Accidentally Yours (Merffy Kizzmet) novel Chapter 201

Chapter 201

Enzo

He pushed his espresso aside, no appetite for it. Lola sat next to him, shoulders small, eyes hollowed out, picking at her food like she wanted it to disappear.

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Across from them, Dottie dragged from her cigarette, eyes sharp as knives.

“You’ll come with me today,” he said finally. “To the war room. You’ll share what you know.”

Her gaze cut to him. Steady. Testing. Then she nodded, like she’d been waiting for him to ask.

“About time. Let’s see if your men can handle what’s coming.”

Lola’s brow furrowed. “You’re just… agreeing? Like that?”

“Bug,” Dottie said, smoke curling, “I don’t sit at a table I don’t intend to cook at.”

Enzo felt the corner of his jaw tighten. Nico should’ve been here for this–should’ve been the one leaning back in his chair, cracking some quiet joke, reminding him not to grind his teeth. Instead, it was just the hollow space where his brother should be. He forced the thought down before it cracked him open.

Christ, fratello [brother]. You should be here for this. Not me alone.

“And I’ll be staying,” Dottie added, casual as a hammer. “Couple weeks. Maybe longer. Someone’s got to keep an eye on you two before you drown yourselves.”

Lola froze. “Staying? As in—”

“Not moving in,” Dottie cut, “haunting.”

Enzo almost smiled. Almost. She wasn’t wrong.

Lola turned to him, suspicion in her voice. “You don’t look surprised.”

He met her gaze evenly. “Because I’m not.”

Because I asked for this. Because I trust her with you in ways I can’t even trust myself.

She blinked, like she’d just caught the edge of something bigger, something she didn’t know yet. He let her. Some truths didn’t belong to this table.

Dottie stubbed her cigarette out with finality. “Good. Then after breakfast, show me your war room. I want to meet the men who’ve been holding this city up while you two hid under blankets.”

Enzo’s hand slid over Lola’s under the table, steady where his chest felt anything but. Her fingers tightened against his.

Let them come. I’ll put every last one in the ground before I let them touch what’s mine.

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11:27 Thu, Oct 9

Chapter 201

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They left the kitchen in silence, footsteps muffled against marble. Lola brushed his hand now and then as they walked–small jolts of warmth through the ice in his chest. Dottie followed with her cane tapping steady, like punctuation. Every strike on the floor said: I know where we’re going. I’ve been here before.

The elevator ride down was short, but heavy. Dottie leaned into her cane, expression unreadable, while Lola stared at her reflection in the mirrored wall like she didn’t quite recognize the girl looking back.

Enzo reached for her hand, grounding her. She didn’t look up, but her fingers twitched tighter in his.

The doors opened onto the war room–screens glowing, maps spread, the table still littered with Dmitri’s carcass in black and red. Dom and Gino were already inside, braced like sentries on either side of the table. Jake hunched over his monitors, fingers flicking across keys.

Dottie didn’t pause on the threshold. She strode in like it was her living room, cane striking the tile, eyes sharp as razors as she scanned

the setup.

Dom muttered low, “Who the fuck invited grandma?”

The thunk of wood on bone cracked across the room as Dottie smacked her cane against his shin. Dom jerked back, swearing.

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