Lexie stiffened, but Enzo wasn’t finished trying to make his case.His grin widened as he mistook her silence for hesitation.“I’m offering you a chance to roll with the best, Lex.You come to this party with me, and people are gonna know you’re under my protection.No one’s gonna mess with you.”She clenched her jaw as he leaned closer, his breath foul against her cheek.“So what do you say, huh?Let me take care of you.Show you what it’s like to be with arealman.”
Lexie’s impatience boiled over, her voice icy with contempt.“I don’t need anyone to take care of me, but thank you for the offer.”She took a deliberate step back, meeting his gaze head-on.“I’mnotinterested, Enzo.End of conversation.”
Enzo’s grin faltered for the briefest moment before he masked it with a cocky chuckle.“You’ve got spirit, I’ll give you that,” he sneered, his tone smug as he straightened his jacket.“But don’t think you’re too good for me, sweetheart.I don’t want to have to pull out my secret weapon.”
Enzo smirked, his confidence oozing as he leaned back against her car again, crossing his arms over his too-thin chest, his posture a little too casual—too self-assured, as if he thought he’d won.
Furious, and a bit scared which she tried to hide, Lexie took a step closer, her chin lifting as she locked eyes with him.“Let me make something perfectly clear,” she began, her voice firm and unwavering.“I don’t care who you think you are.mafia soldier, tough guy, protector—it doesn’t matter to me.What I care about is decency, integrity, and respect.And you, Enzo, havenoneof those things.”
Enzo’s smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of annoyance.“Now, wait a second—”
“No,” Lexie interrupted sharply, her words crisp and final.“You wait.I tried to be polite, but you wouldn’t take no for an answer.”She huffed impatiently.“You come around here like you’re doing me some kind of favor, like I should be grateful for your attention.Well, let me save you the trouble.I’m not.You don’t intimidate me, and I don’t want or need anything from you—not protection, not parties, and certainly not your company.”
Her words landed like a slap, and for a moment, the smug mask slipped from Enzo’s face, replaced by something darker—anger, perhaps, or disbelief.But Lexie didn’t flinch.She stepped closer still, her eyes blazing.
“So, if you’re trying to impress me, you’ve failed miserably.And if you’re trying to scare me, you’ve failed there too.Now, if you’re smart—which I’m starting to doubt—you’ll leave me alone and find someone else to annoy.”
Enzo’s jaw worked as if he were chewing over a retort, but no words came.He settled for a sneer, his gold tooth glinting.“You’re making a mistake, Lexie,” he said, his tone low and vaguely threatening.
Lexie didn’t blink, still wanting to leave and dismiss this interaction from her mind.“The only mistake I’d be making is wasting another moment on you.”
For a tense moment, they stared at each other, the air between them taut and crackling.
The smirk dropped from his face, replaced by a scowl that darkened his already menacing features.“What?”he snarled, grabbing her arm.His fingers bit into her skin like claws, and she gasped involuntarily.“You only good enough for the head honcho now?”
His face was inches from hers, his breath reeking of stale coffee and bad oral hygiene.The rancid odor made her stomach churn, but Lexie kept her gaze steady, refusing to flinch.
“Let me go, Enzo,” she said, her tone sharp and cold.“Now.”
Enzo’s grip tightened, but a flicker of hesitation crossed his face, quickly masked by bravado.“But good ole Max isn’t here now, is he?”he sneered, leaning in closer as if proximity would intimidate her.“You no longer enjoy his protection!”He looked down at her, sneering when he didn’t get even a hint of cleavage from her dress.“As far as I can see, I’m free and clear to claim you!”
Lexie twisted her arm, forcing herself to stay calm despite the sting of his grip.“You’re right,” she agreed.“Max isn’t here.But I don’t need him for this.I can handle a second-rate thug like you all by myself.”
His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the façade cracked.She saw it—his uncertainty, the flash of insecurity behind the bluster.“Second-rate?”he spat, his tone rising defensively.“You got no idea who you’re talking to, sweetheart.I’m a soldier.”His chest puffed out again.“I’m the guy people call when they want things done.”
Lexie tilted her head, her lips curling into a faint, mocking smile.“Done?You mean botched?Please, Enzo.Everyone knows you’re a joke.The only thing you’ve ever been good at is running errands and scaring people who can’t fight back.”
His face darkened further, and he opened his mouth to retort, but she cut him off.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she continued.“You can puff out your chest and throw your little tantrums all you want, but at the end of the day, we both know the truth.You’re just a pathetic, insecure bully trying to play a game that’swayout of your league.”
For a moment, the only sound was the wind stirring the leaves.Enzo’s mouth worked silently, his bravado faltering under the weight of her words.
But then, something changed.A slow, sinister grin spread across his face, and his eyes gleamed with a triumph that sent a chill down her spine.
“Oh, I get it,” he said, his tone shifting to almost gleeful.“You think you’ve got me all figured out.But you don’t, sweetheart.”
Lexie’s stomach tightened as he reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone with deliberate slowness.
“I didn’t want to use this, but you’re not giving me any choice,” he said in that slimy tone that sent a tremor of warning through Lexie.He tapped on his phone.“I think you might want to rethink your answer to my invitation,” he replied, in a low, menacing whisper.
He paused, his thumb swiping across the screen as he held the phone up between them.“Maybe you should take a look at this,” he added, his grin widening.“I think you’ll find it… educational.”
The video began to play, the faint flicker of the screen casting a pale glow on Enzo’s face.Lexie’s gaze dropped reluctantly to the device, dread curling in her chest like a coiled snake.Whatever he was about to show her, she knew it wouldn’t be good.
“Maybe your students would like to seemoreof you,” Enzo taunted, his grin widening as he held the phone just out of reach.
Lexie’s heart plummeted, her breath catching in her throat as the video began to play.The malicious glint in Enzo’s eyes warned her it was going to be bad.
