My Flower

𝐓 𝐇 𝐈 𝐑 𝐓 𝐘 𝐍 𝐈 𝐍 𝐄

• 𝐂 𝐀 𝐓 𝐇 𝐄 𝐑 𝐈 𝐍 𝐄 •

"Have a good day, okay!" I shouted placing kisses on the kids foreheads before they went with Celia and Vincent. I guess the two talked last night because when I woke up Celia apologized for the way she acted yesterday.

"Thanks for doing that," Enzo said, wrapping his hand around my waist as we watched the car pull from the driveway.  I nodded, "...yeah," I replied, giving him a tight lipped smile.

"What's wrong, Fiore?" He asked, grabbing my hands and spinning me so we were face to face. A sigh left my lips and I looked up to meet his eyes.

"Do you have an answer...to what I asked last night?"

Enzo scoffed and took his hands from mine, "I need time to think."

"A night wasn't enough?! Enzo, it shouldn't take you that long!"

"Theres two options, the cartel or your family!"

"The cartel is my family!" He shouted in response, causing me to back up in response. He must've noticed my reaction because not even a second later his face softened and he took a step closer at an attempt to console me.

"That's all I needed to hear then...I have my answer," I muttered, tears streaming down my face. I'm an idiot, Enzo showed his true self years ago. Why would he change for me?

"Fiore, thats not-" he started.

"I need time to myself," I sobbed, running to the car he lended to me and starting it. I could tell that Enzo wanted to come after me but he didn't, instead he stood and watched as I pulled out of the driveway. Five minutes into the drive he started blowing my phone up but I couldn't dare answer it, not until I got far enough.

── ⋆⋅♡⋅⋆ ──

Two hours later

I sat at the park bench, watching the family of ducks swim together in the lake. The mothers always watched over the babies while the fathers would protect the mom and his babies. Thats the thing about nature, the animals always do what us humans fail to do.

Watching this is just making me sadder.

In that moment, a bird landed on the spot beside me, a female cardinal. I broke off a piece of bread from my sandwich and placed it in front of her, she hesitated for a second before grabbing the bread with her beak and flying away.

"I feed the birds too," an all too familiar voice spoke from behind me.

You've got to be kidding me!

"You can go, Gio," I said.

He sighed and took a seat in the spot beside me, "Catherine, I'm so sorry," he replied.

I instantly relaxed. Why am I taking my anger out on him? Enzos the one I'm mad at.

"No...Gio, I'm sorry."

"I didn't mean to come off that way, I'm just stressed..." I sighed and turned to face him.

"About what happened at the club?.." he started.

Crap! In all honesty I'd forgotten completely about that because I've had bigger issues...but by the way he's fidgeting I can tell that Gio hasn't. Maybe thats why he'd been calling me so much.

"It was a mistake, we were both drunk, so theres no need for us to talk about it...I'd prefer if we didn't," I replied. He nodded in response but I could tell something was eating him up. I wanted to ask him about it but my phone rang before I could. Enzo was calling and as much as I didn't want to talk to him, I wanted to get out of this situation more.

"It was nice seeing you, Gio," I fake smiled, before picking my phone up and walking to my car.

"Enzo."

"Where are you," he spoke, not giving me a chance to say anything more.

"I'm coming back, I just needed time to think." I said, hanging up the phone when he started speaking again. God.

I rolled my eyes and reached out for the car door but in that moment something was placing over my head and I was instantly grabbed before I could fight back.

• 𝐋 𝐎 𝐑 𝐄 𝐍 𝐙 𝐎 •

One hour later.

I paced back and forth in the corridor, "it's been a hour, she wouldn't have gone far...not without the kids." I said.

Why didn't I just say what she wanted to hear? Why was it so hard for me to choose...now all I want is to hold her in my arms and tell her that she and the kids mean the world to me. That I'll leave the cartel and buy that house by the ocean

"Maybe traffics bad." Ryan chimed in, only to be hit on the shoulder by Luca. Traffic on a Saturday?

"Fuck!" I shouted, watching as my parent's car pulled into the driveway.  The kids ran out of the car and into the house, instantly looking around searching for Catherine.

"Where's mom?" Carlos asked, tugging at the hem of my shirt.

"She'll be back soon. In the meantime lets get a snack!" Ryan exclaimed, grabbing Cassandra and Carlos then taking them into the kitchen. I mouthed a thank you before turning to face my parents.

"Did she run off again?" My mom said, causing me to scoff. Before I could respond my phone chimed and my eyes instantly widened. It was a simple picture but it made my world completely shatter. Catherine looked to be asleep with a chain tied around her neck bounding her to the wall. If that wasn't distasteful enough familiar logo was painted on the wall beside her, telling me all that I needed to know.

I should've never let her leave...now shes in danger because of me.