“I’d much rather light Lucio’s ass on fire than this smoke, trust me on that,” he adds.
“That fucking bastard took this girl just to kill her out here in cold blood like he wanted to send a message,” I say. “He’s got a vendetta.”
“Matteo,” he mutters, looking me dead in the eyes. “Are we going to war with the Agostinis?”
“We’re not going to war.” I grab the girl’s ring off her finger and tuck it into my pocket so I can send it to her parents when I get home safe and sound. “We’re already inone.”
Stella
I grab the sponge and lather myself with soap as I enjoy the warm bathwater Sarah ran for me on Matteo’s orders. Even though I was reluctant to accept it because it’s one of the ways he thinks he can subdue me, it does feel kind of nice. The heat is relaxing, and the expensive soaps make my skin glisten in the light. Maybe it’s not that bad to live with a rich Mafia lord. I’d never be able to afford a bath like this working a nine-to-five job with a small salary. Then again, is having such opulence worth exchanging my freedom for?
My eyes scatter around the bathroom, settling on a small window near the ceiling behind the curtains, and I wonder if I’m allowed to open it up for some fresh air.
Suddenly, there’s a loud bang, and I jolt up in the bath, the water moving from side to side.
What was that?
There are footsteps audible down below.
I immediately get out of the bath and grab a towel to dry myself off. I don’t know who just came into the house, but the way that door just slammed shut sounded like thunder, so I doubt it’s good news. I rub myself dry and put on a bathrobe, covering myself up before I walk out of thebathroom, wet hair and all. I knock on the door until the guard finally says, “What do you want?”
“Is Matteo home? Let me out of here. I need to speak to him.”
It takes him a few seconds to open my door, and I immediately waltz right past him, ignoring his vague grumbling. I walk into the hallway and look over the banister down below, where a bunch of Matteo’s men just exited a room at the back of the hall, which I’m not allowed to go into and is always locked. One guy enters with a whole box full of guns, and it makes me do a double take.
Jesus Christ.
I run down the stairs when suddenly Matteo exits the room too. He’s covered in blood, and I swallow back the lump in my throat as his eyes meet mine.
What did he do? Who did he kill?
He made it out alive.
A pang of guilt hits my stomach because, for some reason, my whole body relaxes at that thought. He’s a monster who only cares about his own needs, yet the way he’s looking at me now almost makes the despair that clutches my heart visceral. Real.
He approaches, and I freeze on the stairs, not knowing where to go because he’s coming right at me. Our eyes lock in a furious battle of unspoken words, but instead of meeting them head-on, he walks right past me up the stairs, blood caking even his shoes, with which he leaves marks every step he takes.
How many people has he shot and killed? How long did it take for them to bleed out?
I wince.
I should definitely not follow him, yet my feet can’t help but turn around and head right back up the stairs, straight into the lion’s den. He’s in his bedroom, pouncing around like a goddamn bear, as I gently close the door behind me.
“What happened?” I ask him.
He briefly throws me an angered look filled with bristling impatience, and I breathe out a sigh. He looks stressed out and doesn’t even respond. Maybe if I help him relax a little, he’ll finally tell me what really happened and whether the girl they mentioned is okay.
He stops pacing and leans over his desk, grumbling to himself. I approach and place my hand on his shoulder, and he immediately stops tensing up. I slowly begin rubbing his shoulders and neck, massaging the muscles into letting go, and after a while, he lets out a bated breath.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“What does it feel like?” I respond.
He snorts. “Where did you get skills like these, Tesoro? This feels fantastic.”
His compliment makes me snort. “I took a massage class once. Just for fun.”
“So I married a woman with magical hand,” he mutters.
