Page 185 of When We Fall: Part One

The door opened, and I was pulled inside, Enzo’s hands on my waist.

The door closed behind me, and I stared up into the face of someone I loved with everything I was.

“Enzo—”

He shook his head at me. “It doesn’t matter. You’re here.”

“It was just talking?—”

He pulled me in for a tight hug. “If it were just talking, you wouldn’t feel the need to apologize to me.”

My throat tightened at his words.

“Does he promise you the world, too, Sunshine?”

“A different world,” I whispered, clinging to him.

“His world is dangerous,” he said softly.

“Why?”

“Because in his world, I’m the villain who steals you away.”

I stared up at him. “You’d steal me away?”

“And kill anyone who tried to stop me.” He tucked a curl behind my ear, his words chilling me to the bone. “Don’t make me the villain.”

I said nothing, his words sinking deep within me.

I loved Lorenzo De Luca.

That wasn’t something I could easily change. It wasn’t something I wanted to change.

There were days when I wanted the front porch, though, and days like today when I knew I’d never have that in this world.

It just made everything in my head that much harder to deal with.

“Come. Let’s make dinner,” Enzo said, taking my hand.

I obliged. At least today, it was as close as I would get to the front porch.

FIFTY-SEVEN

ETHAN

Istared into the night, noting how clear the sky was as the stars twinkled above us.

Anson was back in our lives and had been for a few weeks. Enzo and Cole had returned to their gruff selves around him, but I had to hand it to Anson. He took it all in stride and didn’t make waves.

Well, many waves. Enzo told us Anson had once again tried to get Rosalie to leave us. Cole nearly lost his shit. A new hole was added to the drywall, and we’d lost two lamps and one ottoman in his rampage through the office before we got him settled down. Fox said nothing about Anson. Only nodded like he expected it. Old Fox would have lost his shit completely. This Fox was resigned and didn’t fight it.

I knew it was because he was in the same state of mind I was in.

After Rosalie had been taken, all I’d been thinking about was how unsafe all this shit was becoming. I loved her with my entire being, but I was selfish like the others and didn’t want to let her go. I’d let Anson join us without batting a lash if it meant she’d always be safe. I’d let Anson join because he was a good guy. I liked him. He would be good for her and us. I’d die on that hill.

Enzo and Cole didn’t see what I saw, so I didn’t push the matter, but it didn’t take a genius to see the light was back in her eyes. He practically lived with us now. He was at the house every night with her while we worked harder and longer hours. He’d even brought and left an overnight bag in one of the guest rooms because every now and then, he slept over when we were gone too late.

Cole hated it. It made working difficult because not only was the situations stressful while we exchanged gunfire and other bullshit some nights, but to have the maniac out there trying to rush through shit wasn’t a walk in the park. I swear he got us into more trouble than peace many nights.