I sigh. There’s no getting out of this now. “Matteo. He…”
“He what?”
“He tried to rape me,” I whisper.
“What?”
“I’m sure you don’t believe me. But I went to Central Park and was in a woodsy area. No one else was around but he found me there and he… he tried…”
“But he didn’t succeed?”
I flinch. “No. I managed to get away but I can still feel his hands on me. I didn’t want it, Enzo. You have to believe me. I’m not someone who wanted his touch.” I close my eyes, waiting for him to scold me. To tell me that I must have asked for it.
But what he says next shocks me. “I believe you.”
My eyes snap open. “What? You do?”
“Judging by your reaction to my touch today, you’re scared. And I saw you yesterday. You looked terrified.”
“But I’m a good liar. I could be lying.”
“Are you lying?”
“No,” I mumble.
“Then I believe you. I know you lied about not being a virgin but this is different. I saw the way Matteo looked at you. I’m an observant man. And I saw the way you looked at him. You’re afraid of him. He hurt you.”
“He didn’t rape me though.”
“Doesn’t matter. He still touched what isn’t his. I’m going to make him pay for this.”
“But he’s your friend. You’d go to war with your friend over me?”
“Matteo is just a business partner. You’re my wife. So yes. I’m going to make him fucking pay.”
Seeing the passion on Enzo’s face spreads a warm heat through me. Enzo cares for me for some reason. He’s willing to fight for me.
It makes me stand up, grab his face, and kiss him. He deepens the kiss but doesn’t touch me further.
“What was that for?” he asks when I pull back.
“For fighting for me. My dad and brother didn’t fight for me when I was forced to marry you. But you’re going to fight for me.”
“I’m not going to let that fucker get his hands on you. No way. Now, I need to get you back home where you’ll be safe. Then I’m going to deal with Matteo.”
“What’s going to happen?”
“I’m going to kill him,” he says simply. For once, a shiver doesn’t run down my body at the thought of Enzo’s violence. Instead, a shiver of happiness does.
I’m not sure what that says about me but I’m not going to be afraid of it.
Enzo
I’ll need help in taking Matteo down. He tried to rape my wife and that cannot stand.
I know two other men who will be just as angry about it as I am.
I show up at Gregor’s house, where he invites me in. “Enzo. I can’t say it’s nice to see you but I have no choice with you being married to my daughter.”
