Married to Don Enzo

ENZO'S POV: Blood thundered in my ears. My chest tightened like a vice. The heavy weight of this life, all the sins, the bodies, the blood that never left my hands, settled over me, thick and clinging like a second skin I could never shed. Redemption. That word tasted bitter and foreign. That’s for men with softer hearts, not for someone like me. In this twisted world, I answer to no one. I make the rules. I decide who lives and who dies. My fists clenched hard at my sides, knuckles turning white. I am the law. This is who I am now. My father’s voice sliced through the silence, sharp like a blade. "Enzo, you know why I called you here. The meeting is set for tomorrow." The words dropped like stones in my gut. I clenched my fists tighter, nails digging into my palms. My jaw locked as hot fury rose fast, making my breathing rough and quick. "But, Father..." "No buts," he snapped. His eyes were sharp as steel, cutting straight into me. "This is what it means to be a mafia." The weight of his expectations crashed down on me all at once. My shoulders tensed and rose with the strain. I shoved my chair back violently, the legs scraping loudly against the floor. "A mafia? Are you f*****g serious? Don’t give me that bullshit. I bled for this family while you disappeared for four years. FOUR f*****g YEARS!" My voice came out raw and cracked with rage, hands shaking. "You think you can just waltz back in here and start pulling strings like nothing happened?" He barked, his voice booming like thunder. "ENZO VOLKOV! Watch your tongue. This is your last warning." I let out a dark, empty laugh that scraped painfully from my throat, my chest heaving. "Where the hell were you when I turned into this monster? When I was out there fighting your enemies, cleaning up your goddamn mess? You left me in the dirt, and now you want my obedience?" His voice dropped low, cold and venomous. "Cállate la boca. [shut your mouth]" Then came the order, flat and absolute. "Mark my words, you are marrying that girl. For the sake of this family. For the bloodline." I scoffed, my lip curling in disgust. "For the bloodline? I AM the damn bloodline. I’m the Spanish mafia, for f**k’s sake. I’ve built this empire without you. And you think I need a fuckass wife just because you say so?" I slammed my fist hard against the table. The impact rattled the crystal decanter, pain shooting up my arm. "I’ll do whatever the hell I want." I turned toward the door, every step heavy with defiance, until a flash of silver cut through the air. A knife. It grazed my ear and embedded deep into the wood right in front of me. I exhaled sharply, nostrils flaring, as warm blood trickled down my ear and dripped onto the floor. "You don’t get it, do you?" His voice dripped with contempt. "You’re nearly 26, Enzo, and you still think you’re some boy running wild. It is your duty to marry and provide an heir. This is not a request. It’s an order." My jaw clenched so tight it ached. My fists balled hard as I spun back around to face him, my whole body vibrating with rage. "Tomorrow, 9 a.m. sharp. The dining hall." He paused. "You know better than anyone what happens if you decide not to show." My hands dropped to my sides, heavy. "You know better than anyone that I don’t respond to threats." He brushed past me, shoulder slamming into mine with a solid thud as he gripped the door handle. "It’s not a threat, Enzo. It’s a promise." The door slammed shut behind him, shaking the walls. I stood frozen, breath ragged, pulse hammering loud in my ears. Then I lost it. "f**k!" I swept my arm across the desk, sending papers, glass, and crystal crashing to the floor. My knuckles throbbed as I punched through the wood again and again until sharp pain bloomed hot. But I couldn’t stop, not until everything around me was destroyed. My chest heaved violently, matching the storm ripping me apart inside. I dug my fingers into my hair, pulling hard, trying to ground myself. I need to get out of here. I grabbed my pistol, loaded it with a sharp click, then snatched my helmet. My hands were still trembling with leftover rage. The cool night air hit me like a hard slap as I strode toward the garage, shoulders tight. "Going somewhere, my lord?" I stopped dead in my tracks, body going rigid. Dallas. "Dallas," I acknowledged, my voice rough and low. His eyes softened as he looked at me. "It’s been a long time since we’ve talked. You were just a boy the last time I saw you." He let out a quiet chuckle. "Now look at you." Something twisted in my chest for a brief second before I pushed it down. "When your contract expires, come work for me." A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he fixed his mustache. "And would it be like the old days, Master? You running through the gardens playing tag without a care in the world?" The smirk slowly faded. "You’ve changed, my lord. Maybe too much. And you have your father to thank for that." I looked up at the sky and exhaled slowly. "He’s not my father." His gaze locked onto mine, searching. "I look at you now, those once bright emerald eyes, and do you know what I see?" I stayed silent, jaw still tight. "Nothing." His voice was quiet. "Just a black void of emptiness." Irritation spiked through me, making my muscles coil. "Careful, old man." He exhaled heavily. "I might be a stupid old man, but I know who you truly are, Enzo. And I know what you’ve done. I want to save you. Tell me, is there anything left in you that’s human?" I clenched my jaw harder as he kept going. "Is it the blood in your veins? Or maybe the love you feel for another?" "Enough!" I barked, my voice cracking loud. "Human? Don’t make me laugh. That part of me died a long time ago. And you can’t save me. I don’t need your savings." His shoulders slumped, disappointment clear on his face. "Enzo, whatever this world has taken from you, remember who you are." I let out a dry, humorless chuckle and shoved my helmet on. "Who I am is no one’s business. Least of all yours." I swung my leg over the motorcycle, gripping the handles tight. "Your father doesn’t want you leaving this estate until tomorrow," Hilde reminded me. I revved the engine hard, the loud roar cutting through the silence. "I know." I met his eyes. "And I don’t give a damn." He nodded, his head tilting in a bow. "Your father will not know. My loyalty is to you. My lips are sealed. I saw nothing." A smirk ghosted across my lips. "Bueno. [Good]" I twisted the throttle. Tires screeched loud as I tore through the gate. The wind lashed against me, cold and sharp, whipping my hair back and stripping away the weight of that house of lies. I didn’t look back. By the time the estate faded into the distance, I was nothing but a 100 mph shadow disappearing into the moonlit night. Ready to kill.