Page 54 of Righteous Enforcer
"Bullshit." He closes the distance between us. "You expect protection. Safety. You expect me to shield Mirabella and you without knowing what I'm up against."
“I never asked you to?—”
“Then leave.” He points to the door. “If you’d rather take your chances with the Bratva than trust that I can help you, go. But Mirabella stays with me.” His eyes are so penetrating. Like he’s trying to read my mind. “Or you can tell me what I need to know.”
"I told you about your father?—"
"That explains why you ran from me. Not why the Bratva wants you dead."
The truth hovers on my tongue, but I swallow it back. "Some things are better left buried, Adriano."
"Nothing stays buried forever, Eva." He runs a hand through his hair, frustration radiating from him. "I can't help you if I don't know what we're facing."
"Maybe I don't want your help," I say.
"Then why are you still here?" He steps closer, close enough that I can feel the heat of him. A yearning to lean into him nearly undoes me.
"Why not run the moment I let you out of my sight?"
Because of Mirabella. Because running means losing her to him forever. But that’s not what I say to him. "You think knowing the truth will make this easier? It won't. Some secrets destroy everything they touch."
"Try me," he challenges.
"I can't do this, Adriano." My voice breaks as I back away from him. "You don't understand what you're asking."
His jaw clenches. "What I understand is that you're hiding something that could get us all killed. My family. Our daughter."
The weight of my secrets is like an anvil on my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
If I tell him the truth, that I wasn't just accused of working with the Bratva but that I actually did, he'll never forgive me.
He'll see me for what I truly am. A traitor.
"Trust goes both ways, Eva. I've opened my home to you. Offered protection. And still you keep walls up."
"Some walls exist for a reason," I say, hating that I can’t fix this.
I flinch as his fist connects with the wall beside him, leaving a dent in the plaster.
The sound echoes through the quiet room.
"When you're ready to be honest, you know where to find me." He stalks out.
I feel some relief that the conversation is over, but also guilt and fear.
He’s right.
The truth will come out.
And when it does, I’ll lose everything. Mirabella.
My life.
13
ADRIANO
I slam the door to Alessandro's office, not giving a shit whether it startles him.
