Page 14 of His Mafia Captor

"Don't do this," I plead, my voice cracking. "Don't push me away, Enzo. Not after everything we've been through, everything we've shared."

He stares down at me, his eyes bleak and haunted. "I'm sorry, Luca. But I have to. It's the only way."

He pulls away, his arm slipping from my grasp. I watch him go, my heart shattering in my chest. The door closes behind him with a soft click, the sound as final as a gunshot.

I sink to the floor, my legs giving out beneath me. Sobs wrack my body, hot tears streaming down my face. I feel like I'm breaking, like I'm being torn apart from the inside out.

How could he do this? How could he give me a taste of heaven, only to rip it away? How could he make me fall in love with him, knowing all along that it could never be?

Questions swirl in my mind, dark and bitter. I think of last night, of the tenderness in his touch, the devotion in his eyes. Was it all a lie? A cruel game, a way to manipulate me into submission?

No. I can't believe that, won't believe it. What we shared was real, true. I felt it in my bones, in the deepest parts of my soul. He loves me, as much as I love him.

But he's afraid. Afraid of the darkness inside him, the demons that haunt his every step. Afraid of what loving me could mean, the price we'd both have to pay.

I get it. I do. But that doesn't make it hurt any less, doesn't stop the agony ripping through my chest like wildfire.

I need to talk to someone, need to make sense of the chaos swirling inside me. With shaking hands, I pull out my phone, the one I took back from Enzo while he was out of it, but never dared to use. Then I scroll through my contacts until I find the one I'm looking for.

Marco. My best friend, my rock. The one person who's always been there for me, through thick and thin.

I hit the call button, my breath coming in ragged gasps. He picks up on the second ring, his voice warm and familiar.

"Luca? What's up, man?"

The sound of his voice breaks me, shatters the fragile hold I have on my composure. I burst into tears, great heaving sobs that shake my whole body.

"Marco," I choke out, my voice thick with tears. "I need you. I fucked up, I fucked up so bad."

There's a pause, heavy with concern. "What happened? Are you okay? Where are you?"

I take a shuddering breath, trying to get myself under control. "I'm fine. Physically, at least. But emotionally...God, Marco. I'm a fucking mess."

"Talk to me," he says, his voice gentle. "Tell me what's going on."

So I do. I pour out the whole sordid story, from the moment I witnessed the murder to the earth-shattering revelation of Enzo's true identity. I tell him about the attraction that's simmered between us from the start, the undeniable pull that's only grown stronger with every passing day.

I tell him about last night, about the way Enzo touched me, loved me, like I was the only thing that mattered in the world. I tell him about the morning after, the cold rejection, the brutal reality check.

By the time I'm finished, I'm drained, empty. Marco is silent on the other end of the line, his breathing soft and steady.

"Luca," he says finally, his voice heavy with sympathy. "I'm so sorry, man. That's...that's fucking rough."

I let out a watery laugh, scrubbing a hand over my face. "Yeah. Understatement of the century."

He sighs, the sound crackling over the line. "Look, I know you don't want to hear this. But maybe...maybe it's for the best. Loving a man like that, a mafia man...it's only going to end in heartbreak."

I flinch, his words hitting too close to home. "You don't know that. You don't know him, Marco. Not like I do."

"You're right, I don't. But I know his type, Luca. I've seen the destruction they leave in their wake, the lives they ruin without a second thought."

I shake my head, stubborn denial rising up inside me. "He's different. He's not like them, not really. There's good in him, Marco. I've seen it."

"Maybe there is. But it doesn't change what he is, what he's done. You can't save him, Luca. You can't fix him with the power of your love."

I close my eyes, hot tears leaking from beneath my lids. "I know. But I can't just give up on him, Marco. I can't walk away, not without a fight."

He's quiet for a long moment, the silence heavy with unspoken words. "Just...be careful, okay? Don't let him break you, Luca. Don't lose yourself in his darkness."

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