Consumed by Truths (Truth or Lies 6)

I’m dead.

I close my eyes. Letting sleep take over.

I see him—Enzo Black.

He’s standing at the foot of my bed.

I pinch myself. I’m not dreaming. This is real. He’s here!

“Enzo!” I yell, sitting up in the bed.

He grins but shushes me.

“Sorry,” I half-whisper, half-yell. I can’t help myself. He’s here.

He’s here, but he hasn’t hugged me yet. Or kissed me. Or touched me. And I can’t wait for him to move the few feet toward me.

I jump out of bed, trying not to trip over my own feet as I run into his arms. But of course, he catches me, so there is no reason to worry about falling.

His arms are stronger and rougher than I remember, but it’s just because I haven’t felt his arms around me in so long. I hold him tighter, fighting back tears.

“You came,” I say.

“Of course I came, stingray.”

I step back. “You shouldn’t have come. It’s not safe. If Felix or the crew find out we are both alive, they will kill one of us…”

“I know.”

My eyes widen.

“Then why are you here?”

“I couldn’t stay away. I love you. Our love will triumph over anything.”

I nod. He’s right. Of course, he’s right. Why did I worry?

I wrap my arms tighter around him. I’m safe. Our baby is safe. Enzo is safe. We are all safe.

But I know better than to think we are safe when we aren’t.

My uncle enters.

“You shouldn’t be here,” my uncle yells to Enzo.

“Enzo is exactly where he should be,” I yell back.

My uncle grabs Enzo’s arm, pulling him from me.

“No! Don’t take him! I love him!” I yell.

But it doesn’t stop my uncle. He rips Enzo from my arms.

“No!” my fists start flying, slamming into my uncle over and over. “Let him go!”

But my uncle already has Enzo. And then he raises a gun and pulls the trigger.

I wake up on the floor covered in sweat, panting heavily, with my arms wrapped around the dresser as it starts to tumble on top of me. My uncle is standing over me, holding the dresser back.