The admission falls from my lips, and Enzo glares at me, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
“Twice?” Papà questions. His tone has slid into an icy malice. “Explain.”
Enzo stares at me, and I can read his expression. I must undo the damage.
Looking over at him, I leave it as vague as possible. “Nothing to be concerned with Papà. It was a misunderstanding at best.” My gaze cuts back to Enzo. “Are you hurt elsewhere?”
“I couldn't care less about the state of my body. I’m more worried about what our family will do to send a clear message that we will not tolerate their bullshit.”
“And you don’t think a retaliation would add fuel to the fire?”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what it adds to the fire so long as they know who the fuck they’re messing with.”
Everything about the way Enzo is acting right now is pissing me off. He’s clearly reached his breaking point, but the way he’s lashing out at Papà and attempting to call for a retaliation that could land usallin hot water with the Paladino family is upsetting, to say the least.
“And what exactly do you propose, Lorenzo?” I retort. “I have yet to hear a solid plan. Just you whining about how you want to get back at them.”
“Whining? You think I’m… Alright.” The sarcasm is thick in his voice. “A solid plan. How about we stick it to them where it really hurts? Fuck Joseph. Fuck Maurizio. We send a message with a member of their family who they’dneverexpect for us to target.”
My blood turns to ice, my mind instantly conjuring an image of Vinnie asleep in my bed.
“Lorenzo,” Papà warns, his tone conveying that he also doesn’t like where this is headed.
With a smirk that makes my stomach turn to knots, Enzo crosses his arms over his chest and leans against my father’s desk. “They have a younger son—can’t remember his name. We could rough him up a little, send him back in just slightly worse shape than what I’m in now. Show them we won’t just stand here and take it. Eye for an eye, and all that.”
I expel a small breath of relief, but the feeling is gone the moment Enzo opens his mouth again.
“Orthere’s always Vinnie Paladino. She seems like she’d be an easy one for us to grab and?—”
I’m off the couch and lunging for my cousin faster than I can comprehend, losing all composure as I yell in his face. The monster in me aches to enclose my hands around his neck and squeeze the life out of him for the mere suggestion of hurting Vinnie. “You will not touch her, Lorenzo.”
My outburst sends an instant wave of silence over the room, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The air is tense, and for several seconds, no one speaks or moves, but Enzo cocks his head to the side, watching me closely.
Inside, a war rages. The urge to snap my cousin’s neck is so strong I’m not even sure I would feel remorse. But I have to get my emotions under control. My reaction is entirely too telling of my feelings for Vinnie, and although I’m confident I didn’t reveal my entire hand, I have no doubt that my cousin now has suspicion of the cards I hold.
“You will not touch her,” I repeat, calmer this time—my voice deadly flat as I shove my emotions into a box within my mind and lock it. “How could you even imply that you would harm a woman?”
His eyes narrow like he doesn’t quite believe my words. “Who said anything about harming her? Had you let me finish, you would have heard me suggest that we grab her and take her on a little joy ride to scare her father before returning her.”
“So kidnapping then? That’s your suggestion?”
“How can that even be a thought in your mind, Enz? Are you reallythatdesperate for revenge?” Guilio looks at Enzo like he’s a complete stranger.
And to be honest, right now he is. My best friend and closest family member is not the same man I’m seeing at this moment.
He’s let his monster out.
“I don’t even recognize you right now,” I mutter, shaking my head
My father clears his throat. “Lorenzo, perhaps it's best that you take a moment and collect yourself before your mother arrives for her birthday dinner. I’d hate for her to see you so vengeful. Sylvester, could you take him somewhere? Come back when the dust has settled?”
My father’s eyes cut to mine and I nod, standing so I can do as he’s asked. Coming to stand in front of Enzo, I place my hand on his shoulder. “Come.”
He shrugs me off, shoulder checking me as he moves past. “Don’t fucking touch me, Sly. I can see I’ll have to do this on my own. You know, my dad would be disappointed in all of you for letting the Paladinos run our lives after they murdered him in cold blood.”
He stomps from the office, grabbing onto the door as he passes through the threshold so he can slam it behind him.
My father exhales loudly, running both hands through his hair as he leans his elbows against his knees. “He’s right. His father would be disappointed. But not in us. He’d be disappointed inhim. For all his faults,Gabriele was a caring man. He wouldn’t have wanted this.”
