Kevin's POV
I always thought that worrying about someone makes people weak but when Enede shows her concern for me, asking me how I am or how it went and in her way reassuring me, it made me realise that when you have someone who cares, it only makes you stronger. You have someone to fight for and if it were not for her, I would have no way of feeling anything. My feelings would be numb.
I inch in her direction. «I won't let him have any power over me,» I warn her, glueing my eyes into hers. «Plus, you'll hear everything and be sure to witness it.»
She now seems more relieved and lowers her head to meet my lips and kiss me. We don't kiss constantly, but every time it happens my stomach has the same reaction as the first time. And I am still not over her taking the first step. I wanted to kiss her for months but I was waiting for her to feel ready because if it was for me, it would have happened a long time ago.
And when she kissed me, on the day of the attack, she caught me off guard. I was surrounded by so many feelings and when she did it, I didn't hesitate one moment to share it with her and let myself go.
From that moment everything stepped through a different door, where my feelings were and are even more amplified and I wish I could kiss her every day, every minute.
Once she rears back, I hear her sighing deeply. «Text me if you need to, okay?»
I nod and keep my eyes on her until she disappears inside the building where Daniele's office is. Then I turn back on the car's engine and drive away to reach my father's house.
When I am in, I don't bother asking where he is, knowing he is right in his office as always. I pick up my phone and turn on the bug as I reach his door. I take a deep breath and march in without knocking. I find my father on the phone, facing the big window that overviews the big square in front of his house. He doesn't hear me at first but when I close the door behind me, he turns his body to flash me a blank gaze. He is not surprised to see me here and I wonder if my actions are just making things worse.
«I have to call you back,» he warns the person he is talking to. «My son is here.»
I keep my eyes pointed at him while I walk with my chin up, reaching the chair in front of the desk and sitting with no hesitation, making myself comfortable.
I look at him while he hands up the call and then sits on the big chair on the other side of the desk. «Why here?»
«We need to talk,» I start. «I want you to tell me more about the attack.»
My father chuckles. «I already told you enough.»
«No,» I retort. «You told me nothing. You told me you are planning to end things with Nando but you didn't tell me how, where and when. And I want to know that.»
He tilts his head to one side, now he is not smiling anymore. «Where this temperament came from?»
«From being tired to being treated like a kid.» My posture is rigid and my eyes are burning. «I came here, wanting you to trust me and to pull me into your affair so I could see the real world I will be in one day you'll be away but how am I supposed to handle everything if you don't show me the real side?»
«You are a kid, figlio.»
«No. You pretend to say that because you want me to bend at you but I will not. Not anymore,» I point out by going forward to get closer to him. «I am going to replace you and if you don't show me the reality of this life, I am going to take my path and create my way.»
I purse my jaw, clenching my fists and bowing a brown as my gaze never leaves his. Daniele and Enede were right. The only person who was making me fold in front of my father was me. I don't fear him right now. If he stands up and reaches me to beat me, I won't take the hit. I will fight back because I am tired to be treated like shit. Between him and me there was and there will never be affection, which means I have to fight with my nails.
My father slowly puts a smile on his face. «It took you long enough to finally fight me back,» he admits and crosses his hand together. I can imagine Enede breathing out all the air she's been holding in. «You were always this little weak kid, always scared of me. Now I can see the real man, I can picture you as my heir. Now I can trust you. The burn in your eyes is something that I was waiting for so long.»
Suddenly, the room smells like humidity and it becomes smaller. I straighten my back, squaring my shoulders and never moving my stare away from my father's eyes, keeping him under my focus. His expression seems to be honest, I can't read any trap in it or some sort of joke.
I narrow my eyes, cocking my chin. «There is nothing different in me,» I hit, crossing my arms. «From the first moment I walked into this room, the purpose was all the same. As before and as now.»
He shakes his head and leaves the chair. He slowly walks towards me and I follow his movement. «When you came here I thought you were setting me a trap, you weren't confident. You were a crumpled paper and I was just smashing you more. You never had the strength to face me properly.»
«Because I was always the weak emotional kid in front of your eyes,» I speak for him. «Because you always saw me as a poor guy who can't stand for himself and if I have a woman in my life it means that I am naive and I can't do this,» I keep going and I stand up, frizzing myself in front of him. «Guess what, I can do both.»
My father hears me with his full ears. I may have confirmed his theory about Enede but I don't care. «Women make us weak.»
«If you let them make it,» I retort. «Mother never made you weak, why should I?»
«Because you're not like me.»
And thank god. «That's what you think,» I smirk. «But you never knew me. You never wanted to know me. You never saw me. Your eyes were covered by glory and money, forgetting that I was in your shadow, spying on you, studying you, Father.» I chin up, bringing one hand on my father's shoulder. «It was always my play.»
He frowns and for the first time I may see him folding in front of me and it feels so good. «Maybe I have always played the naive one so I could study you from the aside and be better. Maybe I was waiting for the right moment. Maybe I was settling something by finding a way to oust you. And now I am walking in without caring what you think or want me to do.»
My heart is racing in my chest and the adrenaline is flushing in my veins and somehow I am afraid of this version of myself. I don't want to be like him, but why it feels so natural to say these things? I put Enede's image in my head and remembered why I am doing all of this.
«Good, Kevin.» He is calling my name for the first time. «I got it. You're ready.»
I take back my hand. «Tell me about the attack.»
My father walks back on his chair and I on mine. When I sit I relax all my muscles and push my head against the seat's brown leather.
«It will be in their hideouts in North Lombardy,» he confesses by crossing his hands and pushing them on the wooden desk. «We will meet them directly there and tell them I have an accord to do. I want to work with them, not against them.»
I frown. «You're not planning on scamming them?»
He shakes his head. «I mean, yes but the purpose is that I don't want to give them my money so either they accept to work with us or they will die.»
I nod. «So, we go there, we talk?»
My father shrugs. «We both are big families, instead of keep making war between us we could mix our strengths and make something big. You could be the leader of a big company.»
«I would prefer ending them,» I play. «I don't trust them, I am sure they could betray us at any moment.»
«And if they do it-»
«We kill them.»
He grins with a marvellous mad smile and I do the same, I try to do the same. «It's good to have you on my side, Kevin. I feel much better to know I can have you next to me,» he admits. «There is nothing better than having your family next to you in affairs and we can do big things together.»
I can't wait to leave this house. I feel trapped, I feel my chest pushing like someone is trying to stop my breathing. I feel my muscle tense and my mind blur. I don't like the way he is talking about me but I am glad that he finally destroyed the wall and made me walk in.
«And you can keep that girl,» he adds and I quickly lift my gaze on him. «As long as you don't let her weak you.»
«It's annoying how you keep with this story when I repeated myself more than once that between me and that girl there is nothing.»
«Mh,» he murmurs. «As you say.»
«There is more I should know?»
«I'll tell you the details when I talk with the others,» he says.
«I want to be here when you talk with them.»
«Great, I'll call you.»
I nod and stand up. «Oh, if you're trying to scam me, I won't step back to do the same to you,» I warn him by flashing a look over my shoulder and then walking away from his office, without even waiting for his answer.
I march across the hallways, unbuttoning the first buttons of my shirt to breathe. I reach the main door, passing through it and jumping into my car where I pick up my phone and turn off the bug. I hold my breath while turning on the car and driving away from the house. Once I am far enough, I breathe out and grunt silently. Rage fills my body and I turn on the AC. I feel a big rock on my back, pushing harder, almost like my father is still there, watching me.
Two minutes later, I am receiving a call and the monitor in front of me pops Enede's name. I quickly answer.
«Are you okay?» She asks quickly and my chest starts to warm, feeling rigid in my body melting away. But her tone is distant and I fear she may have some wrong thoughts on what he heard.
«Kinda,» I retort peering around to check if I can leave the road. «It was intense.»
«He now believes you,» she says. «And Daniele is like a kid having candies, super happy.»
«What about you?»
She stays quiet and it's almost like I can reach her head right now. «It felt like you were comfortable,» she admits with a low voice and I sigh, holding my wheel. «I know this is just a play and you did amazing but I can't hide that you sounded so real.»
«I won't lie,» I wade. «It felt good. But not in the way you're supposing. It was just relieving being able to speak to him without fearing him. Half of the things I said were lies.»
«Yeah, I know. It's just...» she huffs. «In how much you'll be here?»
«End the sentence.»
«Do you have regrets about this plan?»
«I'll be there in five minutes and I'll answer you by facing you.»
«Okay, I'll wait outside.»
I hang up and push the throttle, wanting to be there the fastest I can. There are no regrets in what I am doing, I am still fully firm on my choices. If she wasn't next to me, I would be real with him, not being able to stand for myself because I didn't know how to do it. But my life had an uprising after Enede walked in and I will never regret having been selfish and keeping her next to me.
Five minutes later, I am parking the car not far from the office and when I turn off the engine, I don't hesitate to leave the vehicle and march to Daniele's building. I look over there, seeing Enede sitting on the stairs and staring the nothing. She pulled up her hair in a ponytail, laying her chin on her hand and I slow down. She is the most beautiful creature I have ever met. The way she is so simple makes her unique. The thing I like the most is her blue eyes. They are transparent, you can read in her by jumping in them. I love how she smiles and laughs, making me want to see her doing it every day because the more she does it, the more I fall for her.
I stop, freezing my steps. She was there when I needed someone without even knowing it and I could never thank her enough for that. She didn't back away, she offered me her hands and held mine strongly. She gave me a purpose to believe in myself and in my will to free myself.
My heart starts to race fast.
If I am fighting today, it's because she saw in me something I couldn't.
And because I want her. I want to stay with her, from the first moment to the end. I want to keep her by my side because what I feel for her is not what my father thinks. She doesn't make me weak, she makes me feel powerful. By only looking at her, my heart beats faster and is ready to run.
I am ready to run with her because if there is something I am sure about from now on, is that what I feel for her is pure and unconditional love.
I love her.
I falter at the realisation and as my mind flies back to earth I see her looking at me and I smile as I walk towards her again. She stands up and I wrap my arm around her waist. «No regrets,» I quickly say before she can even talk. «I have never been this sure in my whole life. I want to accomplish this and stay with you. Going far away from all of this and start over.»
Enede tilts her head, bringing her hands against my chest and probably feeling my heart racing against the ribs. «I believe you,» she mumbles, slowly nodding her head. «I was just hearing you talking in that way with your father and I had this little thought of you feeling good in that role.»
I shake my head. «It only felt good standing myself instead of folding,» I repeat. «Nothing else. I don't want his life, I don't want to be what he is. It's terrifying and the coldest thing in the world. I want to kick him in jail and hope he stays there until his last breath.»
She rears her head. «Okay,» she says with an amused smile. «Calm down. We will do that but what happens after with him won't be your concern because we will be already gone.»
We will be already gone. The way she talks about the future, including me and her, makes my blood boil. I love hearing those words, they make me realise that she sees me in her future as I see her.
I nod and smile before bowing in her direction, linking my lips with her, and pushing her body closer to mine. She welcomes my lips by kissing me back and wrapping her arms around my neck before sinking one hand in my hair and gently tightening it. My back tingles and my skin burns. I don't know for how long I will be able to control myself when we're this closer. The way my body wants her is absurd and knowing that she has never been with anyone makes me even more excited. I want to be the first to make her feel everything and I will make sure that I am.
«We should go inside,» she whispers with her mouth still brushing mine. «Daniele is waiting with a lot of enthusiasm. He is very proud of you,» she comments with a smile.
I still keep her smashed against me, not letting the grip. «He can wait for a little bit more,» I grumble before kissing her again.
She chuckles against my lips and I smile.
«You finally made it, boy,» Daniele congrats me as we enter the office. «You did an amazing job. A brilliant one,» he keeps saying while he rounds the desk and reaches me. He catches my face and kisses my cheeks. I scowl at his gesture and try to move back while I hear Enede laughing next to me.
«Let me go, Daniele,» I grunt and he lets me go. «But thank you. It was easier than I thought.»
«You sounded confident.»
«I was,» I add, sitting on the armchair beside Enede. «Once I understood that I could do it, it was just more fluid and words came out without deep thoughts.»
«We have the place. We just need to know when.»
«I think it will take a bit. He wants to plan something big. As you heard, we will have a big talk with his coworker and I am sure we will talk about when in that moment.»
Daniele nods, laying against the desk and facing us. «But we're in, kids. I am reporting everything to the big heads. They are analysing the evidence we have and I'll send them today's conversation as well. We can trust them. They are a closed circle. Not easily corruptible and they're as excited as we are.»
I gamble with Enede's fingers while I settle my gaze on Daniele. «Are we sure we can trust them?»
Daniele nods. «They have already brought a lot of criminals to book. They don't care about money and aren't afraid to take risky steps. We can trust them.»
I hear Enede doing a deep breath out, as she was waiting for Daniele to say those words and I can feel her because I have the same fear. I know my father has corrupted most police around the country, that's why I could pull her out of jail so easily. They knew who I was, which was one of the few moments when I felt good to say my last name. But I am not proud of it. It was selfish and inconsistent but I would've never left her in there.
«I just hope we're finished for September so I can go back to university and finally finish my studies,» Enede says in a soft tone and I turn my head in her direction.
«By that, everything will be over, I can promise you this.»
She looks at me and nods before gifting me a little smile.
«I want to conclude this as soon as possible, blonde,» Daniele speaks again. «So don't worry, by that day you will be already free.»
I wonder now, a year apart, what our lives will be like. Where Daniele will be, what Enede and I will accomplish, and if my father will stay in jail long. I hope he will stay at least long enough for Enede to graduate and for us to leave. The last thing I want is to start over. I am sure she won't give us another chance. She is already doing a lot now, she won't accept to live another year like this.
And I don't blame her. I would do the same if I was her.
But now she is here, with me and until she stays there nothing can feel wrong.
—
AUTHOR SPACE
Yep, back again. I told you I was going to post the book more often now that I have it all done. I just need to reread and revise.
So, another Kevin's POV, he finally stands up to his father and REALISES HE LOVES ENEDE. Wow. He probably always loved her, but saying it is different than just hovering around it.The problem is that everything around them is getting tighter. The kiss and now Kevin's realisation. Their feelings make everything riskier and Enede is probably afraid of how she will react if something bad happens. Just like Kevin, knowing that he doesn't care about his life, but he does care about hers.
Q: Will Kevin tell Enede that he loves her? Or will he wait until she is the one to drop it?
Lemme know by commenting!
Love ya, Benny. <3
CHAPTER COVER MADE BY ME