◆ Jury's Out ◆

◇ KEL ◇

"All good? Just like that?" Enzo stared.  Another frown wrinkled his sore lips, and his voice sounded weaker.  The perplexity and frustration in his tone helped his question sink into my thoughts.

Bound to happen sooner than later.  The anger.  Betrayal.  Shock.  Like he couldn't comprehend how his own brother could hurt him like that, as if punishing him for a grave misdeed.  Now it seemed all he wanted was my sympathy.

Perhaps he just wanted me to assent to his anger and sentiments because he felt pained, betrayed, and alone right now.  His fiancée just left him for another man, his brother mercilessly beat him to a pulp last night, and the closest thing he had to a family right now was his longtime bodyguard waiting outside.  "Why do you pretend it's nothing?" Enzo's brows creased more as he scowled at me.

Great.  Now he wanted to argue.  I held in a sigh.  I really thought we wouldn't have to talk about this again. At least not this soon.

Now he seemed appalled by my decision to just forgive Leandro for what happened in San Pietro.  At this point, I just didn't care for anything else besides school and my issues with Miles.  I didn't care for seeking revenge.

Nor did I have the time to deal with legal matters to put Leandro behind bars. All unwanted distractions.  I just had to finish my third year of med school this year.  Enzo had agreed to let me be after I convinced him to forget about San Pietro.  Or at least that was his stand some weeks ago.

Now he wanted to break his promise.  "I didn't tell your family because that's what you wanted." Enzo focused on my face, the skin around his left eye still red and swollen.  "But I'm never gonna be okay with what happened."

"I know..."  I murmured before mentally reciting a short prayer.  I had to talk some sense into his slightly concussed head, for my mental health's sake.  "I-It's not like, I didn't want to hurt him, after what he did."

"But you're just done with it?"

"Enzo, I just don't wanna complicate things. Besides, he already apologized."

"Leandro? When?"

"After I got discharged.  But I didn't reply to his messages."  I paused.  Hopefully I sounded calm and forthright enough.  "He knew you took care of the hospital bills, and, um...he sent some money, said I should use it for school."

"What?" Enzo almost shouted.  His frown deepened the faint wrinkles on his cheeks and forehead.

"Miles' guy returned it," I admitted.  "Miles told someone to return the money to Leo's office in Florence."

"You told him."  Enzo continued to stare at my face, his eyes narrowed by a squint.  "But you didn't even text me about it." He looked away and scoffed.  His grim tone should intimidate me but...

Only regret and guilt occupied my thoughts.  He's got a point;  I should have told him.  The last thing I wanted was for him to see me as someone he couldn't trust.  Especially now.  "You already got a lot on your plate."

"That's irrelevant, Mykaela."

"And you already helped me with a lot of things. With school,  with Dad's bills,  and..." I spoke in a calmer voice while he scowled at his injured fist.  "I mean, why complicate things?"

"Money?" His jaw tensed up.  "Because I gave you some money?"

"No. I didn't mean..."

"You saved me, and Cloe.  Made sure I made it out of there alive."  Enzo kept frowning as he squinted at me, his tone stern.  "Of course I'm gonna help you, any way I can."  He averted his gaze again after his voice loudened.  "Sure; my money helped.  But it's stupid that it's all I can do for you."

"And my family."

"Just because I helped you pay off some debts doesn't mean you deserve to be treated like trash."

"Enzo,  I'm over it..." I sighed, too tired to regurgitate what his brother did to me.  "He was just...really intoxicated and he wasn't himself that night." I massaged my forehead.  I anticipated another negative reaction, but Enzo didn't respond.  "And I'm fine. Okay?"  I put on a smile.  "That's all that matters."

"You're not," Enzo muttered, clenching his jaw again as he stared at his bandaged knuckle.  "You're terrified of him."

Well, true.  Leandro Tomassini...still the scariest mob boss I'd ever met.  Not that I'd met a lot.  Perhaps Stefano was every bit as corrupt, murderous, and selfish, but Leandro was on another level.  Especially after Niccolo said Leandro financed a prostitution and human trafficking ring.

"You didn't even call the lawyers' office."

Oh shoot.  I thought he already forgot about that.  "Sorry. I just...  I wanted to go back to my normal routine. Keep my mind off it."

Enzo pulled a face. "You still haven't told your mom? Or your sister?"

"No," I muttered after a long pause.  "It's fine. He said sorry, and, apologized twice."

"He assaulted you, beat you up and God knows what else he—" Enzo looked away and swore in his native tongue.

"Enzo, you know I don't want to go to court.   I can't waste another year.  I just want to graduate, really." I leaned closer to him, clasping his wrist and putting up with the unease.

Was he threatening to tell the cops and my entire family?  My mother and sister would go off the rails.  Gaia would berate me to no end for not telling her.  No doubt.  "Don't tell them."

"You're kidding." Enzo eyed me as if I had lost my marbles entirely.

"You know why." I kept staring at his stubbled face. "I seriously don't need that kind of trouble right now," I mumbled when he kept his lips pressed together.  "I honestly begged and tried everything, just so Miles wouldn't tell them. My mom doesn't need to know."

Enzo stayed still on the bed.

"Stress triggers her migraines."  I gripped his hand, the one with no bandages. "She would tell Jill, and, Jill would tell David. His father's well-connected. My best friend's a lawyer, Enzo. And I really don't wanna drag you, Miles or your family into it."

Worst case?  Online gossipmongers would uncover my involvement with known ultra-rich folks like the Falcos and the Tomassinis.  It could seriously affect the medical career I was pursuing. Not ideal, to say the least.

My already expiring modeling career would be reduced to nothingness, too.  Maybe some low-paying print jobs at times, because no big-name brand would want to book me.  Consequently, my grades would suffer due to my deteriorating mental health.

Well, nothing new, but imagining the worst case scenarios sometimes made me wish I'd never met Miles. Or Enzo. And his brother. I'd have to say goodbye to my privacy if I'd be called to testify in court against someone like Leandro Tomassini.

My family would be dragged through the mud as well.  So, no thanks.  I'd rather keep San Pietro a deep, dark secret.

"He still hurt you. For no reason. We can't just forget about it."  Enzo weakly shook his head.  "I almost—  I wanted to kill him when I found out."

"Let's not..." I trailed off with a sigh.  Shucks.  My neck and face felt hot and my palms felt sweaty now.   I just hoped his mood would improve after another long nap.

He kept glaring at his fist.

"I didn't tell you he contacted me, 'cause I just...  I-I wanted to forget about it." I leaned closer to Enzo and put on a smile.  Hopefully it would somehow lull him.  Calm his negative thoughts for now.  "Think about your family, too."

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