“Who did this to you?”
“I told you I don’t know his name.” I can tell by the tone of her voice she is trying to keep herself together and calm. I don’t stop tracing the letter even as a shudder causes her body to tremble.
“You saw his face, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Heard his voice?”
“Yes. I will never forget it.”
“How long ago?” When she doesn’t answer me, I stand and pull away from her. She lowers her shirt and sits back in her chair.
“Tessa, how long ago did he do this?”
“What’s the difference. He’s going to pay for what he did and if I find out that he’s one of your men, so be it. I will kill all of you to get to him,” she growls. Her eyes are hungry, feral and ready. Something about that sets my cock on fire. I’ve never come across a girl like her before.
“Tessa, we need to talk.” She shakes her head and looks away from me. Grabbing her chin in my hand, I force her gaze back to mine. “Listen to me. I know who he is. I know who the man is that hurt you.” Tears begin to fill her eyes as I watch her. She starts to open her mouth but stops herself.
“Is he one of your men?” She asks, a tear falling down her cheek. I reach up and wipe it away with my thumb.
“No.”
“Is he here?”
“No. He’s a common enemy. It seems you and I are looking for the same man.”
Chapter Thirteen
Tessa
I’ve been here a damn week. A week of being in shackles because apparently I can’t be trusted. Enzo has been talking to me nonstop and I find I actually like his company. He isn’t much different than I am but the more I learn the more I hate his father. I’ve not met the man but I can assure you if I ever do I would put a bullet between his eyes. I’ve heard the stories from Preacher and Switch. Why Lorenzo thinks it’s smart for me to know these things is beyond me but he lets them tell it all anyway. It should bother me to a point that I don’t know the reasoning behind him doing this but it doesn’t. It feels like I’m one step closer to the truth and the man I’m looking for.
“What is taking so long?” I ask annoyed by all of this. I sit in the chair like a good shackled girl while they all talk and drink.
“What do you mean?” Enzo asks.
“The man you’re looking for. Why is it taking you so long to find him? You clearly have far more resources than I do,” I say making it sound snarky. I want to piss him off and push his buttons. I’ve seen it a few times and I like it.
“He’s a hard man to track, as you very well know. What you fail to realize is that he was once a Boss, much the same as I am.” The gasp that leaves my throat could be heard by the whole room. They all look my way, Enzo’s eyes burning with fire, Preacher chuckles and Switch and Hugo’s silent glares. The four of them in the same room is unnerving. There’s too much testosterone in here.
“You’re lying.”
“I wish I was. He played his cards close to his chest and disappeared.”
“How long ago?” Enzo smiles at me and shakes his head. I already know he isn’t going to tell me since I didn’t tell him when he asked.
“That isn’t up for discussion.” I swallow hard and open my mouth, saying things I haven’t said in years.
“He came into our house, the one I shared with my family. He stormed in with men and took us. I was afraid for them,” I say softly.
“Not for yourself?” Preacher asks. I shake my head.
“I never really cared about myself in that way. As long as my family was safe that’s all that mattered to me.”
“What happened? Where did they take you?” Switch asks this time. I swallow the lump in my throat.
“There were cells. We were thrown into one. There was a man next to us, Tino. They never spoke to us aside from a few and they were all Americans.”
“He isn’t American,” Enzo adds as I nod.
“Which makes no sense, right? Why use someone that’s disposable?” Enzo nods and waits for me to continue. “They asked us so many questions, mostly to my mom but when she didn’t give them what they wanted they went after her. After that it was me. I wouldn’t comply with their wants.” Tears slowly begin to trail down my cheeks as the memory of what happened to me hits hard. I look down and close my eyes trying to make them stop but they rush me all at once.
“Everyone out!” I hear Enzo snap. I don’t look up, not until the shackles fall free. He moves to my ankles and does the same to them before pulling me up. He wraps his jacket around my body and as I look up at him I see compassion in his eyes. That isn’t something I thought I’d see in a mafia boss.
“I don’t want to force you but I’d like to hear the story,” he says. I nod as he leads me across the room to a couch where we both sit.
“He beat Tino, asked him who his real father was. Tino has no idea. He left him for dead on the side of the road. Ania, he had his men burn her eyes out. They hit her so many times that she no longer knows we’re there,” I sob as the thought of my sister laying there tugs at my heart. I don’t care what my mother and Tino says, she’s there. I know she is. Enzo wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his warmth.
“My God, Tessa. What did he do to you?” My body trembles as the memories assault me. I hate that they can still bring me down and make me weak. I hate that everything is weighing on me right now.
“Everything,” I whisper. Enzo’s lips rest on my shoulder near my ear. I can feel his breath as it dances over my skin. Tingles race through my body and when I turn my head to look at him, he moves. His lips caress mine as he kisses me gently. I’ve never had this feeling before, the want, the need. I kiss him back, letting my hands wrap around his neck. When he breaks away, I’m a panting mess.
“I won’t let him near you, Tessa.” I almost laugh. I’m nothing to him. Not a damn thing. He’s known me a week.
“Don’t say such stupid things, Enzo.” His hand knots in my hair pulling my head back as my lips part.
“Don’t tell me what to say. If I say he isn’t coming near you, I mean it.”
“You can’t keep me here forever. I will get out of here and find him. I will do what I set out to do,” I remind him. His hand tightens more and the pain is welcomed. My lips part further as he leans in ready to kiss me again.
“Boss! We have a situation,” Hugo calls out as he storms into the room. Enzo doesn’t release me, just stares into my eyes, a silent plea for me to understand.
“What is it?”
“There’s a man shooting through the front gate,” he says.
“So, shoot him.” Standing from the couch, Enzo pulls me up with him. It’s not until Hugo’s next words do I take off running.
“He’s yelling for her.” The words had barely left his lips when I took off out of the room. I’m down the hall and the stairs when Switch grabs ahold of me.
“Let me go!” I scream as I kick at him. He’s stronger than I am but I still fight.