My heart stops. He wants to do this himself. Why won’t he let Langston help him?
“Fine,” Enzo says, not waiting for them to attack. He fires his gun rapidly, and men start dropping.
Bullets fly all around me, and Liesel jerks my arm as we dive under a table. Langston runs to our side, using his body to shield us. He pulls his gun but doesn’t fire it. Just using it to protect us.
“Fire your gun,” I yell at Langston.
“Enzo would kick my ass for interfering in his fight. He has this. He’s fought more men than this by himself before. His father trained him well,” Langston says.
“Still, he doesn’t need to risk his life like this. He doesn’t need to be such a show-off,” I say.
Langston stills, staring down at me. “You change your mind about your feelings?”
“No.”
“Good.”
I hide behind Langston’s shoulder, not afraid of the bullets for myself but for my child. But needing to know Enzo is still standing. A few stray shards hit him, but he doesn’t seem fazed. The men that survived the initial string of bullets move closer and begin hand to hand combat.
One grabs Enzo’s neck from behind as two others punch from the front, and yet two more try to grab Enzo’s arms.
I’m going to be sick.
My stomach burns with acid and anxiety. This can’t be happening. Enzo can’t fight off this many men.
“Trust him. He does this for a living. I’ve seen him do this countless times. He’s the best fighter I’ve ever seen. Brave to a fault. He never lets anyone else risk their life for him. He won’t let me or anyone else he cares about. And he won’t die.”
I watch in horror as three men hold him while two start their ring of punches.
“He can’t get out of that,” I whisper, doubting him.
Langston shakes his head. “Just watch.”
Sure enough, Langston is right. Enzo swings his legs up, kicking both men punching him back hard to the ground, he head butts the guy clinging to his neck and then twists his arms free of the other two before clunking their heads together.
He fires his gun twice before punching several more. His moves are fluid like an orchestrated dance he’s done thousands of times.
I feel him again for the first time since I got on this yacht. His heart rate is slow and steady. Blood pumps warm through his body but not so hot that it makes him unable to move. The adrenaline is just enough to keep him fighting.
I no longer doubt he can win, but I still don’t like it. Enzo shouldn’t have to risk his life.
He takes down all five men that attacked him at once, and it seems like the fight is almost over.
Liesel says something, but I don’t hear it.
Langston turns to say something to her, his grip on his gun loosened.
Phin is all that is left. Enzo pants heavily holding his own gun limp in his hand, his back to Phin. I know he’s waiting for him to fire and then Enzo will fire back.
But I’m pissed.
This shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Every drop of blood Enzo spilled is because of Phin. And I won’t let anyone else hurt my man. Not one drop of blood.
Never again.
I may not be able to love Enzo. I may not be able to put him first in my life. But right now I can do something to protect him.
I grab Langston’s gun from his hand and then quickly fire at Phin. He drops instantly to the ground.