Take Me Apart (Vitale Brothers Book 1)

I stared at Enzo as he slept beside me. At first, I’d been wrapped in his arms, trapped, but not hating it. It took a while, but I was finally able to break free. Now, I couldn’t stop gazing at him, thinking about the night before.

My head pounded lightly, and it was enough to get me to slip out of his bed. I padded downstairs to the kitchen, found the coffee maker, and turned it on. The smell of it brewing was enough to make me shake off some of the sleep that tried to cling to me. I pulled out a mug from the neatly arranged cabinet and set it on the counter, staring off into space.

Brycen Grennan was on my mind again. This time, however, I felt different about it than before. He’d cheated on Enzo with his own brother. And he’d used him. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to murder him. My stomach clenched.

No, it wasn’t okay, but I could understand his rage if those things happened the way he said they did. Their world wasn’t like mine. I’d been cheated on before, and the most I did was egg a guy’s house and car. In the Vitales’ eyes, that had to be a much more serious offense. And it wasn’t as if he wanted to kill Brycen…

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair. There I was again, justifying a man who killed. It didn’t matter if he didn’t want to do it or if Brycen had cheated. Morally, I knew right from wrong and what Enzo had done was very wrong. Yet I couldn’t stop seeing things from his side. What the hell’s the matter with me?

“Are you okay?”

I jumped at the sound of his voice. The mug tumbled off the counter, and I caught it before it could crash into the ground. Sighing, I straightened up. Enzo snagged the mug from me and set it on the counter.

“Why are you so jumpy?” he asked.

“No reason,” I muttered, lying through my teeth. “Why are you awake?”

Enzo shrugged. “I like to get up early. Always have.” He procured a mug for himself before those dark eyes fixed me with a stare. “Are you okay?” he asked again.

Does he actually care about me? The only people who seemed to give a damn were Chelsea and Rourke. Everyone else asked, but you could tell their minds were already somewhere else once the question was asked. As if they were waiting for the obligatory “I’m fine” before they could respond to you in kind. Not Enzo. He stared at me, waiting, really wanting to know if I was all right.

“Yeah,” I said finally. “Better than last night.”

He nodded, seemingly satisfied I was telling the truth. “Does that mean you’re okay with what we talked about?”

“About you killing someone?” I asked.

The tension came back, filling the space between us. Enzo nodded. “Yeah.”

I laughed dryly. “I’m a cop, you know? Knowing that you’ve killed someone, I’m supposed to turn you in. Do something about it.”

“But you’re conflicted.”

“I am.”

Enzo reached out, his palm grazing against my cheek as he caressed me. There was a moment of worry and sadness in his eyes that instinctually made me move closer to him. Everything in me screamed to comfort him. Shit, I was slowly getting tangled up in him for more than the amazing dick and thrill of danger. I was starting to care.

Enzo’s lips brushed against mine. “I can’t convince you to quit your job?” he asked.

I laughed, and his lips pulled into a smile against mine. “No, you can’t. I like my job.”

“Do you?” he pressed.

I nodded. “I mean, for the most part. Or I will when I make detective.”

“Is that why you were looking for me at Blu?”

I opened my mouth and shut it again. I had no idea how much to tell Enzo or leave out. He nodded without me having to answer.

“Why don’t you give up your lifestyle?” I asked. “It seems like you don’t care for it.”

Enzo frowned. “There is no getting out. My family is everything to me.”

Why did that hit me in the chest? Something close to jealousy gnawed at me, but I shoved it down. When I glanced away, Enzo grabbed my chin and directed my face back to him.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I answered. “Your family is important to you. I get that.”

It just feels like there’s always something more important than me out there. To everyone I know.

“Talk to me,” Enzo demanded.

“I want some coffee and breakfast,” I said, sidestepping the conversation as I pulled out of his grasp. “In that order.”

Enzo grabbed my wrist and spun me around. My back brushed up against the counter as he glared at me. Would I ever get tired of that irritated look on his face? My cock jumped to attention, and I told it to go the hell away. I had to stop fucking Enzo, or I was going to lose my mind.

“Please, tell me what you were just thinking. I don’t understand.” His eyebrows knit together, and he frowned. “I want to understand.”

I opened my mouth to fire off some smart-ass retort. One look into his eyes, and I couldn’t do it. Slowly, I’d begun noticing things about Enzo. He was a crazy, dangerous man, but there was more to him than that.

“I was thinking how people always put others before me. How… I was kind of jealous that your family would be more important than me if we were ever more than we are now. Which is nothing, but—”

“You think we’re nothing?”

I blinked at him. “Besides some hot sex? I don’t know.”

Enzo dragged me toward him. “Didn’t you hear when I said you were mine?”

A shiver ran up my spine. “Y-yeah,” I muttered. “But that’s just something people say when they’re screwing.”

“I don’t just say things.”

My body heated up. I had no response to that other than to stare at Enzo and the anger that crossed his features. He laid his hand on my throat and squeezed, pulling me closer until our lips met.

“I’m not letting you go, Tex,” he whispered.

“What if I wanted to leave right now?” I asked, my lips against his, dying to feel him kiss me more.

“I’ve given you plenty of chances. I won’t hand out anymore.”

There was a resolve in his voice that I didn’t want to test. At least the sane side of me didn’t. The horny brain side of me almost wanted him to hold me down and never let me escape. Then I will know he really cares about me.

Goddamn, I need therapy.

Enzo pulled away and poured coffee in our cups. He pulled out creamer and sugar. Together, we made our drinks the way we liked. I glanced over to see how he liked his and found him watching me at the same time. I quickly focused on my own drink.

“My family is important to me,” Enzo said. “But so are you. Why else would I spend so much time making sure you’re safe?”

I stared at Enzo, my stomach flip-flopping all over the place. He knew exactly what to say to trip me up. I focused on my coffee again. The first sip drew a moan from my lips. It was like liquid gold coursing down my throat and awakening my senses.

My phone buzzed on the countertop, drawing me back to reality. I snatched it up when I saw Rourke’s name on the screen.

“Don’t answer that,” Enzo said.

I gazed up, and his eyebrow was lifted. I frowned. “I have to. It’s my partner. He’s probably wondering where the hell I am.”

“I thought you didn’t have to work today?”

Nodding, I stared at the screen. “I don’t, but Rourke and I usually catch up on our days off. Coffee and a walk through the park to talk about life, work, and everything else.”

“You like him,” Enzo said tightly.

“He’s a good friend.”

“Just a friend?” He shot back.

I blinked at him and smiled. “Yes, a friend. Chelsea is also a friend. All of my friends are exactly what I say they are. Don’t get that look in your eyes.”

“What look?”

I rolled my eyes. “That look that says you want to do something illegal to anyone you think is too close to me.”

Not that I hate that it’s his first instinct. Something might be wrong with me, but that’s fucking hot. I would never in a million years tell Enzo that, though. He would take it as a reason to do something insane.

My phone stopped ringing, and I finally focused on it again. “Shit. I need to call him back.”

Enzo grabbed my phone, shoved it into the hem of his pants, and picked up his mug. He sipped at it, walking away before he tugged open a drawer and began digging.

“There are a few good food places around here. We can either go or order something for delivery.”

I groaned. “Give me back my phone.”

“What do you want to eat?” he asked, picking out a stack of takeout menus. “We slept kind of late, so breakfast or lunch is an option.”

I raised a brow at him. “You’re going to keep pretending you don’t hear me, aren’t you?”

Enzo glanced at me and smiled. “What do you like to eat the most?”

Fuck. He’s so cute.

Never thought I would use the word cute to describe a man like Enzo. Shit, I was doing all kinds of things I never thought I would do. As I took a sip of my coffee, I realized I wasn’t drinking and didn’t have the urge to do so. The thought of grabbing some blow and doing a few lines was gone as well. As Enzo poured over the menus, all I could do was think about how calm I was with him. When I wasn’t pissed off.

How am I supposed to do my job when I’m all mixed up?

“If you don’t pick something, I’ll pick for you,” Enzo said.

“Fine.” I grabbed a menu and flipped through it. Rourke could wait. For now. “I’m craving Greek food.”

Enzo took out my phone and held it out toward me. “Password.”

“I don’t want you digging around in my phone.”

“Mine is upstairs. I’m only using it to call in food for us,” he said patiently.

I stared at him, unsure of how much I wanted to give him. Slowly, I entered my password where he couldn’t see it. When he took it back, Enzo dialed the number to the restaurant and pressed my phone to his ear.

What did it say that I could trust him more than other, more upstanding people I knew?