Chapter 2
Arianna used to be a master at playing Enzo. In her past life, she had been the only person who could get the feared Don to do anything she wanted. But now, she felt clumsy and desperate. All she remembered was the soul-crushing emptiness of three years without him. She knew the only way to guarantee his presence was to get a promise. He was a man of his word.
“Enzo, my wrist… it hurts. I want to go home,” she whimpered.
Enzo’s expression darkened at the mention of her injury. He felt the anger reignite.
Who did this to her? Oh, right. She did it to herself.
But he couldn’t stand her tear-streaked face. “Fine,” he conceded, “I’ll take you to the hospital.”
“No!” Arianna clung to him tighter. “I want you to fix it. Let’s go home.”
She didn’t want the antiseptic smell of a hospital. She wanted her old home. The one she had abandoned for a lie. She wasn't going to be a lovesick fool anymore. She was going to stay right where she belonged, in the home she shared with the man who would have given her the world.
Enzo’s body stiffened under her touch. A powerful wave of heat, sharp and possessive, shot through him. He knew that if he didn’t pull away, she would feel the depth of his desire for her. He was a man, and she was a beautiful, quivering woman in his arms. It would be the most scandalous thing in the world for her to see him like this.
“The wound needs a doctor,” he said, his voice tight. It was a weak protest, and he knew it. But he was more concerned with getting her out of his arms before he did something he couldn't take back.
He lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest, and strode out of the lounge. For the first time in months, he was actually holding her. She had been treating him like a stranger, a virus even, ever since Luca had started whispering poison in her ear.
“You’re crazy,” Salvatore sighed, shaking his head in resignation as he watched them go. “The Boss is a lost cause.”
“You have to admit, she seemed… off, right?” Damiano muttered, a frown creasing his brow. “It was like she was two completely different people tonight.”
Salvatore just shrugged. “Maybe she finally realized what a piece of garbage the other guy is.”
Marco, ever the cynic, just flicked ash from his cigarette. “Or maybe it’s a new trick. Keep your eyes open.”
Later, at the hospital, Arianna winced as the doctor picked glass out of her wound. She had convinced Enzo to skip this part in her previous life, and the result had been an infection that left an ugly scar. Now, she was grateful for the pain. It was a reminder that Enzo had been right.
As the doctor bandaged her up, Arianna kept her eyes locked on Enzo. He stood by the door, arms crossed, radiating such intense danger that the staff was practically trembling. When the doctor was gone, he sat down on the edge of her bed, picking up a tissue to dab the tears from her face.
“I’m going home,” she said, her voice still shaky, as she caught the hem of his sleeve. “Promise me, we are going home together.”
He paused, his thumb brushing the soft skin of her cheek. His eyes were dark, filled with a burning intensity. “After tonight, I’m not letting you marry him. I’ll lock you up here if I have to. Is that what you want?”
Arianna’s heart soared. “Yes. That’s exactly what I want.”
“You don’t mean that,” Enzo breathed. “You said that a long time ago, too. But then Luca came along and everything changed.”
“I didn’t understand you then. I was stupid. But I’m not stupid anymore,” she said. “Everything is different now. I’m never going to leave you again. Don’t bring up the past, okay?”
She tugged on his sleeve, a gesture of pure vulnerability that made him soften completely.
“Okay,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “No more bringing up the past.”