Chapter 167

ISABELLA’S P.O.V.

Enzo was home. It didn’t settle in my head the day it happened and even a week later, sometimes I was still shocked to wake up and find him in bed with me. I never realized just how terrifying him being in jail had been until he came home. I still wasn’t able to talk about it no matter how often he tried to ask. I skated around the subject under the guise of being upset with him for hiding Carmen and Dante’s involvement.

I walked into our bedroom after a long as fuck day only to find him waiting by the balcony with an outstretched hand. My brows furrowed in confusion but before I could ask, he held up a hand to his lips and beckoned me closer. I slowly made my way over to him and he pulled me into the chair with him. There were more than enough chairs for both pf us but I didn’t protest to being in his lap.

His large, warm hand settled on my stomach and I tried and failed to hide my smile. He was always touching me in one way or the other. He handed me a cup of hot chocolate which was my usual drink craving and it didn’t occur to me in that moment that he was trying to butter me up, I was just enjoying the drink and watching the sunset with him until he spoke.

“Are you going to tell me why you have been avoiding me?” he asked and I stilled. “I came back from jail a week ago, cara mia, and you barely spend time with me unless it is nighttime. I suppose there is a reason for that.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mumbled and he hummed.

“Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”

“Fuck off,” I spat and started to rise but he kept a firm grip on me and pulled me back into his lap. “I don’t want to talk about this, Enzo, you should be able to respect that.”

“I should, but we both know I will not so why don’t you do us both a favor and tell me what the problem is, hm?”

I crossed my arms over my chest in defiance and he chuckled. He was more than used to my antics by now and I held my breath as he slowly plucked the drink out of my hand. I didn’t pay attention to where he had placed it because his lips where ghosting my earlobe and his hands were trailing up and down my side. I tried to ignore it and pretend like I wasn’t being affected by it but we both knew I was bullshitting.

“Are you mad at me?” he whispered but I said nothing. “I like it when you play hard to get. It just means I will not tell you why I called you out here.”

I turned to him sharply. “What is it?”

“I thought we weren’t on speaking terms,” he mused and I narrowed my eyes at him making him laugh. “I got a rather sad call today from Dante. Apparently someone accidentally broke into Peter’s cell while his guard was off duty and they killed him. It is quite unfortunate that no one knows who did it.”

My eyes widened in shock. There was no doubt in my mind that Enzo and Dante were behind it. I was just stunned that they managed to pull it off so quickly and easily. I had expected him to be in jail for at least a month before they tried anything.

“Did you-” I began but he cut me off.

“I plead the fifth,” he was failing to hide his smile. “He is dead, Isabella, you can stop worrying now. He is gone and I am here, nothing like that is going to happen ever again.”

I hate that he hit the nail on the head and turned away from him. I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to keep a mask of indifference as I spoke. “I don’t know what you are talking about and it is late, I should be leaving.”

“So help me if you even move,” he growled and I froze. “You are going to sit here and we are going to have a conversation. Am I clear?”

I wanted so badly to test him but I had known Enzo long enough to know when he wasn’t joking around and this was one of those times. I crossed my arms over my chest and refused to look at him. I could tell he was exasperated with me especially when he grabbed one of my thighs and turned me around so that I was straddling him.

“You are going to listen to me and listen to me well,” he warned. “We don’t do this silent treatment bullshit, we talk. When you are pissed, you yell at me and when I am pissed, I threaten to tie you to my fucking bed. That is how it works between us and it is not going to change now. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” I mumbled.

“Good, so talk.”

“You went to jail!” the words left my lips before I could stop them. “I was so fucking worried and you were planning all of this behind my back. You were talking to Carmen and Dante who by the way, what the fuck? He is the AG’s son? Are you insane?”

“Believe me, if I knew who he was I would have never done business with him in the first place but we are both in too deep and he offered to help me get rid of the commissioner which he did. He wouldn’t take the deal, he preferred to go to court and he had too many men around him. We need to isolate him to-”

“Enzo, that is not the point,” I cut him off. “We are meant to be partners and you did all of this without me while I was here panicking and worrying about you. I thought we had nothing. I thought you were going to jail.”

It was at that moment he realized exactly what my problem was because he cursed and pulled me impossibly tighter. He placed a soft kiss on my temple as he whispered in rapid Italian.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Please forgive me, cara mia. I was just trying to protect you and our children.”

“I want to be involved, Lorenzo.”

“I know, it will not happen again.” There was a knock on the door and he pulled away to shout. “Except someone is dying or dead get the fuck out, we can talk tomorrow.”

I snickered. “That was mean.”

“I love you,” he whispered kissing me softly. “And I fucking missed you, hm?”