Page 169 of Madness & Mercy

My fingers fumble at the glovebox anyway, stalling, praying for a miracle. Empty gum pack. Insurance slips for cars I’venever even seen. Fucking condoms, but no registration. My chest tightens, every breath shorter than the last.

“Problem?” the cop presses, leaning down, his stare cutting into me.

I manage to fish out my fake ID, though my hand trembles slightly. He snatches it, his eyes narrowing as he reads, lips curling like he already knows it’s bullshit.

“Step out of the car.”

Fuck.

I swallow hard, push the door open, and step into the light of the day. The road is quiet, the air still. His hand still rests on his holster like he’s justwaitingfor a reason. My heart hammers as he spins me around, slamming me against the hood.

“You’re looking real nervous for a guy who was just speeding,” he mutters, the cold metal snapping tight around my wrists.

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from saying something stupid. My heart slams against my ribs, panic rising up like bile. This can’t happen. If I get booked, it’s not just me—it’s Nico. It’severything.

The cop jerks me upright, his hand gripping my arm to shove me toward the cruiser. Andthat’swhen it happens.

A sharp crack slices through the air. My whole body jolts. The officer jerks violently, his grip ripping away from my arm. Blood blooms across his chest as he collapses to the pavement.

I freeze as shock, adrenaline, and disbelief slam into me at once.

Another set of footsteps walk across the gravel. I whip my head up, and there’s Enzo, gun still smoking in his hand, his expression blank behind his sunglasses.

“Boss said not to let you get yourself killed,” he says in a low, calm voice. He crouches, grabs the keys from the officer’s pocket, and in a swift motion, unlocks the cuffs around my wrists.

My chest heaves, my wrists raw, my head spinning. I stare at the body, the blood already seeping into the ground at my feet.

Enzo straightens, tucking the gun back under his jacket. “Get back to the estate. I’ll clean this up.”

I can’t move. I can hardly breathe, for christ sake. The reality of it hits me all at once—how close I just came to losing everything,and how easily Nico’s world stains me deeper in blood.

“Get outta here, Cross,” Enzo says again, sharper this time, leaving no room for argument. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

My head bobs in a jerky nod, legs carrying me back to the Maserati on autopilot. My hands are still shaking when I grip the door handle, adrenaline pumping so hard I feel sick. It’s not the dead cop on the pavement that’s rattling me. It’s not even the cuffs that were biting into my wrists a moment ago.

It’s the fact that when I thought my life was over, it wasn’t me I was afraid for.

It washim.

I slide into the driver’s seat, slam my fists against the wheel, and suck in a ragged breath before turning the key. The engine roars, but my chest feels like it’s caving in. I almost exposed him. Exposedeverything.One mistake, one wrong move, and the whole empire could’ve burned.

What’s he going to do when he finds out?

I’ve seen Nico angry before, gun-to-the-head, don’t-breathe-wrong kind of angry, but never the kind of anger that comes from almost destroying an empire. What if he decides I’m not worth the risk anymore?

Sure, I could find another place, hole up in some dingy apartment again. But the thought makes my stomach churn. Because as much as I hate to admit it, I don’twantto go anywhere else.

For the first time in years, I feelalive.And the fucked-up truth is… that’s because of him.

Does that mean I’m actuallyin lovewith Nico Vitale? I’ve only ever said the words when he forced them out of me, but now… now they’re starting to feel real. And that terrifies me more than when I thought he was just a monster. Because the monster, I could handle. Butthis…

This thing where I might actually love him?

This could destroyme.

By the time I roll up the drive, Nico’s already outside, standing on the steps like he’s been waiting for me the whole damn time.

I kill the engine, shove the door open, and step out. “I can explain—”