Enzio: An Undercover Romance, page 1
ENZIO
An Undercover Romance
Bry Ann
Copyright © 2018 by Bry Ann
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Author Note
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Bonus Scene
Author Note
Books By Bry Ann
Although this book is a standalone, it will be enjoyed much, much more after reading the Roses & Thorns series. You hear from the point of view of many of those characters and I add to that plotline, so there will be spoilers.
All that said, it can be read as standalone if you’d like.
If you want to read that first and come back, here are the links:
Roses & Thorns: Book One
Roses & Thorns: Box Set
🌹🌹🌹
Derek, “Enzio”
First things first, let me introduce myself.
My name is Supervisory Special Agent Derek Enzio Johnson.
But many know me as Enzio, Underboss of the Italian-American mafia.
Yeah.
To say my life is complicated would be the understatement of the century.
I live two lives. Criminal by day, agent by night. My job, you ask?
Simple.
Get enough intel to arrest three men: Adam Ruston, Frances Capello, and Sven Xander. AKA, the mafia boss, capo, and who they believed to be the underboss. Sven Xander was Underboss when I came on, but he left when he met his now wife, Rose Marketta. When I got this information back to my team, they didn’t care. They want him behind bars. They made it clear that we are aiming to take down as many people as possible — if possible, the whole branch — but those three men are priority. It’d completely shake their whole operation.
What I didn’t plan on was meeting such incredible people. One in particular.
Lacey Ruston, the boss’s wife.
As if this isn’t all hard enough. By far, my hardest undercover job.
I’ve met a lot of incredible women in my time. I mean a lot. Women who can fight. Women who’ve overcome trauma. Women who beat out men for top positions in the bureau. Sexy as hell women with doctorates. Amazing, incredible women.
No one I’ve ever met has topped Lacey. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with that woman the second I laid eyes on her. Not literally. Well… sorta. With her dirty blonde hair, soul-deep grey eyes, and scar-ridden body, I was sold. That said, she’s married. And, in her own way, happily. I wouldn’t directly do anything to destroy that. So we’re friends, but I can’t say I don’t have feelings for her. I just don’t dwell on them. I’d rather have a friendship with the woman than sit around being bitter because she’ll never be mine. And let me tell you, the friendship is 100% worth the occasional jealousy that pops up.
Besides, the jealousy is nothing compared to the guilt. Here I am guarding her, befriending her, helping her heal, and behind her back I am planning on taking out her entire family, shattering the ground she walks on and leaving her homeless.
Again.
Lacey was sold to a rival mafia family at a young age. She was held there for months on end. Tortured. Starved. Beaten. Assaulted. Her file is only a piece of her story, only what we know, and it was enough to make me go to the gym and beat the living shit out of the bag there. She escaped, but Adam recaptured her as collateral in a war between the two families. From what I know, Adam didn’t hurt her much, only kept her prisoner. Yeah, only. That changed. He needed to infiltrate the other family’s home, so he beat her and sent her back. That’s when Lacey was nearly broken. I think they’d had some kind of romantic bond even when she was prisoner. It’s beyond complicated, and like I said, I still don’t know the whole story. I just know enough to want to take this motherfucker down.
But I’m torn. For the first time in my career, I don’t know if I can do it. Can I really destroy Lacey’s whole family? Let her lose everything she finds safe? Again.
I know the bureau will take care of her. They’ll keep her safe, help her get settled. But for every person we help, there’s the person who never adapts to the life we provide for them. Lacey’s home and family are here. I get these men arrested, and Lacey will be a single mother living in the suburbs. Can she possibly handle that after all she’s seen and faced?
I don’t think so.
I don’t underestimate her, but I really don’t think so.
So for the first time in my life, I’m torn between right and wrong. And to add to it, every day I have a role to play where my life hangs in a delicate balance.
I’m barely keeping it together.
And that’s before Iris Jane Shelby.
“Enzio, are you in there?”
Lacey knocks on the door a few times, looking timid. Her hands are clasped in front of her and she’s fidgeting in a way-oversized black sweat outfit.
“Come on in, Lace.”
She takes two small steps in. “I can wait. If I’m, you know, bothering you or anything?”
She meets my eyes and winces. Already assuming she’s bothered me. I actually don’t think it’s possible for her to pester me in any way. Yes. I am sprawled out at my desk here at the mansion with papers scattered everywhere. No. This is not shit for her husband. Not that anyone would be able to tell. But bother me? Never. Anything and everything can wait for her.
“Not at all, psh. Come on in.”
I kick my feet up on the desk and lean back.
“What’s on your mind?”
She grabs a chair and pulls it to the side of the desk, mimicking my position so we are both kicked up on my desk.
“Are you my therapist?”
“Call me Dr. Enzio.”
She giggles. “Oh, so you’re my psychiatrist now?”
I shrug. “I am what I need to be.”
Ain’t that the fucking truth. Five years undercover, on and off, will do that to you.
“Okay, you weirdo. I just wanted to talk about Maria and Cut.”
My eyebrows raise casually as my lip starts to twitch. “You came to discuss Cut and Maria’s relationship status with me?”
Cut is Lacey’s boxing coach-friend-mentor-personal hero. Maria is a friend of Lacey, though she’s closer to Lacey’s best friend, Rose. Cut and Maria paired up recently.
“Yeah, well, um… I don’t have a whole lot of friends. I obviously can’t talk to Maria about it, and Rose gets too excited. I don’t really know what to say to her when she gets like that.”
Her anxiety fades. I watch with awe as unabashed self-assuredness swells in her system.
“Besides, you said you were my best friend. Don’t say the words if you can’t back them with action, Enzio.”
I smirk. “True words, my friend. Alright, shoot. What about Maria and Cut?”
… And her anxiety is back, but behind it is large undercurrents of happiness. A mischievous little smile graces her lips.
“I can’t believe it. Six months, Enzio! Six months.” She frowns when I don’t leap out of my seat with excitement like her. “Do you get it? I mean, it’s been…”
“Six months. Yeah, I got it. This really means a lot to you.”
“Yes,” she whispers. “He… he won’t be alone.”
Guilt finagles its way inside of me like a disease. Like she’ll be alone when I accomplish my goal.
“Yeah, he seems like a good enough guy.”
And he does. As an agent, I have no complaints about him. He trains criminals, but from what I can tell, he doesn’t participate in any crimes and he seems to be strict about who he trains. Lacey views him as some kind of real life superhero, and really, that’s enough to convince me of his innocence, but I’ll do a little digging.
“The best. He’s my favorite.”
She catches herself and smirks.
“Well, besides you, of course.” “Right, of course,” I drawl.
“I’m hoping I’m first on that list.” Both of us spin around to find my current boss, her husband, standing in the doorway with their daughter, Rose, in his arms. She was named after Lacey’s best friend of the same name after they believed her to be dead. That’s a whole ‘nother story. She’s an adorable little bundle of joy with chubby cheeks, a whole wad of dark hair, and steel grey eyes like her mother. She’s going to be gorgeous one day. And with the two of them as parents, hellfire as well. I can’t even imagine.
Well, if she got the chance to grow up with her parents together, and not a father in prison and a hurting, single mother.
Damn it. I can’t be in a room with all three of them. That’s when the guilt gets to me. When it becomes too much.
Lacey’s head falls, shy, even to this day.
“Don’t be a jerk, Ruston. You know you’re my number one.”
He smirks at that. Cocky son of a bitch. He doesn’t deserve her. Wheww… I have to take a deep breath to control myself, and to remember she loves him. That’s what grounds me when I get like this. She. Loves. Him.
“Mommy!”
Rose starts to wiggle in her dad’s arms.
“Mommy! Down. Down.”
“Alright, angel,” he chuckles. “I’m chop liver.”
“Liver?” She looks at him with a frown.
He laughs under his breath. “Just go to your mother.”
Her shoulders rise and fall, before she trots off into Lacey’s waiting arms.
“Hi, baby. How was your day?”
“Radar took my Barbie!”
It comes out sounding like ‘bb’ but somehow I know what she means.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Don’t let the boys push you around. Did you take his motorcycle toy?”
Both the boss and I burst out laughing. Rose grins.
“Yes, Mommy.”
She reaches inside her leggings and thrusts the thing in Lacey’s face.
“See! Proud, Mommy?”
Lacey giggles loudly. “Yes, baby. So proud.”
Rose wiggles all her fingers and bounces happily on Lacey’s lap. Such a happy little girl for living in such a dark, evil family. That’s all Lacey. That little girl will never know how furiously she is protected. It’s fascinating to me, as a man who grew up in an all-American family, that this little girl is coming out normal.
“Well, this is my cue to leave.”
“I actually came to speak with you,” Boss says, going from playful to serious in the blink of an eye.
“Oh, alright, Boss.”
“Meet me in the hall.”
I nod and walk out, giving a Lacey a quick wave before I do. She smiles at me and I’m gone.
Gone. No more playtime. It’s time to work. I have a job to do, and I’m ready to be done with it. I want to go home.
That’s what I keep telling myself.
Because the reality is too confusing for me to accept.
“How are you handling everything?”
The boss leans back in his chair and studies me with dark eyes. Due to a freakish series of events, I’ve moved up faster than any man to grace this position. This is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, there’s no better way to get intel than to be on his right-hand side. On the other, it’s risky as shit. And scary. I can’t slip once. My only twisted blessing is that, by caring for his wife, I’ve earned his trust.
So that worked out well for me.
I straighten myself and keep a neutral face. “So far, so good. Then again, things have been smooth lately. I’d say my introduction to leadership roles were well ingrained with Miguel.”
Boss smirks and sips his drink. “I’d say so. Yes, you are right. It is calm now, but it won’t always be. There’s a reason these promotions take time. If you have issues, come to me. You have leeway.”
“Understood. Thanks, Boss.”
“Don’t make any weaknesses known to Frances, Enzio.”
Frances is the capo. One of two. The second still needs to be put in place. I’m best off getting my job done before that happens. Things are even more unstable without that fourth guy to assist Frances, Boss, and I.
His sentiment makes my eyebrows shoot up, before smiling darkly at him.
“I won’t make my weakness known to anyone, Boss.”
He nods without a change in expression, then takes another drink.
“I have a job for you. It’s confidential. Just you and Frances. You two get along?”
I have an inkling there’s a reason he’s asking me this. “Why?”
Boss’s eyes narrow further. “That shit with Maria. I’m not sure I’m over it.” Frances broke Maria’s hand and nearly raped her less than a year ago. The verdict is still out on whether he would have done it or not, but still. He scared her, bottom line. Maria is Latin, sexy, and proud. Extremely proud. She says she knows Frances would have never actually raped her, but many question it. My opinion: he’s a piece of shit. An epic piece of trash. Any man who lays a hand on a woman is a piece of crap. That said, there’s something to Frances. A sort of twisted understanding of expression and love. Like he really doesn’t know how to do it.
I’m the first to condemn a man, but I don’t think Frances would have raped Maria. And I don’t think she would have kept quiet if she thought he would have. She’s proud, but not stupid. I’m a good read of people, and well, the woman ain’t dumb. Far from it.
“We get on alright,” I finally respond. Who am I to condemn the man to a death sentence? Because make no mistake, if the boss decides he can’t get over it, Frances is gone. And from my research, and more importantly, experience, I know there is no out in this life.
Only death.
I can’t do that to a man I’ve shared drinks with. Even if he is a sick, twisted son of a bitch. Prison is fine.
Damn it, this is complicated as fuck. I have to fight not to run a hand over my face.
“Keep an eye on him. That shit can’t stand anymore. Not after Lacey.”
For the briefest moment, his mask falters and pain drowns his features. But it doesn’t last long. Soon, he’s giving me another hard look, warning me that if this gets out I’m dead. He doesn’t need to worry; the one thing I won’t tell anyone is how much he loves his wife.
That’s the one secret that will always be safe with me.
“Will do, Boss.”
He nods. “As for the job, take a seat. This gets complicated.”
Son of a…
“Frances!” I bark.
I had to track this asshole to a fucking cemetery. Let me repeat this for you.
A cemetery.
A literal graveyard.
Boss told me to find him ASAP. To get this hell of a job done. I tried calling him six times. Texted him even. Then decided I was done waiting and tracked the bastard.
Of course he’d be in a cemetery.
I round the corner of a large tombstone from the 1800s to find Frances pinning some woman against the wall by her neck.
“Scared now, little rebel?”
“Fuck you,” she hisses in his face. Oddly enough, the lower half of her body is leaning toward him as if craving friction in this fucked up spectacle.
“You should only be so lucky, jailbird.”
“I’d rather claw my eyeballs out with my bare hands and eat them than fuck you, Frances.”
My freaking God. How do they find these people?
“Frances,” I roar. His hand flies off of her. For the barest of moments, shock and undignified fury cross his face before they slip away with a smirk.
“Coming to enjoy the show, Enzio? Lord knows you’re not getting laid.”
Yeah, no plans to bring anyone down with me, thank you very much. Women catch feelings and that is the last shit I need.
“Why the hell are you choking out some girl? In a cemetery nonetheless.”
Does it get any more twisted? He sure as hell isn’t helping his case — not with me, and not with his boss.
