“Teo!” Saverio called from the field.
Matteo was on high alert, because I’d never seen his head move that fast before. His eyes were laser focused, and he seemed as hard as stone. I wasn’t even sure if he was breathingor not. He reminded me of a hunter. A dangerous hunter on the prowl.
Nonno was there, looking over Magpie, and I could see where Matteo got the intensity from.
Matteo looked me over once more, then went to walk away from me, but I snatched his wrist and refused to let go. Maybe it was then that he saw the fear in my eyes. Or felt it through my fingertips. I had no fucking clue. But the direction of his thoughts seemed to change. He shouted something to Saverio, who nodded once and then said something to the men around him.
Nonno had already got Magpie situated in another car. Matteo opened my door, gave orders to another man to drive Noemi home, then scooped me up. He brought me over to another car, a dark, fast-looking cat-beast of a sports car, and set me in the passenger seat. The windows were so tinted, I couldn’t see inside. The interior was all leather and shiny dash, and it smelled like him.
I breathed in the cool, scented air while he walked around the hood. He stopped for a second to talk to Saverio, who went in another direction. Matteo had a gun on him. The sun hit it, and it glinted in my eyes. The barrel was as dark as his car, but the holder was silver.
Neither of us said anything as we sped away from the scene—so fast, I closed my eyes to the rush of it.
Chapter 23
Stella
The day felt never ending, even though it wasn’t even nine o'clock yet. Maybe there was such a thing as Fausti time. It seemed like something was always going on. The family was big, and I was starting to learn how complex.
Matteo pressed against my back as we seemed to breeze through the kitchen. Chloe’s tear-streaked and swollen face was the last thing I saw as we turned the corner and started to climb the steps. There was a little landing, and sunlight pooled on it, those tiny specks of dust floating in it. I could see the land unfolding in front of me for what seemed like miles, and all those bright flowers seemed to carpet it. I could see why Chloe enjoyed painting it.
I tugged on Matteo’s hand before we started on the steps again. “Do you think your mom is getting through to Chloe?”
He stared at me for a second. “Do you think Massimo is innocent?”
I thought about that for a second. “I do.”
“Tell me why.”
“Why…” I thought for another second. “I could tell by your mom’s face. And it seems like Rosaria will do a lot of things to get control of this family.”
“You catch on quick, baby.” He touched my chin. “I knew from the moment you ran from me that you were intelligent.”
Intelligent. There was a word no one had ever called me before. Mom used to call me smart. I snorted. “Are you saying I’m smart because I ran from you?”
“Am I?” He lifted his thick eyebrows.
“I’m not sure if what I did was intelligent or not, but my survival skills are intense. I couldn’t tell if you wanted to kill me or really help me. I went with the safer bet.”
“The devil you knew.”
I’d never heard it put that way. “Yeah, I did. But you’re not the devil, Matteo. The opposite for me. I swore if you ever came back for me, I’d never run from you again.”
“You should ask my enemies if they feel the same,” he said, then answered the last part of my comment. “Where’s the fucking fun in that?”
I laughed. “You like catching me, huh?”
He squeezed my hand and started leading me up the steps. “It’s like catching a falling star. The most exhilarating moments of my life—and when you’re safe in my arms, the best moments of my life.”
It didn’t sit right at all to call what this man had said to me cute, or sweet, or anything sugary like that.
Intense.
Romantic.
Passionate.
Those suited him like a custom-made suit not every man could wear. I sighed as we took the last step and then headed toward Matteo’s room. He opened the door for me, then stood in the doorway.
