Page 30 of Love Me (Touch of Death 3)
Lorenzo flanks me. His men—my sister’s men—fan out behind us, eyes trained on the darkness as though some foul beast might creep from it. Gabriella isn’t here. This isn’t a Ricci issue, and I don’t want to involve her in any of this needlessly.
A cold settles over me, seeping all the way to my bones. I wrap my arms around myself, wishing I’d worn more than this stupid dress.
Finally, the rumble of an engine cuts through the tense silence. Headlights twinkle in the darkness before growing larger and finally swooping across the dock’s side. Two SUVs stop about twenty feet away from us. The engines idle, and the lights remain on, blinding me.
Lorenzo shoulders his body in front of mine, his hand sliding to his back to reach for his gun. A car door opens and closes, and a figure rounds the front of the car, standing right in front of the grill. I squint at him, trying to make out his features, but the lights wash everything out until he’s nothing more than a silhouette.
“Thank you for coming,” I say.
He takes two steps forward, then another, and another. “Oh, I wouldn’t miss it, principessa.” My stomach drops, and my veins turn to ice. Another step and I can clearly make out the cruel lines of his face.
“Enrique,” I breathe.
He throws his head back on a laugh. “Are you pleased to see your husband, Adelina?”
“I…”
He comes closer still and reaches out, trailing a finger down my cheek. Lorenzo stiffens, and I place a hand on his arm, stilling him. “We need a talk, you and I.” He cocks a brow. “In private.”
Grabbing my arm, he drags me toward the car.
“You aren’t taking her, Bianchi,” Lorenzo says on a snarl.
Enrique spares him a glance, raking his eyes over the other man before he laughs once more. “My wife doesn’t need a white knight.” He grins. “And I would hate to have to kill you in front of her.” He drags me again, past the blinding headlights, before shoving me into the back of his car.
Fear grips me as he climbs in after me and slams the door. Of course, I knew this was inevitable, that he would turn up at some point. Sergio’s death was bound to force him from hiding. Does he know I’ve been plotting against him, though? My heart thrums in my chest, so hard I can barely breathe. He knows, I can tell. Panic grips me, but I force myself to breathe evenly. I just have to twist the truth, continue the act. I can do this.
As soon as Enrique faces me, I swing my arm back and slap him. The sound of my hand meeting his cheek reverberates around the car.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I hiss.
He lifts his hand, swiping his fingers over the corner of his lip, where one of my rings must have split the skin. “Just keep fighting me, principessa. You only make it worse for yourself.”
“What exactly do you think I’m doing here?”
He lashes out, clamping a hand around my throat. Tugging me close, he drags his nose along the side of my jaw. “I know exactly what you’re doing, and oh, how I’m going to make you suffer for it.” His teeth graze my jaw, his grip tightening further until I can feel him physically shaking. “You really thought you could take what’s mine?” He laughs.
“I did what I had to.” I turn my head until my lips brush his. I hate him, and yet there’s a strange kind of high in getting this close to him, in playing these dangerous games. “I came to kill Sasha Ivanov. I thought I could get close and get it done quickly, but it seems he does not hold the affection for me he once did. Nero Verdi offered a solution, a way to keep the Russian close. An alliance.” I don’t care if I throw Nero under the bus since he didn’t think twice before doing so to Gabi. I meet Enrique’s psychotic gaze. “Sasha killed my father. I can’t simply walk away. I won’t.”
“Nero Verdi wishes to challenge me?” A slow smile pulls at his lips.
“Not you, remember you’re supposed to be dead.”
His jaw clenches so hard, it looks like he may explode. “Who killed Sergio?”
It’s right there on the tip of my tongue, but for some reason, I’m not as willing to betray Sasha as I am Nero. “I don’t know.”
“Such pretty lies.” He strokes my cheek with his free hand. “I think you know exactly who killed him, and I think you ordered it.”
“Why would I order that?” I hiss. “I’m the only one who knows you’re alive. I know it serves no purpose.”
“Unless you plan to kill me next.” He drags his thumb over my bottom lip. “So you can take what’s mine.”
