“She said no,” Enzo growls, stepping forward, his gun still aimed at my dad’s head. “Let her go, Gregor.”
“You’re not going to kill me. So step aside.”
In one fast motion, Enzo whips his gun against the side of my dad’s head, knocking him to the ground. I watch in horror as Enzo bends down and grabs my father’s shirt and begins to punch his face over and over and over, leaving my dad’s face a bloody mess.
I’m in such a state of shock that it takes me a moment to move.
“Stop!” I scream at Enzo, grabbing his arm. “Enzo, stop. Don’t kill him.”
As if he’s waking up from a dream, Enzo stumbles back from my dad. His knuckles are bloody. My dad’s face is covered in red welts but he’s alive. Hurt but alive.
“Dad?” I ask, bending down to touch him.
He pushes himself to his feet, ignoring me. “You want a war, Enzo?”
“You are not taking Kira. So go.”
Gregor looks between my husband and myself before storming out of the house.
Enzo reaches out to me but I back away.
“Don’t,” I warn. “You almost killed my father.”
“Because he was trying to take you from me.”
“He’s still my father, Enzo. You need to make it work with him.”
“He’s the one beingimpossible.”
“Then I’ll go stay with him if I have to. If it means keeping peace between our families. I did my duty with you and I’ll do it again if I have to.”
Enzo cups my face before I can stop him. “But he will snuff your light out. Your father wants to control you.”
“At one point, you wanted to control me too.”
“I know. But not any longer. I don’t want you to be anyone but yourself. Your father is trying to control you. I can’t let that happen.”
I look into the eyes of my husband. The one I thought I was falling in love with and now? Now I don’t know how to feel. “I just need space,” I say, pulling away from him.
His eyes tighten. “Kira.”
“I just need to get out of this house for a moment. I’m not going to get hurt. You killed Matteo. Who else wants to hurt me?”
“I have other enemies. Marco Amato being one of them. He doesn’t want me working with the Bratva and you are the daughter of one. You are not safe out there on your own, Kira.”
“You sound like my father. If you truly trust me, you’ll give me this space to think about things.” I brush past him before he can stop me and leave the house.
I take one of his cars – the Ferrari – into the city and drive around. The old me would have gone for a drink and it’s tempting still but I wasn’t happy with my old self, drowning in alcohol and parties. I need to find the new me.
I end back up at Central Park but this time, I make sure to stay in heavily public areas where I can’t get hurt. Facing what Matteo tried to do to me here is the best way I can heal.
Enzo is someone I know I care for, especially after we had sex. He killed Matteo to save my life. He willingly put himself in danger for me. He’s the kind of man I can fall in love with.
But not when my father is causing problems. I have to get my dad to back off. But how?
It’s then that I see someone familiar sitting on the edge of the Bethesda Fountain. Gianna.
She’s out here by herself. No annoying aunt. No guards.