Page 70 of Ruined By Blood
"That's why you looked so terrified," Enzo says softly. "Not just because of your father's arrangement with Cortez."
I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the room's warmth. "He recognized me immediately. Started talking about old times, how much he'd enjoyed mycompany years ago." Bile rises in my throat at the memory. "He told me he'd paid extra to be my first. I thought that he was going to take me to Cortez and I followed him because that's what I was tasked to do that night."
Enzo's breathing changes, becoming deeper, more controlled. I recognize it as the sound of someone fighting to maintain composure.
"Do you know his name?" he asks, his voice dangerously quiet.
I shake my head. "Henry never told me their names. It was safer that way, he said. They were just faces to me. Nameless nightmares."
Enzo's eyes burn with a cold fire. "We'll find out who he is."
"And Cortez?" Enzo prompts gently.
"The newest arrangement." I swallow hard against the knot in my throat. "Henry's been negotiating with him for months. Apparently, I was part of a package deal involving shipping routes through Mexico."
Enzo remains silent for a long moment, his breathing measured and deep. When he finally speaks, his voice is tight with controlled fury.
"These men. All of them. They will pay for what they did to you."
"No one's ever believed me before," I whisper. "No one's ever wanted to help."
Enzo takes my hand in his, his touch gentle despite the violence I know those hands are capable of. "I believe you, Sienna. And I promise you, they will all answer for this. Starting with your father."
I let myself collapse against Enzo's chest, all my strength suddenly gone. Without a word, he wraps his arms around me, holding me so tightly that I can barelybreathe. Yet somehow it's exactly what I need. His embrace is nothing like the touches I've experienced before; there's no demand in it, no expectation, just pure comfort.
"I've got you," he whispers against my hair. "I've got you, piccola."
His hand moves in slow circles on my back, careful to avoid the places where he knows my scars are. His other arm remains firmly around me, keeping me anchored against him, a physical wall between me and the world that has hurt me for so long.
"Let it out," he murmurs. "You're safe here. No one can hurt you."
The words only make me cry harder. Years of pent-up tears flow freely now, my body shaking with the force of them. Enzo holds me through it all, his heartbeat steady and strong against my ear.
"I never..." I try to speak between sobs, the words breaking apart. "I never had anyone to talk to."
His arms tighten around me.
"My mother tried," I continue, my voice ragged. "But she couldn't... she couldn't protect herself, let alone me. And then she was gone, and I was alone with him."
I feel Enzo's chest rise and fall with a deep breath.
"I used to fantasize about running away," I admit. "But where would I go? Henry has connections everywhere."
I trail off, the memory too painful.
"You don't have to tell me everything at once," Enzo says softly. "Just know that you're not alone anymore, Sienna."
"I'm so tired," I whisper against his chest. "Tired of being afraid all the time. Tired of having no one to talk to. No one to trust."
His hand moves up to stroke my hair, careful to avoidthe tender spot where Jackson grabbed me. "You can talk to me," he says. "I'm not going anywhere."
For the first time in years, maybe in my entire life, I let someone else take the weight of my pain. I cry until there's nothing left, until my throat is raw and my eyes burn. And through it all, Enzo holds me, steady and unwavering, his presence a promise I never thought anyone would make me.
CHAPTER 24
Istroke Sienna's hair as she curls against me, her body still trembling with the aftershocks of her confession. The weight of what she's told me sits like lead in my chest—heavier than any bulletproof vest, more painful than any knife wound.
"You need to rest, piccola," I murmur, my voice rougher than I intended. "Your body needs to recover."
