Enzo (Jinx Tattoos Book 1) (19 page)

“Cute kid, man, what’s her name?” Rhys asked as he walked inside the room. He chucked Aoife under the chin and Enzo bounced her on his hip.

“Aoife.”

“Pretty name. Whose is she?”

“Mine.”

Rhys coughed. “S-say what?”

“That’s why I called you over. You’re the only one I trust with this.”

“Whatever you need, brother. You’ve always been there for me. Shit, if you hadn’t covered my ass growing up I might not be here because Mom and Dad would’ve killed me.”

Enzo snickered. “I fucked up. I was partying over at the club house and I knocked up one of the chicks.”

“What? You always wrap up.”

“Nothing’s infallible.”

“Shit. So, what are you going to do?”

“The girl didn’t want her. Said it cramped her style. She signed the rights over to me.”

“Holy fuck! So you’re like a Dad-Dad now.”

He nodded his head.

“I don’t know if Mom is going to kiss you or kill you,” Rhys remarked.

“I imagine she’ll try to do both,” Enzo said.

Rhys laughed. “You’re okay with this?”

“Man, I have a chance to give her everything we didn’t have. How can I not be happy?”

“You were never really the type to settle down, Enzo.”

“I been working on that. Seeing a doc, dealing with the fucked up shit that happened to me.”

“I didn’t realize you were having a tough time,” Rhys said.

“The shit I’ve been doing, sleeping around, never getting too serious, and breaking Aibhlinn’s heart.” He shook his head. “It wasn’t normal or what I wanted to do. Commitment made me break out in hives, even when it was with the most amazing woman in the world.”

“And now?”

“Now, I have a handle on my shit. I’m not fixed, not by any means. But I’m trying, and she’s always been patient. I have too much now to lose. I won’t let either of my girls down.”

“Girls? Aibhlinn’s okay with this?” Rhys questioned.

“Not sure yet. She was there when I found out. Said she needed some time. I fucked up so bad there.”

“What did you do?”

“I asked her to marry me.”

Rhys’ jaw dropped. “You’re a fucking idiot.”

“I know. No ring, no plan, no romance.” He shook his head. “I’m shocked she didn’t tell me no, straight up.”

“What did she say?”

“To give her time. It’s been two days, man. I’m about to climb the wall.”

“How’re you going to get your ass out of this hot seat?” Rhys asked.

“I have a plan, and you’re going to help me. She never could resist you.”

“Fuck that, I don’t want to be in firing range.”

“Didn’t you just say you owed me?” Enzo said.

He laughed. “I didn’t think you wanted me to pay with my life!”

“Fucking pussying out at me?”

“Just pitch me your plan, and I’ll decide from there,” Rhys said.

He sank down onto the couch, balancing Aoife on his knee, and explained everything to his brother.

Rhys beamed. “You sure you want to do this, brother? Space usually means staying away from someone.”

“Fuck that, she’s had enough distance. She needs to see the upside of things. I know this woman better than anyone else. Right now, she’s stuck in her head.”

“All right, I’ll get her here. How long do you need?”

The jewelry case in his pocket almost burned him. “Give me an hour.”

Rhys nodded. “Okay, man. It’s not a secret I consider her my sister. It’d be nice to make that official.”

“You get her here, and I promise you I’ll take care of the rest.”

Rhys stood and moved toward the door.

He’d picked his baby brother for a reason. Silas would grill him and make him weigh pros and cons. Rhys was more of a go with the flow type. “By the way, you’re on babysitter duty tonight,” he called out to his brother.

“Good, me and Aoife will cruise for chicks. They love a man who cares for babies.”

“Hey, don’t use my daughter to arrange booty calls.”

“I thought that was part of being a single uncle on the prowl,” Rhys called back over his shoulder.

“Welcome to your crazy family, little girl,” Enzo said. He locked the door behind his brother, grabbed the baby carrier, slipped her inside, tightened the straps, and headed for the backyard.
It’s time to bring my woman home.

“Are you planning on hiding out indefinitely?” Sophia asked as she worked the clay on her wheel. She had a small studio set up in her spare bedroom.

“No.”

“So, you’ve just been crashing here because you want to relive our college roommate days?”

“Maybe.”

Sophia looked skeptical. “Girl, denial is more than a river in Egypt.”

“You’re not helping.”

“My job is to give you the truth, not to stroke your ego. Besides, you know I’m right on this one.”

Aibhlinn sighed. “Yeah, I know. But I’m out of my element.”

“Why?”

Because I know how bad situations can ruin your life
. “Worried about making the wrong choice.”

“And if you don’t make a choice? Then what? You want him to move on with someone else and set up a home?”

The thought of Enzo married to someone else made her sick to her stomach. “No.”

“Then there’s nothing else to think about. You know I haven’t always been a fan of Enzo. But he’s turned his shit around. Finally, you two can meet in the middle and start on your happy ever after. Don’t let fear fuck with that. So many people are searching for what’s been right in front of you. You need to talk with him and hash it out. You cut your ties with Keir and cleared your head, now go get your man.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Aibhlinn said.

“It is. I don’t get your hang up.”

Aibhlinn shook her head.
Maybe Enzo wasn’t the only one with commitment issues. All this time, I thought I was waiting on him.
Her phone rang and she groaned at the name that appeared.

“What’s up?” Sophia asked.

“It’s Keir.”

“Didn’t you send boy wonder packing?”

“Yes, but he’s persistent.”

“I bet Enz will love that,” Sophia said with an evil smirk.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“What? I never said he wasn’t hot, and when his temper flares and his muscles flex. Yumm. I know he’s yours, but a girl can admire from a distance.”

Aibhlinn giggled. “We need to get you out on more dates.”

“Easier said than done, believe me,” Sophia muttered.

“We’ve both been buried neck deep in our work for the past few years. It’s left much to be desired in other areas.”

“You’re right,” Sophia said. The wheel stopped spinning and she shook her hand, slopping off the clay. “Let’s get the hell out of here and do something fun.”

Aibhlinn stared at her. “Are you feeling okay?”

“No, I’m on the verge of a mid-life crisis. I’m not where I wanted to be in my mid-thirties, and it’s making me question everything. Work is all I know. Art is my passion, but it’s also my safe place. I need to break away from it, or it’ll kill my love for it.”

“Damn, Soph, that’s deep.”

“Been thinking on it for a while. I know you think you’re drowning right now. It’s a lot coming at you, but what’s at the end of the struggle for you is happiness. You got a ready-made family with the man we both know you’re going to love for the rest of your life. All the sludge you’re wading through now, won’t mean anything when you reach the end. So, we’re both going to make ourselves pretty, drink a little too much, and dance our asses off. It’s been too long since we had a girl’s night out and we could both use one. Then, you’re going to go hash this shit out with your boo.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Aibhlinn said, saluting her.

“Smart ass,” Sophia retorted.

The mood was light as they packed away her clay and moved on to getting ready for the night.