Page 41 of Humility

The moment we all got home and inside the house, I pounced on Enzo like a fucking cat. Grabbing his T-shirt, I pushed him up against the wall. The more I thought about him touching her the more pissed off I got.

“What the fuck?” Enzo complained.

“You can’t have her. She’s mine,” I growled, and the shock on Enzo’s face evaporated.

“Oh, now you want her. I told you to meet her, and you had no interest,” Enzo argued.

I could feel Dario as he walked through the front door. Even before I looked over my shoulder, I knew what I would see. His face rarely changed. It was either resting dick or fucking you up. Right now, he was in rest mode.

“I’ve always had an interest in her.” I let Enzo go and stepped back. “Her name is not Isabella. It’s Jasmine Falcone. I don’t know why she’s going by Isabella, that was her mother’s name, but that is her.”

Enzo crossed his arms. “Well, in that case, she technically belongs to that guy you mentioned…Ciro.” I glared at Enzo, not liking where this was going. He shrugged. “I want in. I know you two had a thing with her, and if you’re making a move, then I want in on it.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve known her all of two days. I’ve known her my entire life.”

“Yes, and why aren’t you running over to the hotel and bursting through the door to profess your undying love? Oh, that’s right, you can’t because she’s pissed at you or hates you.”

Grabbing Enzo, I slammed him up against the wall again. “Watch your fucking tone with me.”

He held up his hands. “Look, the point is that for the first time in a fucking long time, I feel something, and she is the cause. I’m not letting that go just because you say so.” I growled at him, and my fist flew before I could stop myself.

“Fuck,” Enzo yelled as I connected with his jaw. Dario gripped me from behind and hauled me away from Enzo.

“Knock it off,” Dario said, his voice calm, considering.

Enzo dabbed at his lip. “I can’t believe you fucking hit me.”

“I should cut your dick off and feed it to my piranha. Consider yourself lucky it was only my fist.”

“Fuck, man. Until I got mixed up with you, I had a good fucking life. I should’ve stayed in Chicago. Instead I follow your ass and one favor later, I’m on the run. I’ve been nothing but loyal since we met. The least you can do is loop me in, or I’ll just move out and pursue her myself.”

I growled and lunged in Dario’s arms.

“Enough! Both of you shut up. No one is taking anyone.”

This couldn’t be happening. I was finally free of the family constraints, she was on the same fucking property, and now my friend wanted to try and take her from me. What kind of nightmare was this?

Dario let me go but moved to stand between me and Enzo.

“Both of you go sit down,” Dario said, pointing to the sitting room. It was a good thing he made me leave my gun in the office before we left the house, or I would’ve been tempted to use it on Enzo.

I marched into the room and poured myself a drink before sitting down in my usual chair.

“Angelo, you know I love you like a brother and respect you as my boss, but…shit. Times have changed. We’re fugitives and have done some dark shit together, and we don’t have the family’s honor hanging in the balance anymore.” Enzo leaned forward on the couch, his eyes sad and distraught. I knew that feeling. I’d felt it every day for years, and it didn’t just go away. She’d infected him with her smile and gentle touch, just like me.

“What are you trying to say?”

He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Just that, we have all grown into more than an underboss and soldier dynamic. I really like her, and whether I have her to myself or with you two doesn’t matter to me.”

I looked away as I thought about a solution. “I’m not letting her go. I’ve waited too long for this chance. Fuck, the entire reason we are even out here is because of her. That is how much I wanted her. How much I want her and love her,” I said. My drink shook as I squeezed the glass tighter.

“We,” Dario piped up.

I rolled my eyes in his direction. “Fine. How much we want and love her,” I said, not wanting to argue over grammar. “Enzo, you hardly fucking know her.”

“One second was all it took. Call me a hopeless romantic all you want, I know enough that I want her,” he said. “I also have an in with her, and I am your electronics guy. You need me if you want her bugged, tracked, or watched. Which, I’m sure you do.”

Storming to my feet, I walked over to the large window that looked out at the gardens. I knew that Jasmine would love walking in them when they were in full bloom.