Roses & Ruin

Chapter 84 (Anthony)

         As good as last night was, for some reason I could barely sleep knowing where I'd be going come morning. I was still raging inside about what Enzo did to Lexi. He has no idea what's coming to him. The only reason I didn't run outta my house and kick his door in last night after I found out is because I wanted him sober when he faced me. 

I don't wanna kick a drunk sloppy man's ass. I want Enzo sharp when I knock his ass the fuck out.

So this morning I found myself pacing the house just waiting for a reasonable hour to head over there. When I couldn't take it anymore I jumped in my car and headed to my cousin's place. 

The image of Lexi with her tear stained cheeks and bloodied hand kept replaying in my mind. That slice in her palm was gnarly. And her wrist looked a little swollen last night before she left my apartment. Sprained I think. She'd told me she caught her weight on that one wrist when she stumbled and fell backwards when he pushed her unexpectedly. She's lucky she didn't break it. 

Enzo will be lucky too if I don't break something of his. I was running on pure adrenaline and I wasn't sure exactly what I was gonna do when I showed up. I didn't plan it out, I just knew I wanted to swing at him.

        When I pulled up at his place I took a breath and cracked my neck. Rolling my shoulder back I exited the car and started over. My fist balled up and knocked heavily on his door. There was a long pause with no sound coming from the other side, so I started pounding on the door again. After a minute the door finally swung open.

My cousin's hair was sticking up all over the place. His eyes were still small with sleep and a looming hangover. He was rubbing them as he opened the door. "I was about to shoot you. Why the fuck are you banging like that?" He asked me, thinking I was some enemy of his he was gonna have to get into a gun fight with. 

Not exactly. I did however fist his shirt and slam him into the wall beside the door. His sleepy eyes grew much more alert. "The fuck" he hissed. 

        As soon as my fist was shut tight that adrenaline surged through me. I grit my teeth and leaned forward until we were practically nose to nose. "You know why I'm here?" I asked him. There's a chance he doesn't remember last night. I watched as Enzo's confusion turned to recognition. "Shit man...that was an accident" he clearly knew.

In my anger I practically threw him out the front door and he rolled on the ground as I bound over to grab him again. He hit the ground with a thud and a sound escaped him. 

"Who the fuck do you think you are putting your hands on her?!" I barked, coming down to grab him and yank him up. He'd been in a haze of sleepiness, but him hitting the ground shook all that loose. His eyes were wild in his head as he turned defensive.

        "It was an accident. Get your fucking hands off me" he grabbed my wrists and tried to pull. Now that I had him up on his feet again I wound my hand back and swung at him. My fist slammed into his face and his head rocked back. His automatic response was to swing back. 

I blocked him and rocked him again. This time he stumbled back and grabbed for the railing so he wouldn't fall completely. "Anthony you better stand the fuck down before I really get mad" he warned me. I continued forward. 

"Yeah? What are you gonna do? Push me like you did her? Cut me with glass? I fucking dare you " I grabbed him again. He and I began to struggle against each other. "This isn't your goddamn business!!" He shouted at me.

"I'm making it my fucking business you prick" I kneed him in the gut and he recoiled. When I released him he hunched over and puked on the sidewalk. I cracked my neck, still riled up and ready to fight him. When Enzo spit the last of his vomit he stood upright and took a breath.