Page 40 of The Forever One
As my best friend.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
MARCO
It was late when Hippie Kai dropped by asking where my wife was hiding. My first instinct was to drop kick him and tell him to go look for his own damn wife. Then I remembered we have somewhat of a truce going on, which basically entails I don’t put him six-feet under and he respects my marriage by not being a love sick puppy every time River is around.
I never promised I wouldn’t have eyes on him, though. I trust only a handful of people in this world and he’s not one of them, for obvious reasons. That said, I don’t think he’s a bad guy, per se. Misguided? Surely. A royal fuck-up? Probably. But evil? No. I’ve seen evil up close and personal and he’s not it.
“You wanted to see me, Boss?” Enzo walks into my office at the hotel without knocking. On nights where River is at the club, I catch up at the hotel. Keeping the same hours as she does ensures that we have free time together.
When I lift my eyes to ask him where the fuck he’s been for the last two weeks, I’m shocked into silence.
“What the fuck happened to you?” My question is logical. There’s no way to ignore his swollen right eye and broken nose. Dropping my gaze to his hands, my guess is confirmed when I see his knuckles are cut up and so red they look like they’re still bleeding.
With a shrug, he drops into the chair across from my desk and just stares at me, like that’s answer enough.
It fucking is not.
I may be his boss but he’s also my friend, almost a brother to me.
After a stare down worthy of a spaghetti western, he finally answers with an added eye-roll to boot. “There’s a fight club in Jersey. I go there sometimes. It’s no big deal.”
Leaning back against my high-back chair, I steeple my fingers and rest them against my mouth. I’m reining in my anger, taking control of my temper, as I breathe in and out at regular intervals. Enzo watches me, his eagle eyes and sharp mind knowing exactly what I’m doing, yet he just sits back, head cocked and legs spread like he’s expecting some young thing to walk in and give him a blowjob.
“So, here I am, debating my next move.” My voice is low and even, my fury on a tight leash because I know he’s dealing with what happened in Naples in the only way he knows how. Except, as much as it hurts to have witnessed Lina’s rape, she’s the one who lived it. She’s the one who lost a piece of herself that night. “I could end you or I could be lenient. The jury is still out.”
Enzo doesn’t even flinch at my words. Death doesn’t scare him. In fact, he probably welcomes it at this point.
“Lina—” I begin but Enzo cuts me off.
“Do not fucking bring her into this.” The low growl he uses to address me surprises me. He’s only ever spoken to me and my family with the utmost respect, but I’ve touched a nerve and his response only confirms my suspicions. He blames himself. He blames me. Probably blames River above all else and I’m going to have to nip this in the bud or else I’ll be forced to kill him.
I stand, my palms pressing against my desk, my face devoid of all emotions as I lean in and remind him of who the fuck he’s talking to. “I’m going to let that slide because I was there and I know why you’re being a selfish asshole.”
Enzo blinks, a semblance of his humanity coming back for a brief second before it’s gone again.
“But, Enzo, you listen to me and you listen good. Lina…” I pause, hoping he won’t interrupt again. I’m not above adding more bruises to his face for his disrespect. “She’s not okay and you being gone for weeks at a time getting your ass beat like a fucking rookie is not helping. So, here’s the thing.” I straighten to my full height and slide my hands into the pockets of my dress slacks, my eyes boring holes into my second in command. “You either get your shit together or disappear completely. You choose right now. But just so we’re clear, if you disappear you don’t ever get in contact with my sister again or I will slit your throat myself.” I’m hoping for the former. I’m really fucking hoping he’ll get his shit together and deal with this in a way that won’t push my sister even further down the hole of despair.
Time is suspended in those seconds we hold each other’s gazes. He’s weighing his options, it’s clear in the tension of his jaw and the creases at the corners of his eyes. It’s only when he flexes his knuckles, opening and closing his fists like he needs the pain to remind him that he’s still alive and has a fucking job to do.
I wait. Patience has never been my strong point, but River has taught me that good things come to those who don’t run into a burning building before assessing all possible risks.
“You need more bags in the gym at home. And maybe a sparring partner.”
On the outside, I don’t react to Enzo’s words. I’ll let out my breath later when I’m alone and realize how fucking close I came to killing someone I love. But the fact that he’s just promised, in his own way, that he’s going to pick up the pieces in a less dangerous way, gives me hope for the future.
“Done. Now, what do we know? What are the streets saying?” I sit back down in my chair and get my mind back to business.
“The Greeks are keeping Ugo in one of their safehouses in Queens. I don’t think Yiannis knows, from what my sources are saying. This is Aleko’s doing.” Tapping the pad of my fingers to my lips, I digest this new information, opting for the less bloody scenario but not excluding painting the entire borough in red if that’s what it takes to weasel Ugo out of hiding.
“I’m not surprised, to be honest. Yiannis is content with what he’s got, but his brother has always been a greedy motherfucker.” The Greeks and my family have always tiptoed around each other. Ever since Don Kastellanos, the brothers’ father, put a hit out on my grandfather decades ago. He got too cocksure, thinking the Ambrosios would have their backs. They didn’t, because they’re fucking sewer rats to the core, choosing the safe camp and siding with our family. Old Kastellanos lost his head in a very Marie Antoinette moment because my grandpop was all about sending messages in the ways of the old country.
After the brothers took over, there was a round table of the dons, a peace treaty of sorts, and Yiannis had proven to be the reasonable one, whereas Aleko pulled at the bit, always demanding more. I guess the apple didn’t fall too far from the rotting tree.
“I’ve got ears in place. One of their cooks is a second cousin to J’s most trusted soldier.” I remember that. My father had anticipated shit going south a few years ago and placed dormant spies all over The City, planting them in various big families. The useless fucks in the Ambrosio family did fuck-all to help us. If they hadn’t been killed in the shoot-out in Naples, I’d end them right now for their lack of loyalty.
“Keep him close, I don’t want another slacker on the job or worse, a double agent.” But something nags at me about the Greek brothers and I realize that we’ve been communicating by proxy. It’s maybe time to look each other in the eye and assess. “Do me a favor. Set up a meeting; me, the brothers, you, and a couple of men. Choose a date for next week.”