Love and lies, desire and destruction. After desire leaves two hearts broken, Lucy and Enzo spend years apart, both hurting, neither healing.
One day Lucy finds herself in desperate need of saving, the only question is whether Enzo will hear her cal...
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The bedroom is bathed in moonlight as I toss and turn in the constricting bedclothes. A gentle breeze fills the room and I let out a sigh of relief.
Enzo left hours ago, and the minute the feeling of safety vanished almost as fast as he did. I tried reading, watching tv and even pacing, nothing worked. So instead I'm staring up at the crisp white ceiling, waiting for the sound of Enzo returning.
Jolting awake, a smash of broken glass slams me from a sleep I didn't realise I had fallen into. From downstairs I can hear a string on curse words and my muscles instantly relax.
The voice is Marco, which means everything is ok. Climbing out of bed, I pull on my red silk nightgown and white puff slippers.
Moving silently through the house, I pause outside Sophia's room and hear hushed voices and gentle laughs. I don't care what Enzo says or thinks when it comes to light , Sophia and Alex are in love. And it makes my heart ache with happiness for them.
Following the sounds of clattering, and cursing, I find a drunk and distressed Marco rampaging around the living room as he tries to pour himself a glass of whiskey.
"Marco," I murmur softly, not wanting to startle him too much.
He grunts and spins around, glaring at me for a second before his brain registers who I am. His face and body language instantly soften and then, to my utter surprise and horror, everything about him begins to crack and crumple.
"What's wrong, honey?" I ask gently as I crouch down next to where he has slumped to the floor.
"I...I was... in Paris..." he slurs, struggling to speak through the alcohol in his system.
"And I saw her." He swallows hard and aggressively wipes a tear from his cheek.
"Saw who?" I prompt gently, the unease in my gut clenching more and more as he judders the breath into his lungs.
"Amanda..." he slurs out, and I freeze.
Amanda has been dead for nearly 5 years now, I cried at her funeral, I stood where the car breached the pavement too many times to count. Whoever Marco saw, it wasn't her, and yet... there is something about his raw distress that prevents me from completely dismissing his words.
"Honey..." I strike up and down his back as he silently sobs while desperately trying to hide it from me.
"I know! Ok." He protests, "I know how crazy I sound. But I swear... it was her."
Sighing, I bite my lip and think of something to say. But there is nothing to say. Amanda is gone, she was hit by a car walking home from the shops 5 years ago. She cannot be alive and well in Paris, but Marco's pain is still real. He is still grieving the loss of my friend, as am I, so anything I say now will just hurt him... and me.
Instead of speaking, I wrap my arms around Marco's shoulders and hold him. I expect him to resist, none of Enzo's men are really fond of human contact, or affection, but he doesn't. He sinks back into my arms and cries silently as I rock him softly.
I've seen Enzo like this before, weak and vulnerable, but never Marco. It's unusual and sobering.
Moments later, Marco's phone rings with the sound that I instantly recognise as Enzo's number. Marco flinches and fumbles around searching for his phone.
"Let me." I soothe him, as I pick up the phone and answer.
"Enzo, baby?" I can hear his frantic, laboured breathing down the phone line.
"Lucy?" Enzo's voice is full of confusion, "where's Marco? What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong," "I reassure... but Marco is unavailable right now." I look down at his slumped form and realise he's passed out.
"Unavailable?" Enzo snaps, "what do you mean unavailable?"
"First of all, don't take that tone with me." I reply calmly, "and secondly, Marco has... had a bit of a shock. I will tell you about it when you're home."
I hear Enzo sucking in a sharp breath, and then he mutters a curse word.
"Baby," he says softly, "I will be home soon, I promise you, but right now I need you to go and find Alex for me."
"Of course." I reply instantly, while I will not let Enzo speak badly to me, right now he's on a mission, he's stressed and potentially in a dangerous situation. He needs me to do exactly what he tells me to do.
"Get Alex and tell him to come to Location I23. Ok?"
"Location I23, Alex. I got it."
"Perfect, thank you baby."
From down the phone line I hear raised voices and my pulse spikes. I am already moving up the stairs but I still wish Alex could get to Enzo faster.
"Baby, I love you. I'll be home soon."
And then he hangs up.
Knocking on Sophia's door, I hear their frantic, panicked voices in hushed undertones.
"It's just me!" I call out, reassuring them. "But Enzo needs Alex immediately!"
Seconds later, the bedroom door is thrown open by a disheveled looking Alex. He's frantically doing up his belt buckle and cannot meet my eye.
"Your secret is safe with me," I reassure him as we both rush downstairs.
Alex meets my eye as he takes in the sight of Marco on the living room floor but I just gently shake my head.
"Location I23, right?" Alex checks as he pushes a gun in the waistband of his trousers.
"Yes. That's what he said."
Alex exhales heavily and I can read his face that he's worried.
"Go." I urge him, "and bring him home to me."
"I will, I promise. Go and sit with Sophia for me, she's hormonal today and a little sad."
"I will. I promise." I reassure, using the same words as he just said for me.
We both smile weakly before he slams the door shut and I feel my heart leap into my throat with worry.
