Page 108 of Ruined By Blood
"You whore," he snarls, lunging forward despite Alessio's restraining grip. "After everything I've given you. This is how you repay me?"
"Given me?" I find my voice.
"I should have drowned you at birth like the worthless?—"
The rest of his words vanish in a sickening crack as Enzo's fist connects with my father's jaw. The impact echoes through the study like a gunshot. My father's head snaps back, eyes rolling up before he crumples to the floor.
Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth onto the Persian carpet he always boasted cost more than most people's cars. He lies there, unconscious, looking smaller somehow. Just a man. Not the all-powerful monster who's haunted my nightmares.
Two of the remaining guards start forward.
"I wouldn't," Alessio says calmly, his gun appearing in his hand without seeming to move. "Think very carefully about your next action, gentlemen. Your boss just threatened a woman under Feretti protection in front of witnesses."
The guards hesitate, exchanging uncertain glances.
"Is Sterling worth dying for?" Alessio continues, his voice almost conversational. "Because I assure you, that's exactly what will happen if you move another inch."
The tallest guard slowly raises his hands. "What do you want us to do?"
"Stand down and stay still until someone tells you otherwise," Alessio suggests with the casual air of someone discussing the weather rather than life and death. "Seems like the healthiest option for everyone involved."
I watch the tension drain from their postures as weapons are lowered. These men, who for years enforcedmy father's will without question, now look lost without his direction.
Enzo kneels beside my father's unconscious form, checking his pulse with clinical detachment. Satisfied, he stands and turns to Alessio.
"Take him," Enzo commands, nodding toward my father. "Secure him in the car. Make sure he's bound tight enough that he won't cause problems when he wakes up."
Alessio nods, motioning to Noah who steps forward to help him lift my father's limp body.
"Everyone out," Enzo announces, his voice filling the room with authority. His eyes scan the faces of my father's men still lingering in the doorway. "Clear this office now."
The guards begin filing out, their movements stiff with uncertainty.
"Wait," Enzo calls after them. "You all stay in the house. Mrs. Sterling may need your assistance with family matters."
My mother straightens at these words, the gun now lowered but still firm in her grip.
"Thank you," she says to Enzo, her voice soft but steady. She turns to the guards. "I'll let you know if your services are required."
They nod to her before retreating from the room.
CHAPTER 36
The moment my father's unconscious body disappears through the door with Alessio and Noah, I stand frozen in my father's study. My legs feel weak, like they might give out any second.
Mother turns to me, her eyes wide and alert in a way I haven't seen in years. The gun trembles slightly in her hand before she sets it down on the desk. Her movements are still shaky, maybe from the pills they were giving her.
Before I can talk, Enzo crosses the room in three long strides. His hands cradle my face with surprising gentleness considering the violence I just witnessed. His thumbs brush over my cheeks, his eyes scanning my face as if memorizingevery detail.
"You're safe now," he murmurs, and then his mouth claims mine.
I feel the remnants of his rage melting into something else entirely while he is kissing me. My hands grip his wrists as I lean into him, drawing strength from his solid presence. When he pulls back, his forehead rests against mine for a heartbeat.
"I should leave you with your mother."
His eyes flick to my mother, who stands watching us with tears streaming down her face.
With one last look at me, he strides from the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click that seems to echo in the sudden silence.
