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“We want you to be happy.”
Enzo frowned. “I’m happy.” But even as he said it, the word was bitter on his tongue. He was happy, wasn’t he? There was no reason for him not to be. Sure, the job thing, but Enzo knew he would find something. He had his own house and friends and family. He liked to have fun, maybe spent too many nights in bars or going home with women, but he was young and single, so why shouldn’t he?
“Are you?” Ricky asked as if he could read Enzo’s thoughts. “Sometimes I think you are… and sometimes it feels like you only think you are. You’re restless. Like you’re looking for something.”
He scoffed, while feeling something strange twitch in his chest. “Are you all-knowing now or what? You can read my mind? I’m fine, Ricky. Just because I didn’t make the same choices in life you did, doesn’t mean I’m restless or looking for something.” But he had always felt a sort of emptiness, this piece of himself that never felt like he fit in, especially with his own family. Ricky had followed in their dad’s footsteps. Sophia was just like their mom. Izzy found her own way, but she seemed much more settled in it than Enzo did.
There was a part of him that didn’t quite feel complete, but he didn’t know what else he could be missing.
“Okay,” Ricky replied, but Enzo could tell he didn’t believe him. Still, he wanted to be done with this conversation.
“How’re Ellie and the kids doing?”
Ricky went off about his wife and children, just like Enzo knew he would. Still, he couldn’t keep his mind off what Ricky had said to him.
When their meal was finished, they paid and began walking down the street toward their vehicles. It was a cooler April night in Oceanside, the wind off the water giving a chill to the air.
There was music up ahead of them—Ultra, a club Enzo had been to from time to time. “Hey, let’s go have some fun.” He nodded toward the old warehouse where the club was.
“You know that’s not really my scene. Hell, I don’t remember the last time I went to a club or a bar—probably when Ellie and I first started dating.”
“Come on, Ricky, let’s do it.”
“I should probably get home to Ellie and the kids,” his brother replied. He looked just like their father—tawny skin, black hair, a slender nose.
“You can still have fun. Being married doesn’t mean you can’t go out with your brother. We never do something like this.” He didn’t know why he was pushing so much. Ricky could just go home, and Enzo could go out. He’d probably have more fun that way. And if he did happen to meet someone he wanted to go home with, he wouldn’t feel as guilty about it, wouldn’t feel like he was fucking up because he didn’t want to be married with kids like his brother.
But he did like spending time with Ricky. He wished they could do it more often. Hell, he wanted to see Ricky let go, show he was human like Enzo was. “An hour, that’s all. Come hang out with your little brother.”
Enzo wrapped an arm around Ricky, who smiled, and he knew he had him. “You’re so damn spoiled. Hold on a second. Let me call Ellie and tell her.”
Enzo watched his brother call his wife, feeling excitement skitter through him. They needed this, to let loose together and have a good time.
The moment they walked inside he felt a strange tingle at the base of his spine. Ultra was packed even though it was only a little after ten.
They had a drink, then another and another. Ricky wasn’t a big drinker, but he was having fun—Enzo could see it.
They stayed longer than an hour.
If only they had left earlier.
If only Enzo hadn’t pressured Ricky to go.
It took a while for the smoke to alert them something was going on. It felt like everyone in the full building noticed the fire at the same time. They all ran. People screamed and pushed and fell as they fought their way toward the doors.
“Keep going! I’m right behind you!” Ricky yelled at him. Enzo kept glancing over his shoulder, making sure Ricky was there. He saw a woman fall and pulled her up before she got trampled.
Part of the roof fell in, beams coming down around them. The doorways were jammed. His heart raced as he glanced at Ricky again.
Fuck, he needed to get his brother out of there. He had a family. Had shit to lose.
“Over here!” Ricky called, and he saw a second door, an emergency exit that wasn’t as busy, as though not everyone had seen it. He held on to the woman, ran for the door, and they stumbled out, Ricky beside them.
Enzo fell to the ground, coughed, dry heaved. His throat, lungs, and eyes were on fire as he sat on the asphalt, trying to catch his breath.
“Lorenzo, you good, fratello?”
“Yeah,” Enzo managed to reply as he coughed.
“Shit, there are still people in there.”
Enzo continued to dry heave. When he looked up, his brother was gone, and in that moment he knew, fucking knew Ricky had played the hero and gone back in to help people.
“Ricky!” Enzo yelled as he ran back toward the building. The fire department had shown up. He tried to fight his way through the mass of people leaving the club, around the police officers and firefighters blocking him from getting back inside. “Ricky! My brother is in there. I need to get my brother out.” He shoved past an officer just as more people ran out. Something, he didn’t know what, hit him in the head, and Enzo fell to the asphalt.
Ricky! was his last thought before his world went black.
