8. Enzo

8

ENZO

A fter Gabriella left my place, I needed to go out and get some air. She had me all hot and bothered the way she got so worked up. A small part of me wonders if I should back off on this Holloway deal and let her have it. But, there’s no fun in that so I decide against it.

After a long walk down by the pier, I shove my hands in my pockets and head back to my place. I’m not really feeling any better and I’m not sure what I can do about it. When I reach my building, I immediately notice a car parked at the curb and two men loitering outside my door. As I get closer, I recognize Tommaso and Romeo Bianche, Gabriella’s cousins. What the hell do they want? I wonder.

“Rossi,” Tommaso practically snarls, moving in front of the door, blocking it. “You need to back the fuck off.”

“Excuse me?” I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about and I don’t like being told what to do. And, I especially don’t like to be threatened by this asshole.

“You heard me. Stay away from our cousin.”

Gabriella? How would he know about Gabriella and I? And is he talking about how I swooped in and messed up her business deal? There’s no way he could know we slept together. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I retort, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.

“Keep your dirty hands off her,” Romeo snaps. “You’re not good enough to be in a Bianche woman’s bed.”

For a stunned moment, I try to process how these two idiots know that Bri and I slept together. Why would she have told them?

“I think Gabriella is old enough to make her own decisions,” I say coolly. “Especially when it comes to her sex life.”

“You’re scum, Rossi.”

Before I can get another word out, both men advance on me. Their intentions are clear and I get ready to defend myself. Two against one sucks, though, and while Tommaso launches himself at me, Romeo sneaks around behind me and grabs hold of my arms. Tommaso manages to get a couple of punches in—one to my face and another in the gut—and I need to break free before he manages to break my damn nose. His swings are wild, hard and out of control. Just as unpredictable as the man doling them out.

Using Romeo’s hold as leverage, I kick my legs up and slam my feet into Tommaso’s chest, sending him flying backwards. Then I shove an elbow into Romeo’s side and he grunts while I try to twist and shove him off me. Finally yanking myself out of his hold, I spin around, raise my balled fists and prepare for another strike.

They come at me hard and fast, fists flying. I’ve never considered myself much of a fighter, but I do know how to defend myself. My father made sure all of his boys could throw a proper punch. Even our little sister knows some basic self-defense moves. Other than a scuffle I got into when I was fifteen, I’ve never had to actually hit another man. I’m the sophisticated, suit-wearing brother. Miceli is a bit rougher around the edges and has been in the most fights. Vin, eh, not really. He’s more of a peacekeeper. And Angelo would probably run before getting in a physical altercation because he wouldn’t want his pretty face messed up.

So here I am, thirty years old and fighting in the middle of the sidewalk like some kind of punk. It’s ridiculous and being outnumbered isn’t cool. However, I quickly learn that neither of these two idiots has much finesse or actual fighting skills and I manage to outmaneuver them several times.

I just punched Tommaso in the face and Romeo is laying on the ground when I hear a click. Tommaso just flicked a knife open and sunlight reflects off the deadly silver blade.

“C’mon! Let’s go!” Tommaso yells.

Romeo pulls himself up and both of them slowly approach, cornering me. Shit. I’m trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation and avoid getting cut when an engine roars and I glance over to see my youngest brother pull up to the curb. Angelo gets out of his fancy Porsche and steps up onto the curb, crossing his arms.

“Am I interrupting something?” he asks, dark eyes moving from me to the Bianche cousins.

Tommaso closes his knife and pockets it. “I think we’re all done here. Tell your brother to stay away from Gabriella.”

Romeo nods his agreement and they walk over to their car and slip inside.

“What the hell was that all about?” Angelo asks in a low voice. “You okay?”

“Yeah, c’mon inside.” I turn and open the door and we walk up the steps to my place. After unlocking my door, I motion for him to head inside. “Thanks for showing up when you did.”

“I’ve always had excellent timing,” Angelo tells me with a bright-white grin. He’s so charismatic and I can see why the ladies all trip over themselves to be with him. Too bad for them, he doesn’t care all that much and has never tripped over anyone himself. Not yet, at least.

“Yeah, well, that could’ve ended badly.”

“Why the hell were you brawling with those two morons, anyway? Because of Gabriella?”

“Yeah, I guess she must’ve sic’d them on me. How else would they know we slept together?”

“You slept with her?” He claps me on the back. “Excellent.”

I roll my eyes. “Wanna beer?”

“Always.” Angelo follows me into the kitchen. “Why would she have sent them after you, though?”

“It’s a long, fucked-up story.” I open the fridge, grab two beers and toss him one.

Angelo catches it, cracks the bottle open and nods to the living room area. “I’ve got time. Let’s hear it. What did you do now?”

“Apparently, I pissed Gabriella off so badly that she sent her bulldog cousins over here.” God, that pisses me off. For all her talk about being an independent woman and doing things herself, why would she not handle the situation herself? I didn’t even think she got along very well with her cousins, so it’s hard for me to wrap my head around it.

“I didn’t think they got along very well,” Angelo comments, voicing my thoughts as we go sit down on the couch. “They’re always arguing and throwing each other under the bus in our meetings.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s weird. But how else would they know?” I think the better question is why the hell would she confide something so personal? Something about it all seems off and it’s bothering me. But what other explanation could there be?

“Maybe they saw you guys flirting and just assumed,” Angelo suggests.

“Nah, I don’t think so. They seemed pretty damn sure and warned me to stay away from her—and to stay out of her bed. Somehow, they knew.”

“Back to that.” Angelo waggles his brows. “Was it all you imagined it would be?”

I can hear the teasing in his tone, but the honest to God truth is it was so much better. But how do I explain that to my horndog, little brother? He has no concept of a relationship or having intense feelings for one specific, very special, woman. Hell, I didn’t either until Gabriella swept into my life like a tornado and upended everything.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” I say and Ang groans. “But, I will say I’m really fucking mad about what just happened. I can’t wrap my head around it. I can’t believe Bri would confide in those two morons. She doesn’t even like them.”

“Oh, so it’s Bri now, is it?”

It seems like I’ve given myself away, so what’s the point in pretending I don’t care and that I’m not harboring crazy, intense feelings for Gabriella?

“I really like her,” I admit in a quiet voice.

For a moment my brother doesn’t say anything. I’m expecting a joke or sarcastic comment, but he mulls over my words then his mouth edges up.

“I’m really happy for you, Enzo.”

“Happy for me?” I scoff. “She hates my guts.”

“Does she, though? I highly doubt it.”

“Shit, Ang. This whole thing is a mess and it’s going to get worse.” I quickly explain to him about how Gabriella confided in me about Holloway Corp. and the way I went behind her back. As the words come out of my mouth, I realize how bad they sound. Shit, I’m a total villain.

“Okay, that was a dick move, bro. Why the hell would you do that? I don’t blame her for being upset.”

“I’ve never hesitated in business. You know that. I’m a shark and go for exactly what I want. Fuck other people’s feelings. My main goal is to make our family money. A ton of money.”

“You have made us a ton of money already, Enzo. We could live out the rest of our lives and never run out.”

I sigh. I know he’s right. So why did I do it?

Because you wanted to see her again, a little voice says. And because you were pissed she left your bed early.

“And, yeah, fuck other people’s feelings…but not hers. Not the woman you just told me you’re falling for.”

Dammit, he’s right. How could I have been so blind? “When did you get so wise?” I ask gruffly.

Angelo chuckles. “I’m smarter than you, Vin and Miceli put together.”

I smirk. “What about Carlotta?”

He shakes his head and smiles. “Our baby sister is scary smart.”

I laugh. “Yeah, she is, huh?”

“Any man who crosses her is going to wind up either castrated or at the bottom of the river wearing cement shoes.”

“Probably both,” I say, and we laugh. Yeah, Carlotta is a feisty one when she gets going. Whatever man she ends up with will have to accept the fact that she’ll never bow down or give in easily. My sister is a spitfire.

Kind of like Gabriella, I realize with an inward groan.

Angelo and I talk a little longer then he tells me he has to go get ready for a date.

“Jesus, Ang, you’re a serial dater. Is this another new girl?”

“They’re always new, bro. You know how I roll.”

“Where do you meet all these women?” It’s like a revolving door when it comes to Angelo and women. They’re constantly coming and going, alway passing through, no one staying longer than a brief spin.

“Just out and about,” he says vaguely. Then he shrugs his shoulders and flashes me a dazzling smile. “I can’t help it if I’m a hot commodity.”

“Save it for your harem.”

“I don’t have a harem. Just a stream of interested, very willing ladies and who am I to say no to their company?”

“One of these days, Ang, a woman is going to sweep into your world and knock you flat on your ass,” I predict.

“Doubtful. I stay away from headstrong, stubborn females like Gabriella and Carlotta. They’re more trouble than they’re worth.”

I narrow my eyes.

“Only my opinion, of course. Some guys like to be put through the wringer and challenged at every turn. No thanks. Not me. I prefer docile and easygoing any day of the week.”

“That’s a cop out. And you’d be bored within a few days. That’s exactly why none of the women you date last long. You need a challenge.”

Angelo walks toward the door, pausing to glance over his shoulder. “Why don’t you worry about your own challenge, huh? And I’ll stick to sweet and short-lived.”

I shake my head and toss him a salute goodbye. Angelo is a free spirit who doesn’t like to be tied down, so I understand where he’s coming from. But, at the same time, I think he’d do better with an intelligent woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

Oh, holy hell. I just heard myself and I frown. Since when do I know what kind of women other men need? The better question is when did I start caring? Raking a hand through my hair, I wander over to the large floor-to-ceiling window and gaze out. I have a great view of the water and pier. I like Hudson Yards because there’s a bit more room to breathe and not as unbearable as it is a few blocks over. Manhattan is congested and, though I like being in the city, I also need to be able to breathe.

When my phone rings, I walk over and swipe it up off the kitchen island where I left it. Images of Bri, seductively sprawled on that granite countertop fill my head, taunting me, and I grit my jaw as I answer, “Enzo Rossi.”

“Enzo, it’s Doug Holloway.”

I straighten up. “Doug, how are you?”

“I’m well, thanks. I was calling to see if you’re available to come down to my office at nine tomorrow morning?”

“Do you have good news for me?” I can’t help but ask.

He chuckles. “I think so.”

I’ve won Holloways Corp. and beaten Gabriella. “Thanks, Doug. See you in the morning.”

After we disconnect, I expect to feel a rush of satisfaction. Instead, I hang my head and consider backing out. Gabriella is going to be so disappointed to lose out on this and my normally hard business mentality softens. Just a bit.

The truth is, for the first time in my life, I feel bad about beating my opponent. But then I think about how she told her cousins about us and my resolve turns back to steel.

I guess you win some and you lose some. Sorry, Bri.