I turn away from the door, my heart racing as I look for anything else.Anything that will give me even the slightest chance to break free.My eyes dart around the hallway, searching for an escape route.They land on the windows.
I race toward them, hoping, praying, there might be a way through.I reach the first one, pressing my hands against the glass, my palms cold against the smooth surface.I try to push it open, but there’s no handle.And it won’t even fucking budge.
I step back, a wave of panic rising in my chest as I move to the next window.The same thing, this floor-to-ceiling glass shit withno way out, no escape.
I’m trapped.The walls, the windows, everything is designed to keep me in.Every inch of this house is a fucking trap.
I take a step back, my throat tightening as the weight of it hits me.There’s no way out.No fucking way.
He's got some fucked-up security system, probably tracking every goddamn movement, every breath I take.I can almost feel him laughing, some sick amusement dancing in his eyes as he watches me scramble, watches me fall apart.
I’m the rat in his maze, stuck with no way out, no hope.And he’s sitting there, getting off on some twisted satisfaction as I fail, as I break down piece by piece.I’m just a game to him.
No one’s coming for me.
Not now.
Not ever.
The silence makes it real.The kind that doesn’t echo… it just settles.Like dust and the truth.I should’ve known better than to believe I was someone worth saving.But hope’s a cruel fucking thing.
Chapter Seven
Matteo
Isitbackintheleather chair, the soft glow of the security monitors flickering before me, each screen feeding me her every move.
Emery.
Her movements are frantic, desperate.
She’s yanking at doors, slamming her palms against windows, her body tense with the realization that there’s no way out.But there’s something in the way she moves, something that keeps pulling my eyes back to the screen.The way her frustration boils over, the heat in her gaze, the fire that burns beneath it.
I can’t help but admire her, despite the irritation creeping up my spine.There’s something mesmerizing about the way she moves.Even in her panic, there’s a grace to it, a raw energy.
For a moment, I almost gave in.The temptation to taste her again was unbearable.I could almost feel her breath on my lips, the warmth of her body against mine.The way my cock was screaming for me to take her, to claim her.But I shoved the desire down, locking it away.
I can’t afford to lose control.
Not now.
She’s a fucking distraction.
A beautiful, fiery distraction that keeps pulling me in, testing every fucking wall I’ve built around myself.But that’s all she is right now.A distraction.A threat to my focus.I can’t afford to get lost in her again.Not when my father’s a breath away from hunting me down, when I need every ounce of my wits to stay one step ahead of him.
I shouldn’t have gotten that close to her.Shouldn’t have leaned in, let my mouth hover near hers.But I did.And now I’m paying for it.
My cock’s still hard.Still pulsing.A painful, steady throb that won’t let me forget what I walked away from. And while I sit here, trying to get my shit together, my dick has other plans.It aches with need, screaming for attention, for release, for her.
She settles onto the couch in front of the fire, legs curled up, eyes fixed on the flames like they’re going to give her all the answers I couldn’t.Her face softens, her body stills, and for a second, the world around her slows down too.
I stay where I am, unmoving, jaw clenched, chest tight.Watching.Waiting.Trying to fucking breathe through it.
The flames flicker, casting a warm glow across her skin.She looks like a painting, something soft and unreal.
I stay frozen, watching her, my heart pounding.Each throb of my cock is a taunt, a fuck-you from my body for trying to do the right thing.
When she finally goes still, settles like she’s given up for the night, I move.
