“I know,” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I know all that. I do. But…”
“For fuck’s sake, there’s a ‘but’,” Alessio grumbled, rolling his eyes. “He’s already got under your skin. This is what he does to you, Finn. You’re the strongest person I know until he’s in the room.”
“Are you saying he makes me weak?”
“I’m saying he makes you stupid.”
I smirked. “Doesn’t love make us all a little stupid? I mean, you’re one to talk. You fell for the only woman you weren’t supposed to and started a war for her. Then you killed the American Don because he threatened her, starting another war. That was stupid.”
“Not the same thing,” he argued, but his light eyes danced with amusement. “Look, I’m just trying to watch out for you, but you can make your own decisions, Finn. I’ll just send you to Elle when it all goes to shit again, because I’ll be busy beating his ass.”
I chuckled, then sighed. “I don’t know what the hell to do, man. I still love him. So fucking much. He’s the love of my damn life, but what we had before was toxic, and I won’t go back to that. I can’t, for my own sake and Neri’s. But he does seem to have changed, don’t you think?”
Alessio looked at me, rubbing his jaw as he mulled it over. “You really want to know what I think?”
Alessio’s opinion mattered to me more than anyone else’s. “Probably not, but I need to hear it.”
“I can see he still loves you. I can. And I can see how much he’s matured. He’s a clever businessman, our most successful arms dealer and sniper. When he’s not around you, I actually toleratethe man. He’s clearly trying to prove himself to you with all this redemption shit, but that’s what bothers me. He’s arrogant. He knows how much he affects you. He’s finally owned his truth. But... I still don’t trust him not to hurt you again. Coming out and then actually showing the world who you love are two very different things. He’ll have a world of opportunities open to him. Will he be able to stay faithful? And even if he’s open to a public relationship with you now, how on earth does that work? He’s in the North and you’re in the South. He’s a Boss and you’re a consigliere. You have a daughter. What’s the long-term plan here?”
I groaned, rising from my chair. “Cristo, Alessio. I’m only considering hearing him out. I can’t look that far ahead right now. Anyway, I can’t focus on any of this until we’ve dealt with the Americans. My personal existential crisis will have to wait.”
“I don’t feel comfortable with you going without me, and with him, for that matter. You need to make sure they don’t realise you two mean anything to each other, or they’ll use it against you.”
“I know. They won’t. I’ll be professional.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about.”
“He won’t do anything that will risk this deal or our lives.”
Alessio stood up and grabbed my shoulder. “Fine. It’s only because I trust you that I’m letting this happen. You know that, right?”
“I know.” I pulled him in for a quick hug. “Love you, Brother. Now, let me go clean up your mess.”
“Dickhead,” Alessio chuckled. “Send Enzo in, will you? I think he and I need a quick one-to-one chat before you leave.”
I narrowed my eyes at him as he rounded his desk and sat behind it with an air of feigned innocence. “Alessio,” I warned.
“What? I just want to find out what his intentions are toward my best friend. I’m not going to threaten the man.”
“You will.”
He smirked at me. “Only a little.”
Chapter fifteen
The Past
Idrummed my fingers against the glass table, staring out of the full-length window of Enzo’s second home, which overlooked the city of Verona. It was pitch-black outside, a sign of how long I’d been waiting. My phone lay face down beside me, a deliberate attempt to stop me from sending another text to find out where he was. He’d call eventually. Or text back. Unless something had happened. Shit. I picked up my phone and opened my messages again. He’d left me on read. But what did that mean? He’d seen them and not responded because he was busy or because he was in trouble.
I called him again. My gut twisted, and my panic rose with every ring until that all too familiar voicemail greeted me. I slammed the phone down and folded my arms across my chest,staring at the plated meals I had spent hours preparing. Might as well give them to the stray dogs outside my building later. Leaning forward, I blew out the candles and carried the plates to the kitchen. I dropped them on the surface with a clatter, then pressed my hands against it as I hung my head. I’m sure he was fine. He probably just lost track of time or something came up. He’d come as soon as he could.
Flashbacks of Enzo turning up here, shaken last week after an assassin had nearly taken him out as he left his estate, sent me spiralling again. I was still trying to find that fucker, but we were pretty sure it was a sniper from the Leone family. Enzo was lucky to be alive, and he’d been skittish ever since. He’d even started wearing a bulletproof vest under his shirts and making one of his soldiers, who resembled him, dress identically wherever he went.
The sound of keys rustling outside, then the lock turning, made me stand straight, my eyes glued to the door. Enzo walked in, his blue eyes scanning the space until they found me. He gave me a lopsided smile that looked a little too relaxed. I stormed towards him.
“Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick!”
“Aw,” he chuckled, letting the door shut behind him and leaning against it. “You’ve been worried about me?”
