isla and my father. The two had been pillars of strength, carrying our family through some of the hardest times imaginable. They were the only reason Amadeo and I had turned out somewhat normal. So yeah, I’d fucking kill for her.

“Promise me you’ll listen and keep an open mind,” she pleaded. “And remember that we love you and everything we’ve done has been for your benefit.”

I stared at her for a moment, trying to decipher the seriousness behind her tone, when the door to my father’s office opened and he appeared. He stood tall, an unmistakable strain on his face, as Amadeo sat in the chair behind him, his hands gripping his head.

He looked up and our eyes locked, disbelief shining in them before he averted his gaze.

“Enzo, we need to talk.”

I turned to face my father, the aura around him dark. “That’s why I’m here.”

It’d been a while since I’d been in my parents’ home. After high school, I studied business and technology in the UK, and once I graduated, I got my own place on the other side of Rome, plus a home in Naples to help my uncle run his business there. I visited my father and Isla, but not as often as I should, preferring my own space.

“Enzo—”

Isla’s expression fell, searching for words that seemed to escape her, and I patted her hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

Then I strode toward my father’s office and took a seat on the sofa next to my brother, who kept his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Instead of sitting behind the desk as usual, our dad took the seat opposite us.

We sat in uncomfortable silence, one I sensed was full of the secrets we all kept from each other.

“Diglielo.” Tell him.My brow furrowed—it was unlike my brother to get easily riled up. “Diglielo!” Amadeo roared.

Father’s jaw tensed, but his mouth didn’t move.

“Che è successo?” I asked tersely, unsure what would make my brother react in such a manner. Just hours ago, he was his usual self. “And why is Amadeo so upset?”

“You’re more reasonable, Enzo. Amadeo has a temper on him, and I thought it might be best to tell him first.”

Amadeo’s lip curled with distaste. “A dead person would lose their shit with this,Father.”

The way my brother emphasized the last word had me raising my eyebrows.

“Okay, someone has to clue me in,” I stated calmly.