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I stand there for a long moment, just watching him breathe. In the stillness of the night, with the weight of all that's happened heavy on my shoulders, I can't deny the truth any longer.
I care about him. More than I should, more than is wise. This man, this criminal, this killer...he's gotten under my skin. Into my heart.
It's crazy. It's dangerous. It goes against everything I've ever believed, every code I've ever lived by. But I can't help it. I'm falling for him, hard and fast and completely.
Slowly, hardly daring to breathe, I lean down. I brush my lips over his, a ghost of a touch. His skin is warm, his breath soft against my mouth.
"I'm here," I whisper, my lips moving against his. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
I straighten up, my heart pounding. Enzo doesn't stir, his breathing deep and even. But I feel like something has shifted, some fundamental truth clicking into place.
I climb back into the chair, curling my knees to my chest. I watch Enzo sleep, my mind whirling with thoughts and feelings too big to name.
I don't know what tomorrow will bring. Don't know what dangers lurk beyond the walls of this safe house, what enemies plot in the shadows.
But I do know one thing. No matter what happens, no matter what threats we face...I'll be by Enzo's side.
CHAPTER 5
ENZO
Idrift in and out of consciousness, my mind a haze of pain and confusion. Fragments of memory flash behind my eyelids - gunshots, blood, Luca's terrified face. I try to piece them together, to make sense of what happened, but it's like trying to hold water in my hands.
The only constant is Luca. His gentle hands, his soothing voice. He's always there when I surface from the darkness, his presence a balm to my battered soul. He tends to my wounds with a tenderness I've never known, his touch soft and reverent.
I don't understand it. Don't understand him. Why he stayed, why he's helping me. I'm not a good man, not someone who deserves his kindness. I've done things, terrible things, in the name of family and honor. My hands are stained with blood, my soul heavy with the weight of my sins.
But Luca...he looks at me like I'm something more. Something better. Like he sees past the killer, past the mafia prince, to the broken man beneath. It terrifies me, even as it draws me in like a moth to a flame.
Days pass, the hours blurring together in a haze of pain and healing. Slowly, inch by hard-fought inch, I come back to myself. The fog in my mind clears, the agony in my body fades to a dull ache.
And through it all, Luca is there. Tending to me, talking to me, pulling me back from the brink with his steady presence and unwavering faith. I find myself watching him when he's not looking, studying the play of emotions on his expressive face.
He's beautiful. Not in the classic sense, but in a way that's wholly unique to him. His eyes, so green and guileless. His smile, warm and bright as the sun. The way he moves, with a grace that belies his strength.
I catch myself wondering what it would be like to touch him. To feel his skin beneath my fingers, to taste his lips. It's a dangerous thought, a weakness I can't afford. But I can't seem to shake it, can't banish the longing that coils in my gut.
One evening, as the sun sinks below the horizon and the shadows lengthen, Luca helps me out of bed for the first time since the shooting. I'm weak, my legs unsteady, but he's there to catch me when I stumble.
His arms wrap around my waist, his body solid and warm against mine. I inhale sharply, my senses flooded with the scent of him. Soap and clean sweat and something uniquely Luca, earthy and sweet.
"Easy," he murmurs, his breath hot against my ear. "I've got you."
I shudder, my nerve endings lighting up like a switchboard. It's too much, too close. I'm raw and vulnerable, my defenses stripped away by pain and exhaustion. I can't hide from him, can't pretend I don't feel the way my heart races at his touch.
"Luca," I rasp, my voice rough with disuse and emotion. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"
He pulls back slightly, his gaze finding mine. His eyes are soft, luminous in the fading light. "Because...because I care about you, Enzo. Because I see the man beneath the mask, the good in you that you try so hard to hide."
I flinch, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "There is no good in me, Luca. I'm a monster, a killer. I've done things that would make your blood run cold."
Luca shakes his head, his grip on me tightening. "I don't believe that. I think there's more to you than just the mafia, than just violence and death. I think there's a part of you that wants something different, something better."
His words pierce me like a blade, slicing through the armor I've built around my heart. I want to deny it, to push him away with cruel words and colder deeds. But I can't. Not when he's looking at me like that, with such open adoration and fierce belief.
"You don't know what you're talking about," I whisper, my voice cracking. "You don't know the things I've done, the blood on my hands."
Luca's hand comes up to cup my jaw, his thumb brushing over my cheek. "Then tell me. Help me understand, Enzo. Let me in."
