Page 193 of When We Fall: Part One

He sighed and scrubbed his hand down his face. Thankfully, he didn’t pursue it. I knew where he was coming from. It was the same place Rosalie came from. I hated losing him to his fears, but he had to know I would do everything I could to keep us all safe.

“We need to gather everyone together. Get on the same page,” I continued.

Fox sighed but nodded. “OK.”

“Everything is going to be OK,” I said, coming to Fox and staring at him. “I promise. It was just a bad night.”

“Enzo, we have more bad than good. You know that. If this shit is happening to your parents, it’ll happen to us. Someday, they’ll be racing to Rosalie. They’ve already started. Is this the life you want for her?”

I swallowed hard at his words. It wasn’t the life I wanted for her. The life I wanted for her was at the top. I just had to fucking fight and climb to get us there. It was the same old song and dance.

“I know you think being at the top will save her. That it’ll save us all, but man, come on. The journey isn’t worth it. It’s not. Someone could die. You saw how E just jumped out tonight and walked through gunfire. I saw his face. He was a man who was fed up and over it. Part of me thinks he did it in the hopes he’d die. Think about all this shit. We can walk, man.”

“I can’t walk. My family. My father?—”

He clapped me on the shoulder. “Just think about it, OK? That’s all I’m asking.”

I nodded. “OK. I’ll, uh, think about it.”

The look on his face told me he wasn’t expecting a different answer from me, though. Fox was changing. I knew him most of my life, and this was a guy who was slipping away. It terrified me because he was one of my best friends. If he left, I’d lose Rosalie. I wasn’t stupid enough to think she’d stay with me if he were gone. He was the glue in this whole thing. Without him, none of us would have had a chance with her.

It was an ugly thought, but there it was. Always looming over my head.

Such was my life as of late.

“Have a seat,”I said to Vincent as he stood in the office. I went to the bar in the room and poured us some whiskey as he settled on the end of the leather couch. I handed him his glass and took my seat in my chair.

We were going to have a meeting and get shit sorted. That was the plan. Drake was here so that it would clear up a few things.

“How’s Bianca?” Drake kept his eyes on Vincent.

“Sleeping.” Vincent cast him a quick, cursory look.

“Has she woken at all?” E sat forward. He said he didn’t have a reversal for the drug, but he had no issue trying to brew one.

“Uh, Dom said she was awake for a few minutes before she dozed off again.”

A look of relief swept over E’s face. I knew he was stressed about it. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit concerned.

“Can someone explain what the fuck is going on?” Vincent demanded.

I cleared my throat. “Ah, well. A lot, actually. Where should I begin?”

“The part where you have the lords working with you and some guy working with Matteo. Then Drake shot my girl.” Vincent glared openly at Drake. Everything about how he stared at him told me he was ready to shoot him in the face to prove a point. Vincent always struck me as a calm, nice guy. The look on his face suggested his true monster lay dormant…until he let it out.

“It wasn’t a bullet. I was only trying to stop Tate from taking her. He used her as a shield, or I’d have been able to drop him. I had one shot with that tranq. I used it on her. She was too much for him, so he left her and ran. I got a hit on him, though, so he’s bleeding somewhere.” Drake looked unapologetic as he spoke.

Vincent scowled at him, not bothering to hide his distaste.

“Fine. Tell me everything. What the fuck is going on?” Vincent demanded.

I decided to start with myself first. “Tonight, there was another attempt on my father’s life. He was in the city when it happened. I went as fast as I could. I left my phone behind in my rush, so I missed Dom’s call. It reminds me that he’s going to need my second phone number. You all should have it.”

Vincent grunted.

“Anyway,we took care of things.Rosalie was able to reach us after Anson left to help,” I said.

“OK. Who the fuck is this Anson guy?” Vincent looked to Anson, who stood next to the mantle. Anson had been quiet the entire time, which wasn’t unlike him.