Chapter 7 - The Wrath of a Valenti
The gunfire stopped almost as quickly as it had started.
I heard the sound of heavy boots crunching on the broken glass covering the road.
The rear door of our mangled SUV was ripped open with terrifying force.
Enzo stood there, his face covered in a fine layer of soot and blood.
He looked like a demon straight out of hell, his eyes wild and completely unhinged.
"Clara!" he roared, dropping his weapon and reaching into the backseat.
"We are okay!" I sobbed, lifting my head.
"Leo is safe! I've got him!"
Enzo let out a ragged, agonizing breath and pulled us both out of the wrecked vehicle.
He wrapped his massive arms around us, burying his face in my hair.
He was shaking, the legendary, fearless crime lord trembling like a frightened child.
"I thought I lost you," Enzo whispered, his voice cracking violently.
"I thought I was too late."
"We are fine, Papa," Leo said bravely, though tears were streaming down his little face.
Marco and Dante walked over, looking bruised but alive.
"The Moretti men are dead, boss," Marco reported grimly.
"All of them."
Enzo’s trembling stopped instantly, replaced by a cold, calculating rage.
"Clean this up," Enzo ordered without looking back at them.
"And send a message to the Moretti boss."
"Tell him I am coming for his head tonight."
Enzo carried Leo and me to his sports car, gently placing us in the passenger seat.
He drove us the rest of the way to the mountain safehouse himself.
The safehouse was a massive, modern cabin built into the side of a cliff.
It was beautiful, remote, and completely impenetrable.
Once we were inside, Enzo ordered the on-site doctor to check us for injuries.
Miraculously, we only had a few bruises, though my back was incredibly stiff.
Leo was exhausted and fell asleep in a massive guest bed within minutes.
I walked into the living room, where Enzo was pouring a massive glass of scotch.
He drank it in one long swallow, staring deeply into the roaring fireplace.
I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his back.
He turned around immediately, pulling me tightly against his chest.
"I cannot do this, Clara," he whispered, burying his face in my neck.
"I cannot live in a world where you are constantly in danger because of me."
"You belong with me, Enzo," I replied fiercely, looking up into his tortured eyes.
"I chose to protect Leo, and I choose you."
"You don't understand the darkness of my world," he argued miserably.
"Then let me be your light," I told him, refusing to back down.
May you like
Enzo closed his eyes and kissed me deeply, surrendering to the undeniable truth.
He needed me just as much as I needed him.
