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He's a mystery, a puzzle I can't help but want to solve. And maybe, just maybe, if I can reach the man beneath the monster...
I might just find a way out of this nightmare alive.
CHAPTER 3
ENZO
Ipace the length of the bedroom, my mind churning like a stormy sea. Every step, every breath, is a battle against the rising tide of frustration and confusion that threatens to pull me under.
Luca. The name echoes in my head, a siren's call I can't ignore. He's an enigma, a contradiction, a puzzle I can't solve. Soft and vulnerable one moment, bold and challenging the next. He looks at me with those wide, guileless eyes, seeing things I've tried to bury, unearthing secrets I've kept hidden for years.
I don't know what game he's playing, what angle he's working. No one is that kind, that compassionate, without an ulterior motive. Especially not to someone like me. I'm a killer, a monster, a man with blood on his hands and ice in his veins. I've done things, seen things, that would make even the hardest men blanch.
And yet...
When Luca looks at me, I don't see fear or revulsion. I see hope. Understanding. A flicker of something warm and bright, like the first ray of sunlight after an endless night. It's terrifying and exhilarating all at once, a rush of adrenaline straight to the heart.
I can't afford this weakness, this chink in my armor. In my world, vulnerability is a death sentence. I've spent years building walls, honing myself into a weapon, a tool of the Family. I can't let one man, one witness, tear it all down.
I have to regain control, remind Luca who's in charge here. I may not be able to kill him, but I can damn well make sure he knows his place. With a growl of frustration, I wrench open the door and stalk down the hallway, my steps measured and purposeful.
I find Luca in the kitchen, his back to me as he stands at the stove. The scent of bacon frying fills the air, mingling with the rich aroma of something baking in the oven. He's humming softly to himself, some half-forgotten tune that tugs at the edges of my memory.
For a moment, I just stand there, watching him. He moves with an easy grace, his slender body swaying to the rhythm of his own music. The morning sunlight slants through the window, gilding his hair with streaks of gold and copper. He looks like he belongs here, in this cozy little kitchen with its checkered curtains and battered pots and pans.
The thought sends a surge of anger through me, hot and bitter. He doesn't belong here, in this world of shadows and secrets. He's too bright, too pure, too goddamn good for the likes of me. I'll only corrupt him, taint him with the darkness that stains my soul.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I growl, my voice harsh and grating.
Luca startles, whirling around to face me. His eyes are wide, his lips parted in surprise. He's wearing one of my shirts, the fabric hanging loose on his smaller frame. The sight sends a jolt of possessive heat through me, fierce and primal.
"I...I was just making breakfast," he stammers, his cheeks flushing pink. "Bacon and some buttermilk biscuits. I thought you might be hungry."
I stalk towards him, my eyes narrowed to slits. "I didn't ask for breakfast," I snarl, crowding into his space. "I didn't ask for anything from you."
He swallows hard, his throat bobbing. But he doesn't back down, doesn't cower away from the menace in my voice. "I know," he says softly, his gaze meeting mine. "But I wanted to do something nice for you. To thank you for not...for keeping me safe."
I bark out a laugh, the sound harsh and bitter. "Safe? You think you're safe with me? I'm the farthest thing from safe, little mouse. I'm a predator, a killer, a man with more blood on his hands than you can imagine."
Luca's eyes soften, a glimmer of sadness flickering in their depths. "I know what you are, Enzo. I saw it in that alley, the darkness inside you. But I also see something else, something you try so hard to hide... mercy, compassion. Goodness."
I recoil as if he's slapped me, my heart clenching in my chest. "There's no goodness in me," I spit, my voice raw and ragged. "No light, no redemption. I'm damned, Luca. I've been damned since the day I was born into this fucked-up family."
Luca shakes his head, a small, stubborn smile curving his lips. "I don't believe that. I think there's more to you than just the killer, the mafia man. I think there's a part of you that wants something more, something better."
I stare at him, my breath coming in short, sharp pants. I want to argue, to tell him he's wrong, that he's seeing things that aren't there. But the words stick in my throat, choking me with their bitter truth.
Because the thing is...he's right. There is a part of me, buried deep down, that yearns for something more. A part that dreams of a different life, a different fate. A part that looks at Luca and sees a glimmer of hope, a chance at salvation.
But that part of me is weak, useless, a liability I can't afford. I've spent years burying it, smothering it beneath layers of ice and steel. I can't let Luca resurrect it, can't let him tear down the walls I've built brick by bloody brick.
"You don't know anything about me," I growl, my hands clenching into fists. "You don't know the things I've done, the choices I've had to make. If you did, you'd run screaming in the other direction."
Luca's gaze doesn't waver, his eyes bright and steady. "Then tell me," he says softly, his voice a gentle challenge. "Help me understand, Enzo. Let me see the man behind the monster."
I stare at him, my heart pounding in my chest. For a moment, I'm tempted. Tempted to spill my guts, to let the poison inside me pour out in a cathartic rush. But I can't. I won't. It's too dangerous, too risky. Luca is already under my skin, already closer than anyone's ever gotten. I can't give him more ammunition, more power over me.
Just as I open my mouth to shut him down, to push him away with cruel, cutting words, a sound shatters the tense silence. A sound I know all too well, a sound that sends ice water coursing through my veins.
