Don't make a single sound Lilly. He spoke cautiously.

I stayed silent. My body was trembling.

The safe room is safe, but you never know. These people are smart, whoever we are dealing with. We can't underestimate them.

I closed my eyes, rocking back and forth silently, trying to calm my body down.

Another bang. I jumped but didn't make a peep this time. I could hear my heartbeat loud in my ears. It was deafening.

I closed my eyes.

A third bang rang out in my ears.

Fuck. I was blind. I didn't know what was happening on the other side of the wall.

Enzo just got into the penthouse. Don't move or make a sound. No matter what you hear.

What if Enzo got hurt? Or Stefano? Or Alessio? I would never forgive myself. He gave me so much without even giving it a second thought, and I was about to put him and his brothers in more danger than they already were.

I held my breath waiting for anything to happen. The loud bangs stopped after the fourth. I wish I could hear better through the wall. But everything was muffled greatly. I was only able to hear the really loud noises, like bangs I couldn't decipher what the sources were. I strained my ears, desperate for any indication that Enzo was okay. That Alessio and Stefano were totally fine, besides the definite concussion.

I had to just wait there in the safe room for something to happen.

"Please be okay," I silently chanted to myself.

It felt like I was sitting there helpless for hours. I felt useless. Enzo could have been in danger, and I was sitting here doing nothing. I hated that I couldn't help. I knew that if I tried to, I'd be more of a liability than an asset.

I heard a thud. It was beyond frustrating. A bigger thud. A masculine yell. Fuck. Then there was silence for a few minutes.

"Please, Enzo," I begged silently, not knowing what I was even asking for.

I heard a click and jumped out of my skin. I closed my eyes afraid that Enzo wouldn't be the one to open the door, but instead the intruder.

"Hey, Princess!" Stefano huffed out with amusement. I jumped into him, crying.

"Thank god. Where is Enzo? Alessio?" I wrapped my arms around his ginormous body. He was bigger than Enzo.

"They are okay, Enzo is talking to Dante," he whispered, hugging me back. I exhaled, full of relief. I stepped back, getting a good look at Stefano. I nodded to him and my shoulders sagged with relief. My adrenaline was still buzzing in my veins.

"You promise?" I asked him.

"I promise," he smiled, but it didn't meet his eyes.

I nodded again and sighed.

"Come on," he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. Keeping me steady, and looking straightforward. But I didn't miss the dead body of a middle-aged man lying on the floor of the library. The blood was soaking into the dark green carpet. I barely winced, though. Instead, I just looked away.

"Thank you for saving me," I whispered to Stefano.

"You're family, Lilly The sister I never had," he smiled at me with fondness. "I'll always have your back. All of us will. You are part of our family, Lilly. We protect our family, always. You never need to thank me."

I smiled at him; my heart was burning with warmth. Hearing Stefano's words, made all of my bad thoughts in the back of my head disappear. I was scared they didn't want me here, that they were annoyed by me. But, they truly thought of me as a part of their little family. They came, dropped everything, and came running to keep me safe. It wasn't the first time.

"Thank you for everything," I spoke softly.

He nodded and led me to Enzo who was on the phone.

He saw me and pulled me into him tightly.

"I told you not to get her out of the safe room until I had the building swept!" he muttered at Stefano.

"Yeah, yeah. But, no one likes suspense," he argued.

I nodded in agreement. I didn't want to wait in there any longer.

"I just want to keep you safe," he whispered in my ear.

I leaned back and looked at him, scanning for injury.

"Stop checking him out, he's fine. I'm the one that got hurt," Alessio grumbled.

I snapped my head to him and ran to him jumping on him.

"I'm so sorry Lessi." I teared up.

"Why are you sorry?" he chuckled.

"Because I should have-"

"Should have nothing. Unless you have a secret black belt in karate that no one knows about..." he paused waiting for me to shake my head. I rolled my eyes.

"Exactly, then you should have done exactly what you did, which was to stay hidden and safe," he raised an eyebrow at me and I felt like I was getting chastised by one of my elementary teachers.

I huffed while narrowing my eyes at him.

"Enzo-" I started to argue, hoping he'd take my side.

"My brother is right Lilly. Why do you insist on continuously putting yourself in danger?!" he scolded me, sounding exasperated.

I gasped at him in anger.

"I put myself in danger? Are you fucking kidding me?! Fuck you, Lorenzo."

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it!" he yelled back with a sour look on his face like he was offended I would think that of him. I didn't care if I offended him. I was too angry with him.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm sorry I'm so dumb and just keep throwing myself into harm's way. I'll make it easier for everyone and leave. So you can all stop babysitting me," tears polled in my eyes. They all started looking blurry.

"You're not leaving," Enzo gritted out.

"I'm just a liability. Like you said, I constantly put myself in danger." I sighed, defeated.

"Just let me go. I need to visit a friend anyway. I'll stay with them for a while."

"No, you're not leaving," he said firmly.

His brothers looked slightly uncomfortable. But, I could tell they agreed with Enzo.

I practically growled with frustration before I stomped away from him and his brothers in the living room. I continued to stomp all the way to our bedroom. After a second, I heard Enzo hot on my heels, arguing things that I wasn't bothering to listen to.

"You can't leave!" I finally hear him say when I zoned back in.

I rolled my eyes and stormed to the dresser, pulling out some of my clothes. He watched in the doorway. He stopped talking and waiting. I didn't care. I continued pulling out clothes and shoving them into a duffle bag I had in the closet.

"I won't stay here and be a little damsel in distress!" I argued.

"Mhm."

"I don't want to be your liability!" I yelled.

"Mhm."

"I have to go, I won't be your burden. I'll go stay with my old boss, Samson. I told him I'd visit him for Christmas."

"Okay, where does he live?"

"I'm not telling you. You'll just come there and try to watch me yourself."

He mumbled something, sounding annoyed.

"You can't keep me here, Lorenzo."

"Sure I can't," he rolled his eyes. It hurt him when I used his full name; I could see it in his eyes.

"What are you going to tie me up and lock the doors, throw away the key," I trembled, starting to fear he would do just that.

He stared down at me, his jaw tightening.

"Is that what you think of me. That I'm a monster. That I would do that to my woman. That I'd ever do that to you." He looked disgusted. I wasn't sure if it was towards me or himself. I looked away, feeling shameful.

"I didn't mean it...You're just freaking me out."

"Hmmm," he thought as he pulled me into his arms and held me softly.

"I know you wouldn't do that," I leaned into him.

"Good, because I wasn't serious. I was just speaking out of frustration," he spoke seriously. I nodded into his chest.

"But, I do like the idea of tying you up and..."

"Enzo!" I laughed.

"Okay fine I'll drop you off at his house."

Oh shit... He definitely did not know that he lived in Puerto Rico now.

I felt bad lying to Enzo, but I had to get myself out of their hair finally. It was just in time for Christmas, which solved the other issue. At least now they'd be able to enjoy their Christmas without having to worry about me. Although I did feel like I was part of their family after what Stefano told me, I still felt like a liability. At least for two weeks I could go to Puerto Rico and forget about all the problems I was dealing with.

I quickly looked away and gave him Sampson's old Brooklyn address, lying through my teeth.