“How are we supposed to—“ Emilio started.
“I got a phone to her. She is going to keep it hidden so they don’t think to try to check it.
“Okay. And she will contact you when she knows something.”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure.”
“Yes,” I said, nodding.
“Alright. I’m most concerned about the brother and his plans now that Eren is gone. We don’t know much about Berat. He’s always been secretive. I don’t like that.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can get from her.”
“And I want updates now,” Lorenzo said.
“Oh, and in case this wasn’t clear,” Emilio piped in. “No one else gets killed unless you get approval.”
“Got it,” I agreed, nodding.
“So this woman…” Lorenzo started.
“Ezmeray,” I supplied.
“What’s her story?”
“She worked at one of his restaurants, not knowing that Eren’s organization was leaning on her parents’ laundromat.
“After her old man died, he really started fucking over her ma. She couldn’t afford it. Ezzy came home one day to Eren in her place, thinking it was something to do with her job. Only to learn about what had been going on all along.
“She got a knife to the throat and a scar she still carries today from that negotiation.”
“Negotiation,” Lorenzo repeated, a muscle in his jaw ticking.
“Her in exchange for a break for her ma.”
“Bastard,” Emilio growled. Marriage under duress, that was always going to be a trigger for him now, it seemed.
“Ezmeray. Is she safe?” Lorenzo asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “From the sounds of it, Eren might not have had much in the way of protecting his assets after his death. So there is a good chance Ezzy ended up with not only all his money, but his shares of the restaurants.”
“Which is the majority share, I imagine,” Lorenzo said.
“Yeah.”
“Yeah, I’d say she is definitely not safe if that is the case,” Lorenzo warned.
“And if she’s not?” I asked.
That was not an easy thing for him to answer. We had just started to know some peace now that we had settled the war with the Esposito Family. Starting shit up again over a woman he didn’t even know was a big ask.
Lorenzo exhaled hard before finishing off his drink. “Alright. The way I see it, if she is the one who holds most of the cards, then she is the one we make deals with. It wouldn’t be unheard of for us to offer protection in exchange for that.”
“Alright,” I said, nodding.
Honestly, it didn’t matter if he was willing to protect her. If it came to it, I would have protected her on my own. But I was glad not to have to act without the Family’s approval again.
“I want to meet with her once she has some information.”
“I already told her that.”
“Alright. Well, that’s it then. We wait and see,” he said.
“I will let you know as soon as I know something,” I assured him.
With that, I turned to leave.
“Brio,” Lorenzo called, making me turn back.
“Yeah?”
“I don’t usually have to tell you this, but I can see that you might not be looking at this through your usual detached lens. You need to be careful. Don’t get caught watching out for her. Don’t get recognized by these bastards. You would only put her at more risk.”
“Yeah, I know,” I agreed.
“It could get dicey for her before it is time to step in and get her out,” he warned. “You need to be able to stay back and let her work through it unless it is genuinely dangerous.”
“I get that.”
“Getting that and acting that way are two different things,” Lorenzo said.
“Figure that is probably true,” I agreed.
“Just wanted to remind you,” Lorenzo said, giving me a nod that I took as dismissal.
All in all, it went better than I could have anticipated.
Lorenzo was nobody’s bleeding heart, but he had a shitty dad who treated his ma like garbage, so he had some feelings about men who didn’t take care of their women.
It was a trait we had in common.
I made my way back home and dropped into bed, fucking beat.
It was likely the last night of peaceful sleep I would have in a while, knowing Ezmeray was safe in her hotel room, out of the grips of men who might mean her harm.
I hated the idea of her going back to her life, of dealing with the fallout of Eren’s death.
There was guilt about it too, since she was only in that position because of me and my inability to control my impulses.
That said, what was the alternative? To allow her to continue to be in a loveless, controlling, abusive marriage? Where Eren could put his filthy fucking hands on her?
No.
That had never been an option.
So I had to deal with this reality.
Keep an eye.
And get her out before shit went south.
As time would tell, that was easier said than done.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ezmeray
I thought I was accustomed to the churning discomfort of uncertainty.