I met her gaze. No deflection. No performance. “I’m the CEO, so to speak. I oversee multiple businesses and brokerdeals. Keep the peace. Do whatever’s necessary to make the organization thrive.”
She nodded. “Do you like it?”
“I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that before.” For that reason, I gave the question careful consideration. “I don’tdislikeit, but it’s not what I had in mind for my future. It’s not what my father wanted either.” I paused, thinking of the parts of the job I had to learn in real time. “It’s mostly the same elements as the business world with a bit more brutality. And a slight bit more illegality.”
She laughed softly as she sipped her wine.
“Are you disappointed in me, Ren?” It mattered to me what she thought, even all these years later. I couldn’t stop the question, so I braced myself and prepared for her answer.
She sighed thoughtfully before she looked up at me, studying my face with a soft expression. “I’m not disappointedinyou, Enzo. I am disappointed for you. It’s not what I would’ve chosen for you,” she answered gently. “But I do think it’s admirable that you stepped up to protect your family and your employees.”
I blinked. “Employees?”
She nodded, her shoulders shrugging. “If you are the CEO, then they are your employees. They depend on you, and you considered them when you made your decision. That matters, Enzo.”
My heart squeezed tight in my chest, that feeling so powerful it stole my breath. Hope swelled, wild and foolish and carefree, and I knew it wasn’t going away anytime soon. It was here to stay.
And for the first time since I crashed back into Ren’s life, I believed that maybe there was still a chance for us.
Chapter 11
Serenity
The next week blurred into itself with days filled with keeping Mattie caught up on his schoolwork, teaching him new things, and making sure he didn’t feel isolated even though we were quite literally isolated. Between meals and playtime, and security checks that happened just out of sight, Mattie adapted faster than I expected. It kind of broke my heart the way he so easily adapted without any pushback. What had his life been like before this move for him to go with it this way?
I wondered if Enzo had grown up the same way, knowing danger constantly lurked all around him but never knowing why. Kids were like that, flexible and present, able to get lost in make-believe when reality pressed too hard.
The longer we stayed inside the house or stuck close to the property, the more Mattie and I found fun making a cardboard box into a spaceship, sword fighting with found tree limbs, and turning the backyard into an alien planet. It was fun, even for me. Perhaps more so because I understood the danger very well.
He wasn’t just resilient; Mattie was also bright and charming. He was so curious, so earnest in his quest for knowledge. And unlike a lot of boys his age, he had noproblems asking questions about anything he didn’t understand. Sometimes I caught myself watching him when he was busy doing something else, my chest tightening with thatlongingI’d given up on ages ago. It surprised me.
I’d buried that ache years ago, back when Enzo’s desertion made me question whether or not I was worthy of love. I spent years trying to survive that heartache, and when I did, I told myself love wasn’t worth the risk, which meant having a family was risky as hell. It felt too risky and too foolish to even try.
But every single smile from Mattie warmed me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I often warned my girls about the importance of keeping some distance between them and their charges. Getting attached was inevitable, but maintaining a solid boundary could make it hurt less. That’s what I told them, yet here I was, feeling that wall crumble around me.
And in those quieter moments, I understood that instinct to protect better than ever. He wasn’t mine to protect, but now I understood Enzo, which only made me admire him more for doing what needed to be done, all just to keep Mattie safe.
Those feelings were damned inconvenient.
And dangerous.
“And what are we doing here?” Enzo’s deep voice was tinged with amusement as it sliced through my thoughts. His tone was low and curious, and when I looked up, I regretted it instantly because he looked too damn good in his soft cotton t-shirt that hugged his biceps and sometimes pressed against the ridges of his abs. His hair was slightly tousled, which told me his day wasn’t going as well as he hoped. God, he looked so much like the man who’d show up at my apartment with a crooked smile and a paper bag full of groceries.The one who walked away.
I wasn’t sure if I preferred the expensive suits that at least served as a reminder that he wasn’t mine anymore or the jeansthat hugged his thighs, hung low on his hips, and made me want to reach out and see if they were as soft as they looked.
It was unfair, and I tore my gaze away just as Mattie launched into a detailed explanation of what we were doing. With his little hands holding his chin, he grinned. “I said I don’t like apples,” he said seriously. “But she said Icouldn’t possibly dislike all apples, so now we’re taste-testing them.” He stumbled over the last few words, flashing a proud smile when he got it right. Mostly.
“Interesting,” Enzo responded, his arms folded, his smile holding back a grin.
Mattie nodded his agreement as he gestured proudly to the kitchen island where eight small plates were lined up in a neat row, each plate containing four apple wedges. “Want to test them with us? This is a fun test, and there’s no way to fail.” His gaze flicked to me first for confirmation, and when I nodded, his smile brightened and his eyes turned expectantly back to Enzo.
“May I?” Those two words left Enzo’s mouth in a deep and rich honeyed tone that would’ve made me roll my eyesifit had been anyone else.
“They are your apples,” I replied, keeping my gaze fixed on the apple lineup instead of his too-handsome face.
Of course, he took the seat right beside me.
The chair scraped softly against the floor, and his arm brushed mine gently and accidentally. My body reacted before my mind could catch up. My muscles tensed and my breath hitched as I pushed to my feet quicker than I’d ever done before. “Who wants something to drink?” I asked, too quickly. My chest heaved, but I smiled harder as if that could make my behavior seem normal.
