“It could be important,” I said, fumbling over my head to try and find it. “It’s Nora. Hey...”
Her sobs filled the line. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“He kicked me out.”
“What do you mean he—”
“I went over there to see if he was okay and he kicked me out. Said he couldn’t deal with me right now…” She hiccupped.
“Nora, he’s… it’s complicated.”
“Secret mafia stuff. Yeah, I know. But he was so… cruel, Ari. You didn’t see the way he…” Her voice trailed off.
“Why don’t you come over to the apartment and we’ll figure things out,” I suggested.
“No, I’m okay. You told me not to get involved with him, and I didn’t listen. But he was different… he was… Do you think I’m stupid?”
“No, I don’t think you're stupid. He was changing.” We’d all seen it. Enzo cared about Nora. After the warehouse, it was like a switch had been flipped. But Enzo was in a dark place after finding out the truth about his father.
“I’m going to give him some space but then I’m going back over there.”
“I’m not sure that is a good idea, Nor.”
“He needs me, Ari. I know he does.”
“Just be careful, okay?”
“I’m sorry for disturbing you.”
“Don’t be silly, you can always call me, always.” I hung up and turned to Nicco.
“Let me guess, Enzo broke her heart?”
I pressed my lips together and he sat up. “Shit, Enzo did something? I was only joking.” He brushed the hair from my face. “What did she say?”
“She went over to his place to check on him and he kicked her out.”
“He’s not in a good place right now.”
“I know that, and you know that, but she doesn’t.” And we couldn’t tell her. “I know he’s hurting…” I said. It didn’t justify Enzo’s behavior, but Nora didn’t know everything. “Maybe we should have told her the truth.”
“It’s not our story to tell.” Nicco kissed my shoulder.
“I know but I don’t like the idea of them both hurting when they were just getting to a good place.”
“You can’t fix everyone, Bambolina. Sometimes people have to find their own way.”
“You’re right.” I dropped my head to his. “And look at us, we managed to figure it out despite the odds.”
“We did.” Nicco’s lips lingered on mine. “And I’ll be forever thankful you stumbled into my life that night.”
Our love was fated.
Written in the stars.
A love so powerful and consuming it should have burned us both into nothing but ash. But we’d defied the odds.
We’d survived to tell the tale.
And all that was left now, was to live our happily-ever-after.
Nora
I wanted to heed Ari’s words, I did. But I couldn’t just sit in the apartment all day, festering on Enzo’s cruel words as he’d all but kicked me out of his place.
“You’re nothing to me,” he’d gritted out when I’d tried to comfort him.
I knew something bad had happened.
I knew it related to Enzo and Dominion. But no one would tell me. Not even Ari.
It stung.
Over the last few weeks, I’d felt like one of them. Part of the inner circle. But when it came down to it, I wasn’t.
Enzo had proved that this morning.
Just when he was finally opening up to me.
After the incident with Scott—and I called it an incident because calling it anything else still paralyzed me with fear—Enzo had been different. Maybe even before then.
We’d had such an amazing night together at the wedding, the sex had been rough and dirty, but the way he worshipped me was beyond my wildest dreams. And then he went and ruined everything.
I shook the thoughts from my head. I wouldn’t go there. Not now. Not ever. Scott was gone. Arianne had killed him with her own hand.
“Maurice,” I yelled. Despite Scott being gone and the threat of retaliation negligible thanks to Mike Fascini being behind bars, Nicco and Ari had insisted my bodyguard stay with me, for now.
“Yes, Miss Abato?” He rushed into the room, scanning for any sign of danger.
“I’m going out.”
“Out? But I thought—” He eyed the pile of candy on the kitchen counter. After leaving Enzo’s apartment, I may have gone a little overboard and purchased my body weight in sugar.
But screw that. I wasn’t going to sit here wallowing.
I was going to fight.
I knew Enzo was hurting. I knew it had something to do with whatever had happened. If only he’d open up and let me in,