I'm not his responsibility, which means I am more of a hinderance than anything else. Now that he's got my father's seat, the last thing he wants is his niece running around the house. When I hear the lock of the front door click, my heart rate spikes, and I'm pushing to my feet and rushing to the door before I know what I'm going to say.
But when I hear more than one set of footsteps, my heart plummets to my stomach. When I reach the living room, I find Enzo and Mario drenched in crimson. Both men have white shirts on that are now the color of red wine.
"What happened?" A gasp falls free from my mouth before I have time to think. Fear skitters down my spine like ice water freezing me in my advance.
Enzo glances at me from over his shoulder, his eyes manic with anger. "Go to your bedroom," he orders in a gruff tone, but I'm done being shoved around by men in my life.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the fuck happened," I grit, crossing my arms in front of my chest as frustration takes a hold of me.
Ever so slowly, Enzo turns on his heel and rounds the sofa. He reminds me of a lion about to chase the gazelle through the forest. He's so much taller than me, so much bigger. It's only when he's fully facing me that I get the full effect of the man, the monster, the Mafia Boss. Blood has stained his hands, his jaw, and with those dark eyes trained on me, for the first time in a long while, pure fear grips me.
"What did you say?" His words are controlled. A low gravelly threat drips from each syllable, his voice dark with danger and his face taut with annoyance.
"I... I-I just wanted to know what happened," I find my words, forcing my tone not to quiver when he stops inches from me. "W-why are you drenched in blood?"
Enzo silently lifts his hand, his thumb and forefinger grip my chin, and he tips my head so my eyes lock on his easily. So close, I can see the war raging within his stare, desire and anger, lust and pain, everything swirls within this man, and he never allows himself to let go.
Until the moment he kissed me.
The thought comes unbidden. It's the truth. And that's when I realize he doesn't hate me at all. He's angry that he wants me. The same way I'm frustrated that I want him.
"Are you worried about me, little dancer?" he coos against my lips, the metallic stench invading my nostrils.
"I-I..." I can't respond because his tongue darts out, sending an explosion of desire coursing through me as he gently licks at my mouth. He doesn't move closer. He doesn't kiss me. And I'm all too aware that Mario is watching our encounter.
"Did you think I was hurt? Were you going to kiss it better?" he whispers, each word feathering heat over my face, over my skin, causing goose bumps to rise in the wake of his taunts.
"Don't be an asshole," I bite out, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "I just..."
"You just?" he urges, tipping his head to the side as both his palms land on the wall either side of my head. I'm caged in, locked in a standoff with a predator, and I've never been more turned on. No, that's a lie, the last time I felt this way was when he gripped my neck, when he toyed with me, trailing his knife over my skin.
"I was worried," I finally admit, shame warming my cheeks, and I'm certain they're bright red. There's nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide. Enzo can read me like a book, every page, every sentence, he knows what I feel, how he affects me, and he is using it to his advantage.
And there's nothing I can do to stop him.
"See how sweet she is, Mario," he taunts, but doesn't look at his friend, his gaze still on me as it trails over my face. "She was worried about her fiancé." He utters the last word with a thick accent which reminds me of who he is and where he's come from.
Suddenly, he presses his lips to my cheek before moving them along to my ear. Enzo captures the lobe between his teeth and bites down until I can't stop the whimper from escaping my lips.
When he releases the flesh from his mouth, I feel the smile on his face as it curls against my cheek. "Do you want Mario to watch while I make you come?"
My eyes snap open, and that's when I realize his best friend is watching us intently. "Stop it, Enzo." Even though I try to sound confident, my voice cracks around his name, desire pooling between my thighs.