my drink and traipsed to the door, my heart doing another leap when I found Luca standing there.
“You’re okay,” he breathed, “thank fuck.”
“L-Luca.” I blinked. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard a commotion out in the hall and saw all the blood… what the hell—”
“You must be Luca.”
Every cell in my body fired to life as Enzo stepped up behind me.
“Let me guess, you’re the guy.” Luca’s gaze dropped to mine, a hundred questions there.
“Now is not a good time,” I said, forcing my lips into a thin smile.
“Seriously?” Luca dropped his voice an octave. “You’re going to do this after what happened last night?”
Enzo bristled behind me and I let out an exasperated breath. “You should go,” I said firmly. “I’m okay, I promise. I’ll explain everything tomorrow.”
Luca’s eyes narrowed, hurt flashing there. He lifted his dejected gaze to Enzo and electricity crackled between them.
“Luca, please…” I pulled at his arm. “I need you to go.”
“Fine. But I’m right across the hall if you need me.”
“I know, thank you,” I mouthed, trying to silently convey that everything was okay.
But it wasn’t.
I was literally stuck between the two men in my life.
Luca backed up slowly, reluctance etched into his expression. Running a brisk hand over his face, he spun on his heel and disappeared into his apartment. I closed the door with a soft sigh, turning to meet Enzo’s hard glare.
“You fuck him?”
“You care?”
He made a clucking sound, pressing his lips into a thin line.
“You want a fight?” I let out a resigned sigh. “You won’t find one here, not tonight.” Barging past him, I went back to the couch and sat down.
Being around Enzo was always intense. He was like the sun, pulling everything else into its orbit. Except he wasn’t the sun, not in the way most of us imagined the sun as a warm, inviting thing that made everything seem better.
He was something much worse.
Fiery, hot destruction.
Enzo grabbed his mug of hot chocolate and joined me, choosing the chair instead of the couch. I tried not to overanalyze why.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?” I asked.
“You know I can’t. But for what it’s worth, I am sorry I brought this to your door.”
“So why did you?” I tucked my feet up onto the couch, noticing Enzo’s dark eyes follow the line of my legs. A faint smirk traced his lips when I pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered myself.
“The truth?”
I nodded, my heart crashing wildly beneath my rib cage.
“I didn’t even think. After I…” He inhaled a sharp breath. “I got in my car and just drove and ended up here. I know I shouldn’t have come… fuck.” His fist collided with the arm of my chair and I was relieved it was fabric and not wood.
“Antonio will be here soon.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry, Gattina.”
My breath caught at the pet name. He’d used it as an insult before, but this was different.
“So Luca… he seems nice.” His expression darkened even more at the mention of my neighbor.
“He’s a good guy.”
“Is he treating you right?”
“We’re not together, Enzo…”
“But you want to… be with him?”
No, you stubborn asshole, I want to be with you. I silenced the thoughts. If I pushed, Enzo would run. And he was here, talking to me for the first time in what felt like forever.
“It’s not that simple.”
“No,” he let out a soft sigh, “I guess it isn’t.” Enzo sank into the chair, dropping his head back and closing his eyes. He was crashing. Whatever had happened tonight, the adrenaline was fizzling out.
I sat there, watching him. The clothes Maurice had brought over were dark gray sweats and a t-shirt that fit Enzo’s big muscled framed like a second skin. It was rare to see him out of his jeans and black sweaters or shirts, but I wasn’t complaining. Enzo could make a burlap sack look hot. He oozed sex appeal. From his electric blue eyes to the tattoos snaking up his arms and around his broad shoulders.
I wanted so badly to go to him, to trace the angles of his jaw with my fingertips and take some of his pain for my own. But a loud knock at the door demanded my attention.
Enzo bolted upright and I smiled. “It’s probably your uncle.”
“Shit, yeah.” He ran a hand through his damp hair.
“I’ll get it and then give the two of you some space.”
“Thanks.”
I got up and went to the door, inhaling a calming breath before