Page 72 of Enzo
“Robbie’s okay,” I lied, but Rio raised an eyebrow, and I crumpled like a rusted car frame, buckling under the weight of my bullshit. I sat on a pile of tires, gesturing for the other two to sit, glancing to make sure the back door was shut. “Okay, so he’s not doing so well, and it’s on me,” I admitted, my voice rough. “He was excited about the Sunday thing, and I got all serious because you know he doesn’t do well with chaos. And you remember how loud it got last month, and he hid in his room, and I had to…” I stopped and scrubbed a hand through my hair. “I broke his heart,” I said, slumping onto the sofa.
“Jesus, you’re ridiculous,” Rio said, shaking his head with exasperation. “You couldn’t break his heart if you tried. None of us could.”
He was right; everything had shifted since Robbie had entered our lives. Our world had turned into a careful balancing act of watching over him. My world was even more so because he was mine to protect.
Mine.
Rio smirked. “So I’m guessing you called us to help fix whatever dumbass thing you’re figuring out tonight.”
I rubbed my hands over my face, frustration clawing at my chest. “I don’t know where to start.”
Rio leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You like Robbie.”
“But you don’t know Robbie,” Jamie added, insightful and dead-on.
“Robbie never told us about John, or the other, but fuck, we agreed when he got here not to dig too much, right?” I said after a pause. “We didn’t want to shine any light on him that might get him caught. But fuck, man, sometimes I wonder what kind of evil he was running from and whether we’re any better.”
Rio exhaled, his jaw tight. “We’re better.”
“Human trafficking, slavery,” Jamie murmured, “Not the same as us.”
“I know.” The words were heavy on my tongue.
He hugged me. I protected him. I tugged him onto my lap and held him close.
Rio frowned. “I hate thinking about that. Maybe one day, this John guy will show up here. That all this—” he gestured around, “—all the locks, the alarms, the precautions—it still might not be enough.”
Jamie finally spoke, low but firm. “We’re close by, protecting him.”
I sighed and nodded. “What kills me is that we haven’t heard from Mateo yet and…
Rio cut in, his tone knowing. “It kills you because you love Robbie.”
I nodded. “Is it because I want to protect him? What can I give him?”
Jamie, leaning against the wall, arms crossed,. “You can kill for him,” he said, his voice carrying a quiet menace.
Rio held a hand up. “What Jamie and me have is that big-brother-protector-a-little-bit-fucked-in-the-head vibe. What you have… well, jeez, that’s love.”
I shook my head. “It’s not fair to put this obsession on Robbie?—”
Rio snorted, “It sure looks like he loves you back. Fuck—look at the way we handle things. Jamie and I? We watch Robbie. We check out customers and look for threats while keeping our distance and letting him breathe. But you?” He pointed at me, eyes sharp. “You’re the one he needs in the middle of the night when the nightmares get too bad. You’re the one who tells him he’s stronger than he thinks. You’re the one who sits outside his door, waiting for him to feel safe enough to open it, but when he does, it’s because he’s choosing to, not because he needs you to fix him. And yeah, you’re the one he looks to when he needs reassurance, but he’s the one who keeps going, even when the world keeps trying to knock him down. He’s not just surviving, Enzo. He’s fighting every damn day.”
“Fuck,” that was all I could manage. Since when did Rio talk such a good game?
“And hell, you’re the one who makes him smile, laugh, and look all kinds of hopeful,” Rio added.
I shook my head again, but the words cut deep. “He needs all of us.”
Rio didn’t back down. “Yeah. But he leans on you, and you’re in love with each other. You don’t know it yet. Soulmates. Amiright, J?”
“Yep,” Jamie said.
Rio was on a roll. “He’s your guy, your person, your man, and you’re his.”
“Shit.”
I swallowed hard. “He depends on me. That’s all. He trusts me to keep him safe and ensure nothing happens to him.”
