Chapter Sixteen

Enzo

 

Enzo flipped open the tiny black box once again to study the sapphire earrings he had picked up at Glimmer. He had gone himself this time. Johnny had done an excellent job with the bracelet, but Enzo had wanted to make sure he got this exactly right. There had been several pairs of sapphire studs in the case, and he’d picked the ones that seemed most aligned with Madelyn’s taste. After picking up two meals at the Greek joint down the street, he headed for Morber and Barnard, Attorneys at Law.

 

The secretary seemed surprised to see him, and she was more than a little flustered as she picked up the phone to tell Madelyn he was here. Clearly, people didn’t show up to such a prominent firm without an appointment, and probably not with a sack of food in hand, either. At least the jewelry box was safely tucked away in his jacket pocket.

 

“Ms. Rowe says you can go on back. It’s the third door on the left.”

 

“I know where it is,” he assured her. His original plans for the day hadn’t included surprising Madelyn with lunch, but he had realized as soon as he had woken up the next day that he had to see her. She was a source of frustration for him, as he had been working so hard to convince her to be on his side, but he certainly enjoyed the way he was coercing her.

 

“What are you doing here?” she asked with a smile as soon as she had closed the door behind him. “I thought we had everything squared away.”

 

Enzo kissed her squarely on the lips before moving to the desk. He began pulling the various containers out of the bag and laying them out on the wooden surface. “Mostly. But there are a few things we still need to take care of.”

 

He could see the worry wash over her as she sat down in her chair. “Like what?”

 

“Just little things.” He pushed a few containers across the table toward her. “We both know there are certain steps that must be taken to make all of this work. My men are handling it, but I figured it would be best if I were out of town for the process. That way, nobody can even attempt to pin me for those, as well. There’s a retail fashion convention about an hour from here that I’ve attended before. It’s boring as hell, but there will be quite a few witnesses that I was there, if need be.”

 

“Okay.” She fiddled with the napkin he had handed her. “About your plan. You need to know that the partners aren’t completely convinced of this.”

 

“Don’t start that,” Enzo warned. He had already worked very hard to make sure Madelyn was on his side, and he couldn’t have her backing out now. There were too many things and people in place, just waiting for the word. Besides, some of the work he would be doing in the evenings after he had been at the convention would be very important to the case.

 

“I’m sorry. I’m just so worried about this. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

 

Shit. He was going to lose her again. Enzo reached across the table and covered her hand with this own. “Madelyn, darling, there is nothing to worry about at all. You just have to trust me and trust the fact that this isn’t my first rodeo. I can handle this, and so can you. Now, that being said, I want to make sure I can follow through on my promise to protect you.”

 

She tipped her head to the side, looking at him askance. “Yes?”

 

“One of my men will act as your bodyguard while I’m gone. I can’t come running to your rescue if I’m an hour away.”

 

“But I thought you said I wasn’t in any danger as long as I was on your side,” she protested. Madelyn hadn’t touched any of her food yet. This wasn’t going to be an easy sell.

 

“That’s true. You’re not in any danger from the Marinos. But what if word gets around that we’re setting up Scarvo? It won’t be hard for them to find out who my attorney is. Or there could be someone else who has a grudge against me who will use you to get to me.”

 

She swallowed visibly. “That sounds like the sort of thing that only happens in the movies.”

 

“I assure you, it’s very real. I’m not saying all of this to scare you, but I think it’s only fair that you know what’s going on. Like you said, we’ve got to be on the same page.”

 

Madelyn nodded, her eyes blinking a little too fast. “Okay. So who’s my bodyguard?”

 

“His name is Nero. He’ll be waiting for you when you leave work tonight.” Enzo had chosen the man carefully, knowing he was extremely loyal. Even amongst his own family, he had to make sure that Madelyn’s bodyguard would truly be looking out for her best interests.

 

“I don’t even know what time I’ll be getting done here,” she spluttered.

 

He tightened his grip on her hand. “It’s okay. He’s getting paid for his time, even if he’s just standing around waiting on you. You’ll know him when you see him. He’s a rather large man, and he’ll come straight up and start talking to you like the two of you have been best friends since freshman year. He’s to take you home and stay there with you.”

 

Clearly flustered by the idea, Madelyn brushed her hair back behind one ear and tried to come up with another excuse. “I don’t know if … I mean, that seems a little …”

 

“Madelyn.” He stared straight into her eyes, and as he did so he realized that what he was about to say was completely true. He had to have Madelyn on his side, yes, and he would do anything to make sure he didn’t spend the rest of his life staring at a cell wall, but the lust he had for her went a little deeper than that. “You’re not just important to the case; you’re important to me. I couldn’t have done any of this without you, and I wouldn’t have wanted to. Please trust me, and know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think it was completely necessary. I’ll be back in a few days, and then we won’t need Nero hanging around any longer. And, because I had a feeling you wouldn’t like this, I got you a little consolation prize.” With his free hand, he pulled the tiny black box out of his pocket and set it in her palm.

 

Her eyes widened as she looked from the box to him and then back again. “Enzo, you didn’t have to get me anything. You’ve already spent far too much money on me as it is, and not just for your attorney fees.”

 

“You can take all your concerns about that and throw them out the window. I like spending money on you, and it’s one thing I plan to do whether you like it or not.” He smiled, truly happy to be giving her this gift. He had asked her to do things that she probably would never have even considered doing for anybody else. It hadn’t always sat well with her, but she had gone along with it anyway. For him.

 

“Oh Enzo,” she breathed as she opened the case. The two sapphires were deep and dark, just like the ones on her bracelet. They sparkled brilliantly in the sun from the window, and she tipped the box from side to side a little just to see the effect. “They’re truly elegant. You shouldn’t have.”

 

“Yes, I should. You deserve it.”

 

Madelyn stood and came around the desk, bending over to press her lips against his. “Thank you.”

 

Enzo pulled her down for another kiss, his hands roving down her back to her hips. “So, does that thing lock?” He gestured with his head toward her office door. It didn’t matter that they had just had the pleasure of each other’s bodies the night before. He couldn’t get enough of her, and he didn’t care where he was when it happened.

 

But as he predicted, she did. Madelyn slapped him playfully on the arm and smiled. “I think I’ve jeopardized enough as it is. But you call me the moment you get back in town, okay?” She kissed him again, a promise of what was to come upon his return.

 

Enzo couldn’t wait.