Enzo (Jinx Tattoos Book 1) (13 page)

“I have to go,” Aibhlinn stated as she walked back inside Keir’s apartment from the balcony. She’d instantly recognized the once in a lifetime opportunity Enzo had presented her.

“Wait, what? What happened? Is everything okay?” Keir asked, standing from his couch.

“I’ll get back to you on that one. I really hate to do this to you. This just came up out of the blue.” She grabbed her coat from his charcoal-colored couch and slipped her arms inside of the sleeves.

“It’s okay. I know how life can be,” Keir said with a smile.

“Thank you. I had fun tonight. It’s good to find someone else who loves horror movies.”

“Well, my couch is always open,” he said.

She could see the longing in his eyes. He wanted more than she was ready to give.
Enzo saved me tonight.
If he had turned to her with those chocolate eyes, she might’ve yielded. But it wouldn’t have lasted. Because whether she liked it or not, her heart was elsewhere. “I’ll keep that in mind. Next time, I’ll host and provide the eats.” Grabbing her purse, she speed walked to the door with Keir on her heels. He opened the door, and she rushed out before he could try to kiss her.

“Talk to you soon,” she said, waggling her fingers.

She quickly made her way through the cold night to her ride. Part of her was terrified. What if he changed his mind before she arrived? He could be like that when he was drinking.
Then I put my foot down. This is the last time I drop everything for Enzo.
She had to draw lines, or he would walk all over her.
Please make this worth my while.
She made the drive to his home on autopilot as her mind filled with the things that could go right or go wrong. With her guts twisted into a knot, she pulled up into the driveway and found his door stood open. Bundled in a pea coat and a scarf, he made her laugh.
It’s not that cold.

After closing the door behind him, he slowly made his way to the car door.

Oh, he is lit.
Leaning across the console, she pushed the door open. He climbed up and sank into her passenger seat.

“You going to make it, Enz?” she asked playfully.

“I’m not that bad off, Ave,” he retorted.

“Uh-huh,” she said, pulling out of the driveway after he buckled himself in. “What brought on the drinking fest? I thought you swore off drinking so heavily.”

“Funny what a woman will drive you to.”

“Don’t put this on me. You’re the stubborn one here.”

“Pot meet kettle much?” he said with a snort.

She smirked. It felt good to banter like this. “Do the questions start now?” she asked.

“So eager to turn me inside out?”

Oh, baby, you have no idea
. “I think I’ve waited patiently, long enough, don’t you?”

“Aye,” he muttered.

His attempt at an Irish accent made her giggle. “When did you know you loved me?” she questioned.

“Oh shit, you’re not pulling any punches,” he said.

“No, I’m done with that. This time I’m going for the TKO.”

He sighed. “Before you say anything, I’m not bitching out. It’s simply impossible to pick a defining moment. I could go all the way back to that night after the prom when we almost had sex. I think I knew it then on some level. But I was too young to really grasp the fullness of that feeling until college. When you started going steady with Kyle and it got serious. Jealousy ate me up from the inside out. Then you lost your V-card, and I fell face first into pussy. Because I thought I could fuck you out of my head. It didn’t work, but I think I knew it affected you also, and I was petty. Willing to hurt you, too, if it made me feel better.”

“He was my attempt to move on. God, why did we waste so much time being idiots? All you had to do was say the word,” she said.

“No. As fucked up as I may be now, I was a wreck then. I would’ve ruined us. Hell, if I haven’t already.”

“Not just yet,” she said.

“Good to know. When did you know?”

“Ironically enough, after Kyle and I crashed and burned. He could never be you. I was always comparing and finding myself dissatisfied with him. My mom told me a million times what I felt for you was puppy love that would fade. The joke was on both of us when it never did.”

“Thank God. I could never trust another woman the way I do you.”

His words stunned her. “Then why?”

“Because what we have is…unique. I don’t feel this way with anyone else. If I fuck up,” he shook his head, “I’d lose something irreplaceable.”

“But if you didn’t?”

“Then we’d live happily-ever-after. But how often does that ever happen?”

“Since when have we ever done anything the way most people do?” she countered.

He laughed. “Good point.”

Reaching the park, she pulled into the parking lot and parked. “We’ve done a number on each other, haven’t we?” she asked sadly.

“Only because we were trying to do what was best for each other.”

“Let’s stop doing that and just lay it all out in black and white.”

“I can try, babe. But there’s always many shades of grey in between, and I’m hard-wired to do what’s best for you. Don’t ask me to try to change that now.”

“Didn’t we just establish you aren’t always right?” she asked.

“It’s who I am, babe,” he said.

She scoffed. “We’re here. What do you want to do?”

“Sneak into the pavilion with me?” he asked.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Won’t be the last either,” he said.

They climbed from her car and began the trek. As they reached the summit, she took a moment to admire the lights in the distance. The weather was unseasonably warm for this time of year. December without snow was a rarity. “Why is this time different, Enz? I’ve gotten my hopes up a million times, and I don’t want to be let down again.” She turned to face him, and he placed his hands on her hips. She could tell he’d sobered on the drive and the walk.

The moonlight showed his serious expression. “Because I finally have my head on half straight. I know you’re tired of waiting on me. I won’t leave you hanging anymore, Aibhlinn. I might stumble, and fall, but I won’t turn my back on you or push you away again.”

Scared of just that, she glanced down.

He gripped her chin. “Look at me.”

Obeying, she peered into his eyes.

“I…” He paused and frowned. “Do you hear that?”

“Enzo! What the hell? Are you on something?”

“No.” He shook his head. “
Shhh
.”

She pulled out of his grip and backed away, furious. This was a new one.

“I’m not kidding, Aibhlinn. I heard something.” He took off toward the woods.

She crossed her arms. “What are you doing? It’s dark out there. You’ll get hurt.”

He ignored her and she cursed under her breath.
I swear this is the last straw. Now he’s got me tramping through the woods in the middle of the night.
She used her flashlight app to illuminate the path and started after the partially inebriated man she wanted to murder. Stumbling over the forestation, she stepped more carefully. As they moved into the woods, she froze. The haunting wail reached out and round house kicked her ovaries.
It’s a baby.
Her blood ran cold. “Enzo,” she called, picking up her pace.

“This way.”

She followed his voice off the cleared path and found him with an outstretched hand. Together, they made their way closer to the source of the cries. A carrier came into view, and they gasped.

“Is that what I think it is?” she asked.

The cry came again. “I’d say yes.” They walked around to view the squirming bundle. Dressed in a yellow bear outfit to ward off the cold, it was impossible to tell if it was a he or a she. “Hey, little guy, it’s okay,” Enzo said softly.

The care he used to unbuckle the seat made her heart jolt.

He cupped the baby’s tiny head and held its body to his chest, gently soothing it with his whispered words as he stroked its back. “It’s soaked, Ave. It’s no wonder it’s crying.”

“Who would do this?” she whispered.

“Someone without a damn heart,” he said fiercely. “You get the carrier, and lead us out of here.”

The take charge attitude and gentleness he was exhibiting had her ready to throw her panties over her shoulder and lay down with her legs spread wide. This was a side of him she’d never seen before, and she wanted more. Doing as he asked, she cast what light she could on the path. They stayed close to one another as they made their way out of the forest with the precious cargo in tow. “What are we going to do?” she asked.

“First things first, we’re going to get him or her what they need. Fresh clothes, diapers, new carrier. If they’d leave the little guy like this in the woods, who knows what they’ve been doing at home.”

“Shouldn’t we call the police?”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m in no hurry to get this little guy into the system where he’ll be lost. No, I want to talk to my mom tomorrow, see what I can do to make sure this little one goes to her,” he said.

His thoughts were going a mile a minute. “And if she can’t?” Aibhlinn asked.

“Then we’ll go from there.” He paused. “You’re in this with me, right?”

She nibbled the inside of her lip. “I don’t know what you need me to do, but I’m here.”