'𝙒here are you?'
Enzo gazed boringly at his cellphone as he watched the little blue line blink back and forth with an undrafted text message. After receiving Harrison's texts an hour or so ago, he (reluctantly) climbed into his car and drove from base to the linked address.
Since then, however, he had not responded to anything else. There was no answer to what floor he may be on, where he was, or what the hell he was doing at an abandoned hotel in the middle of downtown Los Angeles this late at night. That alone had his fingers tapping the side of his leg in anticipation; Harrison wasn't exactly reliable, but if he needed something, he made his presence known – whether that was over the phone or in person, it didn't matter.
He walked into the spinning door and turned on the flashlight on his phone; he looked around the deserted lobby for a few seconds, finding nothing incriminating until he approached the stairs. Crouching down to get a better look, he dragged his fingers through the burgundy droplets; some were dried and crusted over, while others still lingered like a small puddle.
Blood.
Standing, he began his climb to whichever floor this may lead him. His eyebrow twitched in distaste the higher he went; while his supposed partner was on the dumber side, he never did anything without a veil of lies before it. He had no idea what to expect at the end of this – was he going to have another poor woman in his grasp?—bleeding out and confused like usual?
Will he catch him with his pants down again?—hovering over yet another unresponsive person?
Enzo swallowed his thoughts and clenched his jaw, arriving at the tenth-floor landing. He cocked his head to the side and investigated the trail without so much as a step in its direction. He could see from here – feel the eerily cold air from this warm night escaping to chill his arm – the door was open just barely, but enough to put him on edge.
Cautiously, he trudged to the door and withdrew his gun at the same time. Using the barrel of the gun as a safety net, he pushed open the door; the freefall swing made a creaking noise in its wake, but as far as he could tell, that was the only movement that sounded from this otherwise plain room.
He rounded the corner of the first wall he saw and stopped in what seemed to be the center of the place; he knew from the structure that it was built with the intention to be a penthouse, but looking around, he could see the numerous doors blocked off. The only space that seemed open for habitation was the one he was in right now.
A few more minutes passed before he moved from his spot. He wanted to make sure that if there was someone else in here, he wouldn't be caught off-guard by them. No noises, no voices, no wisps of breath alerted him – he knew that he was in the clear.
Still, he kept his gun in his hand just in case.
Enzo investigated the half-eaten dinner resting on a long table – the white table cloth was less than that shade of color now. Dabbles of red rested in one area while streaks of the same color tainted it in longer strides in another; something told him that it was not due to the medium-rare meat.
"Harrison?" he tested, looking around.
The only thing that followed was an echo of his own voice.
He sucked on his teeth, growing annoyed. He drove out of his way to see this stupid fucker just to realize that he'd played the hell out of him – he wasn't even here. He had no clue if the blood trail and weird arrangement were part of some plan, but it wasn't working.
Enzo spun to leave the building when the sole of his shoe rubbed against the sterling-silver blade on the ground. Intrigued, he bowed down and picked it up, flipping it over multiple times. The jagged edges had some type of material caught on it and was also decorated in this internal-human color like everything else in the room.
"What the fuck?" he whispered to himself.
Turning the blade toward the window to see it better under the shade of the moonlight, he caught a new sight within its reflection. Turning his head to the side, he noticed a body lying flat against the floor, half tucked underneath the table – just enough that he didn't see it upon arrival.
Looping around the wooden structure, he slowed his steps once he rested before the body; he knew that the person wasn't alive just from the stance of them – still sitting on the chair with their arms tied to it and crushed underneath the pressure. Anyone with a beating heart would either have pulled themselves from the awkwardness or would be whining until someone heard them.
Just by looking at the hands, body shape, and leg length, he knew that it was Harrison resting before him. While he wasn't exactly upset about his death, he would be lying if he said he didn't want answers.
He'd purposely taken the time and the measures to explore his body instead of his face for a reason – he couldn't see it. Whoever attacked him placed a silver covering over his head; he had no idea what it meant or if it was supposed to mean anything.
"What have you gotten yourself into, hmm, Harrison?" he mused.
Enzo grabbed onto the handle and pulled up.
He immediately wished he didn't.
Gagging, he dropped the shield back on his face with a clatter and pivoted away from him. He leaned over and dry-heaved toward the floor with his eyes sealed shut, wanting nothing more than to go back three seconds and rid this image from his mind.
The perpetrator must have castrated him after he died because there wasn't a lot of blood coming from the extremity; still – to not only be able to cut through that and stomach it, but then to also place it in his mouth?—that was fucking insanity.
At least they had the decency to leave it as a surprise instead of an expectation.
He pulled his eyes open, ready to do something about the scene when he noticed the message left on the floor. He stepped back, revealing the last of the sentence from under his sneaker.
For my brother. -C
For a minute, he had no idea who the letter C could belong to. When he finally computed it, a smile crept on his face; her boyfriend had done a wonderful job of making a point to them a few weeks back, so the fact that she'd gone out of her way and took matters into her own hands, showed him that he'd picked the right group of people to make his enemy.
Not only were the twins on the verge of being double agents, but their significant others were running amidst the town, killing off their people, one by one. While Harrison had nothing to do with the death of what he assumed now was her brother, it still felt like poetic justice.
To be killed by the same thing he tortured his entire life?—that's one hell of a way to go out.
Enzo knew that he couldn't leave the scene as it was, so he walked over to the barren kitchen cabinet and was happy to find exactly what he wanted. Clutching the canister of lighter fluid and brushing off the dust and webs, he made his way back over to the body.
He leaned over and touched Harrison's knee, patting it.
"My only regret, dear cousin," he grinned, tipping the can, "—is that I was not the one to do this."
Then he drenched him in the liquid.
Enzo flicked his silver lighter, catching a flame; he smiled like a king and shoved his hand into his pocket as he tossed the small object onto Harrison's chest and began to walk away.
Rest in hell, maggot.
Flames shot out of the broken windows as he stepped back into the night air and toward his vehicle. He did not flinch when the screams of lingering citizens appeared. He did not react when the stove in the building blew up from the ignition.
Instead, he took a picture of the scene with his eyes and felt an enormous weight lift. If he should ever see Caycee in the flesh, he ought to thank her by saving her the strain of meeting Andreas.
****
Enzo marched into the meeting room with a grin on his face.
Demetri and Nico were sitting at the table, staring at the screen, chatting with one of the bosses. His smile faded just a smidge as he noticed only one empty profile picture staring at him; he decided to brush it off, hoping that the lack of appearance had to do with something unrelated.
Plopping down in his rightful seat, he tuned into the conversation.
"—we saw them leaving the warehouse. There's no way they're not betraying us," Nico argued.
"Kai was visibly upset though," Demetri pointed out.
"That could have nothing to do with what they discussed. His ex was there."
"Exactly my point."
"No—"
"Boys," Gemini cut them off, "Quit it. Our inside man will fill us in later."
The two disciples shut their mouths and rested back in their chairs, relaxing. Enzo cocked his head to the side and watched them as silence filled the gaps in the conversation. Even though he was counting on the twins to betray this stupid cause, he wasn't expecting them to do it so soon, nor so obvious. For assassins, they were clearly lacking in the stealth department.
That, or they just stopped caring.
"Zo," Gemini interrupted his thoughts.
"Hmm?" he faced the monitor.
"Where were you?"
"Following up on a text from Harrison."
"Well," they paused, "—where is he?"
"Dead."
Demetri and Nico exchanged glances that looked unsurprised; he could read between the lines in their eyes that they were questioning his role in it, which was amusing. Of course, the bosses wouldn't pin his death on him, even if he had done it as without him, this place would wither to dirt, but it was still sweet to know that his reputation hasn't deteriorated.
"I see. Who did this?"
Enzo opened his mouth to tell them that Kaedyn's girlfriend is to be held responsible for it, but as he did, the doors to the room swung open, and in walked Leo. Now, normally, a jump from his chair and a glare in his eyes came from seeing him in person, but right now, he could care less about him.
"I don't know," he directed at Gemini.
He ignored their questions after that.
All he focused on was the little girl in his other boss's arms.
"Leo," he growled.
"Enzo," he smirked, "I've been wondering when you'd show up."
"Get your hands off her," he stepped closer.
"Wow," he breathed, "Relax a bit, why don't you?"
But he didn't do that, rather, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a knife; he tossed it right at Nico with the intention for it to pierce his eye and kill him. Unfortunately, his anger and ill-concentration directed the object just shy of his face.
Nico fell out of his chair in fear, scrambling backward on his palms.
"What the fuck, man!?" he shrieked.
"Why aren't you watching her?"
"Leo said it was fine—"
Enzo kicked the chair he was sitting in across the room, watching it slam into the wall and crash to the ground. He was borderline risking a switch, but he didn't care. He could trust Andreas more to watch and care for Ruby's wellbeing than he could Leo.
He never experienced a relationship that was more than artificial.
Marching right up to him, he sneered in his face before hooking his hands underneath his niece's arms and pulling her into his body. He took several steps back and flattened her messy hair down, faking a smile to match the giggle she shot in his direction.
"I wonder," Leo interrupted the moment, "—have you gone soft?"
"Of course not," he remarked, not facing him.
Demetri caught his gaze for a second, but thought against it and turned to help his comrade off the floor. Neither of them were letting their guards down now; they pushed their chairs further back.
"Really? That girl in your arms seems to speak otherwise."
"Ruby is mine," he asserted, "I act as I please in her name."
"I for one think she's a distraction."
"Good for you – no one cares what you think."
"I find it amusing how you talk to me," Leo chuckled, "I am your boss."
"On paper," he said angrily, finally turning to face him, "But you are no boss of mine. Someone who sits behind a computer all of the time while forcing me to handle the grunt work isn't shit. You don't scare me – hell, you don't even make a hair on my neck stand. I can prove just so right now."
"Put the girl down," he stood, "And do it."
Enzo narrowed his eyes, staring right into his. One thing about this man was his personality – the way he operated. He never experienced a normal relationship in his life; not familial or otherwise; he was a walking zombie, devoid of anything except for negative emotions. All he never showcased was boredom, anger, or superiority – such a sick joke.
"Demetri," he said flatly, "Will you hold her for me?"
Leo's lips tilted up as he stared back at him; that smile, paired with the look in his eyes, was deadly. Too bad he'd been through enough shit that he was basically immune to his intimidation.
Preparing himself to switch with Andreas, he was two seconds away from handing Ruby over to Demetri when Leo cracked a full smile and closed the gap between them.
"Aha," he patted his shoulder, "I'm just messing with you."
Enzo glared at him as he walked slowly in a circle, stopping just before the projected call Gemini was on. He gestured for Demetri to take his seat with a small head jut.
"What are you trying to prove?"
"Nothing," Leo shrugged, "I was just curious, that's all."
"Of what?"
"Where your loyalties lie."
"Why?" he narrowed his eyes, "Because I care about her?"
"Precisely," Leo crossed his arms.
"She is a product of my decisions, therefore she is my responsibility. I wanted Matteo here, I wanted him ruined and because I didn't watch him and Lilly enough, she was created. How I act with her, treat her, and who I chose to babysit her is none of your concern."
He was fuming.
His false call upon his alter was not helping either.
Andreas had been itching to meet the bosses for a while now—he was unfortunately a lot like Leo. More than bark, less than bite – it all came down to superiority and ego levels.
"Tell me – is this sense of care because you were treated like a sex-doll for your childhood?"
The anger in his body continued to fester; Leo, standing there all smug, talking on topics he barely got a glimpse of was something he couldn't stand. Just because he was there, just because he helped break him and piece him together at the end of Carson's manipulation, does not give him the right to talk about what he would never know.
"No, it is because she is a child."
"You're worried she might trigger her gene if she has it," he laughed, "She is a descendent from Carson, after all – it is wise of you to make sure she doesn't become you."
"Are you done?"
Leo studied him for a second before feigning surrender and shrugging his shoulders, "Sure."
He most certainly was not, but he didn't care to hear the rest of it.
"Good," he crowded his personal bubble, "Because if you so much as touch a piece of her clothing again, I will fucking kill you. I don't have many boundaries Leo, and I have stayed by you for years upon years – the least I deserve is the respect I've earned. You don't want me as an enemy."
Enzo stepped away from him and made a move to exit the room.
With one foot out, he was stopped.
"—if you're planning on seeing Matteo, you cannot."
"This is because—?"
"We've got word that Kai and Kaedyn have been making moves with the mafia, despite our many warnings and actions done to promote their loyalty. Mason Everett is still a steady target for us, but our biggest leverage is Matteo Miller," he sighed, "—I can't have anyone making contact with him. He needs to be isolated and confused so that when the time comes, he cannot try to rebel."
"He is my prisoner."
"Was," there was a hint of humor in his voice, "—he's mine now."
"No—" he spun.
"Matteo or the girl," he loosely grinned, "You can pick."
He watched Leo's eyes rake up and down the small less-than-three-foot body of his niece with malice and eagerness alike; he knew just from that alone that Matteo could manage on his own – he was smart, and with their plan building, they'd talked about something like this before. Ruby, on the other hand, could not protect or defend herself from as monster a cruel as him.
"Do not make me your enemy," he reiterated, stepping from the room.
He listened to the sound of his boss's manic laughter as he walked further and further away, wanting to get Ruby out of this situation as fast as possible. Since Rayne's confrontation, he had purchased a new home to abide in, but after that, he knew that he couldn't go there.
Opening the backseat of his Cadillac, he placed her in her car seat and began buckling.
"Uncle Zo?" she asked once she was clicked in.
"Yes, baby?"
"Where is daddy?"
Enzo bit the corner of his lip as he reached over and tucked her red hair behind her ears. Her emerald eyes looked at him with more emotion than a two-year-old should be able to harbor; a piece of him felt as if he couldn't keep lying to her, even if she didn't have the mental capacity to figure that out.
"He's gone on a trip for a bit?"
"A trip?"
"Yes, he'll be back soon. I promise."
"Okay," Ruby turned her head to the side and began kicking her legs.
The best thing about her?—she often forgot about their conversations quickly.
"Are you hungry?" he questioned.
"Yes!" she squealed, a smile back on her face, "I want chickie nuggies!"
"Okay, baby," he replicated her expression, "Let's go get some."
Ruby kicked harder and laughed her adorable little laugh as he closed the door and slid into the driver's seat. He adjusted his mirror so that he could view her and the back window before turning his car on and backing out of the driveway.
Knowing that she was safe now, he could focus on the bigger picture.
Leo was catching onto his antics, whether he chose to admit it or not. He needed to step up his pace and his game – if he wanted to get away from this showdown without a scratch on his, Ruby's, or Matteo's head, he was going to have to make contact with the main group.
He sighed, hating that he was about to use his sister, even after promising he'd never do that again.
But he had to.
If Kai and Kaedyn weren't going to realize a rat was amongst them—
—then I will make it known.