Page 88 of When We Fall: Part One

The room fell silent at his words.

Cole finally snapped his attention to me from Fox. “Enzo…?”

I blinked several times before getting my wits about me. I’d completely blanked out, stunned at the revelation. “OK.”

“OK?” Cole looked from me to Fox and back again. “What do you mean OK?”

“You can’t choose your family,” I said. “I, uh, I’m surprised. That’s all.”

“When did you find out?” E asked.

“He told me during the week I was gone to New York. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me?—”

“You’re an heir.” I looked at him. “A rival. An… enemy.”

“I’m not,” Fox said fiercely. “My father left. I have no intentions of coming forward to claim shit.”

“It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “If Matteo finds out, he’ll put a fucking hit on your head. I personally don’t give a fuck if you try to come for me after taking your rightful spot, but I do give a shit if someone comesfor youover this. If Matteo finds out, shit’s over. He won’t hesitate. Look what he’s done to Dominic.”

Fox licked his lips. “Matteo knows.”

I stared at him in stunned silence. “How the fuck did he find out?”

“I’m just that unlucky,” Fox said with a sad smile. “Or stupid. I went out with Anson that night. Matteo called and wanted to see him. I could have come home, but I didn’t. Call it morbid curiosity. I went to the club with him. I stayed downstairs at the bar. Matteo saw me. Decided to say hi.”

“Fucking hell,” Cole shouted, glaring at him. “You could have been killed! What the fuck were you thinking? You had no one there to watch your back?—”

“I had Anson.”

“Oh, fuck him,” Cole snarled. “You are fucking stupid. It was probably all part of the plan. Get you vulnerable so they could take your ass out.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Fox argued.

“What was it like?” I demanded.

E hadn’t said a word and simply sat listening to everything. That was typically his thing. Listen. Watch. Overthink. Fucking hell. Worry.

“I don’t know.” Fox tugged at his black hair. “It was… fine.”

“Fine?” I raised my brows at him.

“He didn’t kill me, OK?”

“Great. So did he say he was cool with an heir showing up then?” Cole shook his head in disgust. “You guys have cookies and tea? Mani and pedi together?”

“No,” Fox snapped at him. “I told him I wasn’t interested in being an heir and had no desire to come for the position. Anson’s position was safe, should he want it. Which he doesn’t.” Fox shot Cole a pointed look.

Cole rolled his eyes and muttered, “Yeah, right.”

“You and Anson are cousins,” E said, his voice soft. “Family. You found out and started to get closer.” E crinkled his brows and looked at Fox. “Does Rosalie know you and Anson are cousins? That your father is Matteo’s brother?”

For once, E’s overthinking was doing something useful.

I looked to Fox, awaiting his answer.

“She knows,” he said.

“She’s kept it a secret with you?” I hated that. I hated what he’d done, and she’d gone along with it. They were always close because of their childhood friendship, but this just felt wrong. We should have been told.