Page 52 of Power & Punishment

A cold sweat sweeps down my back.

“One more thing, Enzo. You need to teach your men some manners. Get rid of Lorenzo or I will,” Leo growls.

My mouth goes dry waiting for Enzo’s retort, but instead he sneers in delight, giving a nod to one of the many men standing nearby.

Without another word, Leo and I make our way toward the exit for the final time. Questions assault my mind, eager to know what his request was all about.

That is until I spot the man from earlier being dragged toward a back hallway with his heels making skid marks across the hardwood floor. The terror on his face tells me this isn’t a warning.

No one reacts.

Not even Leo, who continues to drag me toward safety.

Or whatever convoluted version of safety this man has to offer.

Either way, I’m grateful Leo DeLuca showed up—which is a thought that I hope never crosses my mind again.

16

LEO

That did not go well.

But what did I expect?

After my meeting with Dante, I was pissed off that Mia was nowhere to be found.

I gave her space, and she bolted. It was like training a really impulsive dog that ran for the hills as soon as its leash got taken off.

But thanks to the tracking device I slipped in her pocket while she was in my lap, it was easy to find her. And of course, that little red dot had to be at the worst possible location. But again, what did I expect? I was the one who told her that’s where Vince was killed. However, I was hoping she’d be smart enough to investigate the area when there were less people there.

I hold Mia firmly against me as we move toward the exit. I can feel her attention shift to the commotion behind us, but I don’t bother looking.

No one touches what’s mine and gets away with it.

No one.

When the cold, evening air hits me, I’m relieved at first. And then I see Michael’s looming presence walk out of the alley like the fucking shadow king.

Mia goes stiff and digs her heels into the ground. I pull her arm, forcing her to keep moving.

“We don’t have time for dramatic reunions, Emilia. We’re still being watched,” I explain, gesturing over my shoulder to the bouncers who look like they couldn’t care less about us, but I know better. They’ll report every tiny detail back to their boss, and I can’t risk any more fuck ups tonight.

My eyes cling to her throat as the muscles there constrict and she slowly nods, finding herself following me toward my car parked in front of the club.

I can’t say I hate this submissive version of the stubborn woman I’ve become so infatuated with, but I yearn for her fire. I’d rather let her slice me open with that sharp tongue of hers than float in a shallow puddle of subservience.

Michael follows as we slip into the town car. I can feel Mia’s skin crawl and her eyes smolder with rage.

“You fucking traitor,” she snips at him, flipping a switch as soon as the car door clicks into place.

“I’m not a traitor,” Michael replies, not an ounce of regret lining his voice. “I was doing my job. Besides, I don’t owe your family anything.”

Her dark brown eyes thin into two little slits as she mulls over his words. “We were friends—practically family. We never spent a holiday apart.”

“I think you’re forgetting a key detail,” he says, more talkative than usual. The man is usually an ambiguous cloud of nothing. He rarely shares any personal details or offers any insight into who he was before he started working for me. “Your family dropped mine as soon as they started working for the Carusos.”

Mia’s forehead wrinkles as her lips clamp shut. “I—I didn’t know. I⁠—”