Chapter Ninety Six

**Enzo**

I sit there as she closes the door and then stare at my cousin, who was avoiding my gaze. He looked pretty messed up, and I couldn’t help the rage flash through me that he was treated this way. But he was alive and the relief of knowing that filled me more than the anger right now. He was lucky Charlie had found him when we couldn’t.

“So…” I start out. “You going to tell me what happened?”

His shoulders deflate as he finally looks at me. He was already getting a black eye while the other was still swollen shut. His lip was busted, and he looked like he was in a lot of pain just moving the muscles in his face.

When he still didn’t answer, I say, “Gabby told me about your conversation with her back at the farm. What’s going on, Dom?”

He rubs his head, trying hard to keep me from seeing how much that hurt him to do, but he blows out a breath and admits, “I was planning to turn myself in to Russo. I thought it would have been the right thing to do. I deserved what I got Enzo, and no manner of words will make me think otherwise. I figured if I did that then they would leave you and everyone else alone.”

He looks down at his hands, his eyes downcast. “I fucked up and neither you nor Gabby deserved this whole messed up situation. She may have forgiven me, but I can’t forgive myself. Especially when the person I did this all for was nothing but a backstabbing, fake, money guzzler that blinded me from seeing everything that was so plain to see.”

Sighing, I unhook the IV in my arm and get out of bed. My head swam a bit, and I nearly lost my balance, causing Dom to freak out as he tries to get up himself, only to hiss at his efforts. I grab the edge of the bed as he moans and for a split second we look at each other and start chuckling at the pathetic look we presented at the moment.

Leaning back against the bed, he groans again in dismay. “We look so ridiculous right now that our ancestors are probably laughing their asses off at us.”

I crack a smile and continue, slowly, to walk to his bed, shoving his ass over to allow me to lay next to him. It was a tight fit with two big bodies and a small ass bed, but we used to do it all the time when we were younger. Our shoulders smashed together, the sides of our heads leaned against one another, we stare up at the dull ceiling.

“What you did was stupid. And you put innocent lives in danger. But…things ended up working out. You found out the truth about Ivy, unknowingly got Gabby out of the hellhole she had landed in, brought us all back together with Nonno and, best of all, you brought me and Gabby together.”

I feel him chuckle humorlessly as he states, “Blackmailed our family’s worst enemy, nearly got Gabriela murdered by our fucktard of a cousin and that crazy bitch, got myself beaten to a near pulp, caused Dario to kidnap Gabriela, almost ruining her life, got Nonno and your dad going MIA while Uncle Tone is lying with three holes in his body and to top everything off you almost died. I’m pretty sure the cons outweigh the pros.”

Sitting up, I face him. His eyes were misted over letting me know he was about to cry, but he held them back. “One way or another, Dom certain things were going to end up shitty anyways no matter what the outcome was going to be.”

I grab his arm and help him sit up without trying to injure him further. “Forget what’s already happened, because it happened. We’re all here together now, safe and alive. Gabby is back too. You’re here and I’m here.”

“But Nonno and your dad isn’t.” He whispers, remorsefully.

And while I can’t say I wasn’t worried about them, it would just be a lie. I was highly worried. Dario was unhinged and a ticking time bomb that we might not be able to control.  “Charlie is working on it.”

“And when he finds them, then what? Moretti isn’t going to stand by and allow what happened back at the dock to slide. He’s going to come after us and he’s going to hit hard, Enzo.”

The tone in his voice was one I hadn’t heard in a very long time. In fact, not since his parents had died, and he felt all alone in the world. He was scared. Not for himself this time, but for others, for our family.

Cupping the back of his head, I look him dead in the eye. “Then we’ll just have to prepare and hit harder. We’re going to win this, Dom. Because he has yet to find out who the fuck he just messed with.”

“But what if he has them? What if…what if he’s hurting him as he did me? He’s too old Enzo.” Tears start to gather and spill on his cheeks. “He’s too weak to withstand what I went through. H-He…he’ll die.” He rushes with a hitch to his voice.

“Nonno is a lot tougher than we think, Dom. We have to keep reminding ourselves of who he used to be. He was the head of the Giordano clan for decades and our family didn’t get where we are today by him shitting giggles and peace signs while making buddies with every rival out there. He may be old, but this isn’t his first rodeo. He’ll know what to do. We have to believe in that and trust him.”

To be honest, I was trying hard to believe my own words. I didn’t need Domenico to speak the fear that was haunting me ever since I’ve woken up about our grandfather. Maybe I should feel some for my father as well, but I knew that he wouldn’t just sit there and let them get the best of him. But Nonno…I couldn’t stand the thought of even one single hair on his body being harmed.

And if Moretti so much as lays a finger on him…

My anger was one thing, but my rage, rage at what he had done to Dom, had done to Gabby, what he would do to my family…Moretti had no idea just how mean and vindictive I could truly be. And he was going to find out.