Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Fear hardens, becoming rage. “What the hell was that?” he barks, looking around. He begins getting up, straightening himself out, and I’m about to do the same—that is, until he lets out a choked moan. The sound of it rips through me and threatens to break my heart. I look around, trying to find what he’s reacting to.
It doesn’t take long. “Grandfather!” he shouts, but there’s no response from the old man now lying flat on his back, arms and legs splayed out. Enzo gets up and pulls me along with him, even though I’m not on my feet yet. I end up sliding across the grass, but he’s not paying attention.
He’s too busy shouting at his grandfather, falling to his knees at the man’s side. “No, no, please,” he whispers, taking the old man’s face in his hands and patting his cheeks. “Come on. Don’t do this. Don’t leave me.”
I don’t have the heart to tell him it’s already done.
“Somebody, help him!” Enzo turns to me, his eyes wild. “Do something! You did it for Prince! Please, help him!” His voice breaks toward the end, and that might be the saddest part of all of this. How broken he is.
But it’s obvious there’s nothing I can do. I take his hand, wrapping both of mine around it. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “But he’s already gone. There’s nothing I can do.” The man’s got a hole in his chest, and his eyes are wide open, staring up at the blue sky. He was probably killed instantly. This is nothing like Prince.
“But you have to,” Enzo grits out, squeezing my hand until I cry out in pain. “You have to!”
“I can’t! I’m sorry, but he’s already gone. Look at him.” I nod toward him. “I’m sure it was instantaneous. He didn’t feel a thing.”
Meanwhile, chaos is still unfolding all around us. The minister has run off along with Mrs. Alvarez, both of them ducking for cover. Guards are still swarming the grounds, shouting at each other.
But right now, the only thing in the world is Enzo, who pulls me to my feet and throws an arm over my chest before pressing a gun to my temple. It’s ridiculous, but all I can think is I’m about to be part of the world’s shortest marriage.
“I’ll fucking kill her!” he barks at Alvarez, who has barely moved since everything fell apart. “You did this! This was all your plan!”
Alvarez holds up his hands, shaking his head. “No, this wasn’t me. I had nothing to do with it.”
“You’re fucking lying!” I hear how uneven Enzo’s voice is. How much emotion is in it. How close to the edge he’s come. This man was the only family he had, and while he was a pain in the ass, there had to be a lot of love there. Now he’s lost everybody who loved him.
“Enzo, please!” I wail, pulling at the arm pressed tight to my chest in hopes of making him release me. It doesn’t matter. He’s not letting go. He’s never letting go. Not when he’s convinced I’m the enemy who wouldn’t save his grandfather’s life.
“So this was the plan all along. I should have fucking known!”
“That’s not true!” All that earns me is the gun pushed tighter against my temple.
Alvarez looks around, waving his hands like he’s signaling for things to calm down. “Enzo, you need to stop. Think. What would I have to gain by setting this up?”
“Listen to him!” I plead.
“This wasn’t my plan. Okay? You need to settle down before you do something you’re going to regret.”
My eyes dart around, taking in the full scene. Men from both sides point guns at each other, at Enzo, at me. The wind could blow the wrong way, and we’d all be dead. It’s that tense. I’m afraid to breathe.
“Enzo, please listen,” I beg, on the verge of tears. “Let me go. I didn’t do anything. I wish I could’ve helped him. I really do.”
“Shut up,” he growls, his arm almost crushing me. “You’ve already said too damn much, and I was stupid to listen to a single word.”
Yes, we might be happy if the rest of the world would leave us alone. Sadly, that’s never going to happen. Especially not in this world, where a wedding can turn into a bloodbath at the drop of a hat.
Now, Enzo and I are back to square one, with me waiting for him to end my life.
30
ENZO
And here we are, back to where we started. With her fighting against me, clawing at my arm, choking on her tears. Thinking if she just fights hard enough, she’ll be free. She still hasn’t learned.
“Enzo, please,” she begs, blubbering all over the place. Trying her damnedest to fuck with my head the way she’s fucked with me all this time.