The weekend in Las Vegas with Mara was a surreal awakening of everything that's been missing in my life. So, getting back to the grind of business meetings, and negotiation dinners, have solidified that I don't want to grow old alone. There used to be solace coming home to a quiet apartment after a long day, pouring a glass of cognac, and sitting on the couch with the twinkling lights of the city soothing me into a calm. 

But the last few days have felt empty. Too quiet.

And I want Mara by my side.

I miss her and don't care about our age difference anymore. I will do anything to make it work.

Her family is having a party for her mom, and I wish I could be there. It's a silly, innocent desire, but I want nothing more than to introduce myself to everyone as Mara's boyfriend, have them accept me, and become part of their lives. Instead, I'm meeting with Noelle, a.k.a Bishop. She has an update on who attacked Mara. 

It's late afternoon, and I'm at Ocean Beach, where I met with her the first time. Seagulls swirl above, then dive down when they spot something to snatch from the sand. Probably garbage since there were bonfires here last night, and the college kids always leave a mess behind. 

"Hey, old man," Noelle says, then parks her butt on the cement bench across from me.

"Hi yourself. What's the news?"

"Relax, Casanova," she laughs. "We gotta wait for one of my associates. He should be here any minute."

"Fine."

"Stressed?" she laughs again, her hand clamping over mine, which stops me from drumming my fingers against the cement table. 

"Yeah, you can say that. I want to know who hurt my gir—" I clear my throat. "Who hurt Mara." 

Noelle snorts, "You don't fool me, old man. I know someone in love when I see one, and Mara is impressive. I looked into her background—"

"I didn't ask you to do that." 

"Easy, tiger. It was all part of my research to find out who attacked her. In my line of work, the assailant, murderer, kidnapper, etc, is usually someone close to the victim. Thanks to this day and age of social media, Mara is out there in the public eye, which makes her more vulnerable to predators. I mean, there are YouTubes you can find of her dancing ballet as far back as her childhood, and her Instagram... don't get me started. She and her friends don't have their accounts private, and they tag their locations in their posts like idiots."

"Hey!" I bark. "Mara isn't an idiot."

"Alright, she isn't dumb, but she is reckless with information that should be private. I mean, just look at this." Noelle pulls out her phone, taps across it, then turns the screen to me. "She posted that her family is having a house party to celebrate her mom being cancer-free."

"Ok..."

"Well, two days ago she posted that she took her niece to their favorite local spot for hot chocolate, and tagged the cafe. Later that day, she posted they were at the park, and tagged the park's location. When you click on it, there is a map with tons of pictures from other people posting from this general area, too, which means a stalker can easily snoop through the information to get an idea of where Mara lives."

"Christ..." I rub the back of my neck.

 "Plus, all they would have to do is scroll through Mara's photos and find a handful of selfies she has taken in front of her house. So, do you see where I'm going with this? Her information is too exposed, and she naively volunteers it, which is a goldmine for stalkers because it lets them know where they can find you."

"But you said the perpetrator is usually someone close to the victim. So, they would already know her routine and where she lives."

"Correct, but there are times when the perp is just some rando with a sick mind. Or... someone who was hired to harm that person."

"Like you?"

"Yeah, unfortunately, hired hits are part of my resume," Noelle sighs. "Speaking of hitmen..." 

Her eyes light up as she stares past me and stands to greet someone. I look over my shoulder to see who it is, and my blood pressure drops like an anchor, leaving me as cold as the depths of the Pacific Ocean.

"Lu... Lucas?" I rise from the bench.

"We meet again," he says, then rounds the cement picnic table to sit beside Noelle.

"Enzo, meet Lucas, one of my associates."

"And Mara's brother!" I exclaim, my fingers digging into the table. "What the actual fuck is going on here?" 

"Enzo, take a seat," Lucas says. "We both want the same thing, which is to find who attacked my sister."

I ease down, but I'm still catching my breath over the fact that Mara's brother knows Noelle and is apparently a hitman. Why would she spring him on me like this? My blood is boiling, so I clench my fists under the table and grit my teeth.

"When I realized that Mara is Lucas's sister," Noell explains. "I immediately went to him because there is no way this guy would let his baby sister get attacked and not look for the asshole who did it."

"So, we teamed up," Lucas says. "But we can't find who did it."

"Whoever it is, they are damn good at covering their tracks," Noelle adds.

I'm still broiling with rage, but unclench my jaw. "Augusta Abramovitz said my uncle hired a hit, but he says it was Augusta. You are her errand boy." I jab my finger at Lucas. "So you must know more—"

"First of all," Lucas cuts me off. "I'm no one's errand boy. I work for myself, but San Francisco's underbelly is run by the Abramovitz sisters, so I abide by the rules to keep my sneakers clean. That means I don't piss them off, but I work for me. Understand?"

"Survival of the fittest," I grunt.

"Exactly, and if you were smart, you wouldn't go around shaking bushes. Let me and Bishop handle it. Besides, we're used to cracking skulls and washing out bloodstains."

"Plus..." Noelle reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. "I don't want you involved in what's going on."

"What's going on?" I retract with furrowed brows.

Noelle and Lucas look at one another, have a silent conversation through body language with shrugs and ticks, and finally turn back to me. Lucas begins to speak, but Noelle interrupts.

"Just a lot of shit you don't need to know about, but basically, it involves your uncle and my dad trying to dethrone the Abramovitz from power. And we don't want you or anyone else embroiled."

"But..." I rub my jaw. "What does this have to do with Mara?"

"We don't know yet," Lucas says. "Her attack might have nothing to do with the war between The Sisters, your uncle Sammy, or Carmine, but we can't not consider it either."

I blow out a breath and try to relax my shoulders. If Lucas is anything like Noelle when it comes to her job, then I don't have anything to worry about. They will find out who attacked Mara and why, but I don't like being in the dark or not having answers. More importantly, I want to protect Mara. So, I open my wallet and begin spreading cash on the table.

"What's this?" Lucas asks, and I push the money toward Noelle.

"I don't want to take any chances. I need you to be Mara's bodyguard until we find the prick."

"Enzo..." She pushes it back.

"Noelle, please." 

"I'm not taking your money to be her bodyguard!" 

"Please," I beg, and I almost don't recognize the desperation in my voice. It's a low, deep tone, from somewhere in the abyss of my knotted stomach. "Or else I'm going to take matters into my own hands and shake the bushes neither of you wants shook."

Her shoulders stiffen with an agitated sigh. "Fine, but you do realize you're asking me to babysit, right? In my line of work, this is a downgrade assignment. So, you better cough up more cash than that to make up for insulting my pride." 

"Consider it done," I say.

"Shit!" Lucas stares at his phone, his thumb scrolling. "I gotta go!"

"What? Where?" Noelle asks.

"I just missed a bunch of calls and texts." He skyrockets from the bench, gathering his car keys. "Something happened. My dad's missing. I gotta go."

"Wait." I rise, my heart suddenly pounding. "Is Mara ok?" 

Lucas glances down at his arm where my hand is clasped. He rolls his gaze up to mine and says in a low growl, "Don't put your hands me. Ever."

"My apologies." I surrender and step back, but he steps forward, his gaze narrowed like the tip of a knife.

"You should know, I love my sister, and I would do anything for her, which means I will annihilate anyone who hurts her. Including you. Understand?"

Before today, I would have swatted Lucas like a pesky fly for daring to speak down to me when I've done nothing but care for his sister. However, knowing he's in the same business as Noelle gives him a whole new flavor.

He means every word of what he says.

"I... I would never hurt Mara." I swallow as sweat peppers my forehead. "I love her."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes! With every beat of my heart, and with every last breath from my lungs."

"Hey." Noelle cuts between us. "This is a little too tense, and we all want the same thing, right? So, how about you two macho studs calm down? Or do I need to beat some sense into both of you?"

"No." Lucas walks away. "Besides, I have to go find my father."

"Then I'm coming," I blurt, stopping him in his tracks. "I can help. I have connections, too."

Lucas nods, but continues walking, and says over his shoulder, "I'm assuming you know how to get to my house?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'll see you there."

"I guess I'm coming too, then." Noelle turns to me. "Can I follow you? Lucas drives like a maniac, so I'm sure to get lost."

"Just hop in the car with me. I'm liable to drive crazy, too, considering the circumstance."

And I do.

For the entire drive, my knuckles are clenched so tightly against the steering wheel I'm surprised the skin doesn't split. I just need to get there, to make sure Mara is ok, and to be her Knight in Shining Armor.

Most of all, I want to tell her that I love her and that we should be together. Officially.