Under My Skin

Chapter 24

"Slow down, amore mio. When was the last time you heard from her?" Enzo asked as I paced around his office, slapping my phone against my palm with every step. As if watching a tennis match, Enzo's head turned as I ventured from one side of the room to the other.

"When we left the bridal salon on Monday," I spoke with an emptiness. Although I could hear him and respond, I wasn't all there.

"So, it's only been three days. Did you call her work?"

"Only three days!? She hasn't shown up since Monday."

Enzo leaned back in his chair with a sigh, "I'll have Carmine look into it. Rest, there's nothing you can do about it now."

Angelo took me back to my room and stood outside. If Jade was missing, I could be at risk too. Instead of pacing around Enzo's office since he kicked me out, I paced around my room. I didn't eat dinner when the time came. I couldn't. Too many dark and twisted scenarios played in my mind.

"Enzo's going to find her," I muttered to myself. "He has to find her."

Hours passed before Enzo entered my room. His icy cold expression shriveled up my panicked heart. Despite my better judgment, I asked him, "Did you find her?"

He didn't say anything. He just kept walking towards me, one step at a time.

"Enzo, where is Jade?"

He stood right in front of me, and then uttered words I would never forget, "She never made it home from the fitting."

All the hairs on my body stood on end. I rushed for the door. Enzo grabbed me and held me in a tight embrace against him. I elbowed him in the side as I tried to pry my back away from his chest.

"Let me go!"

"Niccolò took her."

I screamed. It wasn't a sound that made words. It was emotional agony projected out into the world in its rawest form. It was guttural and ugly.

Although futile, I fought against Enzo's hold. At one point the strength in my legs collapsed and Enzo was the only thing holding me up. The water gates opened, and tears flooded down my face. All my emotions clogged up my throat.

"She can't go through that. I know what he put me through, and he swore he loved me. He needed me. He doesn't need her. He's going to kill her. He's going to put her through what he did to Jeremy. I have to go. I have to get her. She needs help. I need to help her."

"I am doing everything I can, but your safety is my top priority."

My muscles quivered from the thought of Jade hanging in that small room that smelled of sweat and death with the flickering light that blinded me from the world. Or nailed to the table while Niccolò threw knives at her. Perhaps he came up with something even more wicked that I couldn't even imagine.

"Enzo I can't do it. I can't survive another Marlena incident. I can't go through the same thing that happened to Jeremy. I can't keep living if someone else dies because of me. I just can't."

Enzo whispered in a voice meant to soothe me, "I won't let that happen. Trust me. Please."

All my weight fell into Enzo as Gianni slid through the doorway of my bedroom. He was out of breath and sweating as he clung to the molding. Panic played on his face as he saw my reaction to the news he had yet to hear.

Gianni addressed Enzo, "I need to go with them."

"No."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"Fratello, that's exactly what you will do."

"She needs more than five guys! She's not from this life!"