Page 125 of Ruined By Blood
"Tell me what you want," I say. "Anything you need, anything you dream about. We'll make it happen."
Sienna's quiet for a moment, her fingers tracing the tattoo on my chest. "I want to find my way back to photography," she finally says. "Not just as an escape, but really pursue it. And..." she hesitates, "maybe college? I had tutors, but never a real education."
"Done," I say immediately. "We'll get you whatever equipment you need, set up a darkroom if you want. And college—anywhere you want to go."
She smiles, a genuine smile that reaches her eyes. "I think I'd like to stay close, at least at first." Her hand finds mine, squeezing. "I'm not ready to be too far from you yet."
"Good, because I'm not ready to let you out of my sight." I bring her hand to my lips, kissing her knuckles. "Anything else? The world's yours for the taking, Sienna."
She thinks for a moment. "I want to help my mother heal," she says. "And maybe... maybe help other girls like me. Not right away, but someday."
Pride swells in my chest. After everything she's been through, her first thoughts are for others. "We'll make it happen," I promise. "Whatever resources you need."
"And you?" she asks, studying my face. "What do you want?"
The question catches me off guard. What do I want? For so long, my wants have been simple—protect my family, grow our business, eliminate threats. But now?
"I want to wake up with you," I tell her honestly. "I want to see you heal, see you become everything you were meant to be before that bastard tried to break you. I want to show you every beautiful thing you've been denied."
Her eyes glisten with unshed tears. "We'll figure it out," she echoes my words back to me. "Step by step."
CHAPTER 41
Istare at myself in the mirror, smoothing down a navy blue dress. Two days have passed since we left my mother at the mansion. Two days of peace, of waking up beside Enzo, of learning what normal feels like.
But there's a question hanging between us, unasked.
I haven't mentioned Henry once. Haven't asked what happened after they took him to that warehouse. The image of Enzo's face when he knocked Henry unconscious flashes through my mind – that cold, controlled rage that promised suffering.
"You look beautiful." Enzo appears in the doorway, already dressed in dark slacks and a crisp button-down. His eyes soften when they meet mine in themirror.
"Thank you." I turn to face him. "I heard someone's picking up my mother?"
He nods, crossing the room to stand behind me. "Alessio left twenty minutes ago. She'll be here soon."
My stomach twists with nerves. Not about seeing my mother – that still feels like a miracle – but about tonight. About the elephant in the room.
"You haven't asked," Enzo says quietly, reading my thoughts as he so often does. His hands rest gently on my shoulders.
"About Henry?" My voice comes out smaller than I intended.
Enzo's reflection watches me carefully. "Yes."
I swallow hard. "I don't know if I want to know."
"You don't have to ask if you're not ready."
But something in his expression tells me he needs me to ask. Needs me to acknowledge what he's done – what I asked him to do when I said I wanted Henry to suffer.
"Did you kill him?" The words hang between us.
Enzo's hands tighten slightly on my shoulders. "Yes. When you're ready to know more, I'll tell you everything." He presses a kiss to the top of my head. "But tonight is about family. About moving forward."
I turn in his arms, pressing my face against his chest. "Thank you."
"For what, tesoro?"
"For giving me the choice. Henry never did."
