Page 18 of When We Fall: Part Two

“E,” Fox sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, man. I shouldn’t have said that shit. I know you’re trying. I’m just really frustrated right now. I’m worried about her. Fuck, man. I’m worried about you. About all of us. I’m just in my head too much lately. I’m sorry. Really.”

I nodded and breathed out. “It’s OK. I-I won’t promise to work on things. I know you’re an action man, Fox. I’m always promising to get better, and I don’t. That’s on me. I’ll prove it to you. I swear.”

“OK,” Fox said softly. “I believe you.”

“Let’s just go to bed. Rosalie is our top concern right now,” Enzo said. “We’ll sleep with her tonight. Make sure she’s OK. We’ll take things step by step right now.”

“What about Everett or the Russians? We still need to sort out the attack. I know Jake was in here earlier. Did he find out anything? Emilio? Your old man? You think Everett was behind Rosalie being almost kidnapped and raped in the alley?” Cole asked, his voice soft and vibrating with quietly controlled rage.

We’d been hitting dead ends all around with finding out who had been brave enough to try to take her from us.

“I don’t fucking know anymore, but I wouldn’t put it past him.” Enzo sighed. “I don’t have any connections to Everett Church. None. He’s the one prick in this world I can’t seem to get close to. Anson may have been good, but he’s broken away from him, and I highly doubt he’s interested in returning. Besides, Everett is smart. He’d know something is up. I don’t think Everett has anything to do with it, though. He has no reason to be involved in anything we do. Aside from him just being a fucking prick, there’s no reason.” Enzo poured another glass of alcohol and drank. “Fuck. I just… I need to marry her. As Rosalie De Luca, no one would dare touch her?—”

“She’s already Lorenzo De Luca’s girl,” Fox practically shouted. “It didn’t offer her much protection in a fucking dark alley, so I highly doubt it’ll help with your name attached to hers.”

“Fox, man, I love you, but you’re really starting to piss me off,” Enzo said, stepping around the bar to return to us. Cole and I both got to our feet. This wasn’t going to go down well, but maybe it needed to.

“Yeah? I’m pissing you off?” Fox scoffed. “Fuck you, De Luca. You’re the reason we’re in this fucking mess. You andyour stubborn ass and useless fucking traditions! When I was in charge?—”

“When you were in charge, we lost Rosalie and were stuck fuckingyourgirlfriend. Remember that?” Enzo demanded, his dark eyes flashing as he poked Fox hard in the chest. “Do you fucking remember railing into Juliet’s dank fucking pussy with me? Because I remember it. I remember thinking if I were in charge, this shit wouldn’t be happening to us! I remember thinking all of this shit was becauseyouwere too fucking stubborn! So fuck you, Fox. What needs to happen is you understanding that she chose me, Foxy boy. She pickedmeto marry.”

“Only because you didn’t give her much of a choice.” Fox backed away from him. “I’ll be the one to give her a choice. I’m the only one who can now.”

He stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.

I looked from Cole to Enzo.

“This isn’t working,” I murmured. “We’re falling apart.”

“All great empires fall so new ones can arise,” Enzo replied softly. “This is just one of those times.”

God, I hoped not. I needed Fox and the guys like I needed my sweetheart.

SIX

ENZO

“What?” I demanded while Dominic shouted into the phone at me as I sat in my office the following morning.

“Matteo took her. Bianca. He has her. Drake fucking betrayed us. He’s been working with Matteo the whole time! Levin… man, he’s fucked up. Drake nearly killed him.” Dominic was nearing hysterics as he unloaded all the information he had on me.

“OK,” I said after he’d finished with a string of obscenities and a vow to kill Drake. “What can we do?”

“There’s nothing. I sent her in with E’s vial. The shit that kills people. She has it. She’s going to take Matteo out when she gets a chance. If she fails and is killed, I’m going with her,” his voice shook.

“It won’t come to that.” I sat up. “Let me reach out to Anson?—”

“No. This needs to happen. She’s strong,” he said thickly. “S-She can do this. I have faith in her. If she’s successful, it’ll change a fuck of a lot of things. That prick will be out of our lives for good. I’ll take over. If Anson wants to fight me for it, I’ll fight him.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about Anson,” I said gently. “He’s made it known he’s not interested.”

Dom scoffed. “We’ll see. I’ve heard he’s been doing Matteo’s bidding.”

“He also does mine,” I said. “If he fucks anything up, he’ll die. I’ll kill him, or Matteo will. You know that.”

“Or I will,” he muttered.

We were both quiet for a moment.