“I will put anything I want around your neck and parade you around like a goddamn dog on a leash,” he says, squeezing harder. “The money you tried to steal is gone now too. It’s all your fucking fault, and you will fucking pay for it.”
I frown. “What? I didn’t do anything with that money. I don’t have anything on me.”
“I already know that,” he says. “You think I didn’t immediately have my men check you, bitch?”
He slaps me across the cheek, not hard enough to leave a mark but hard enough to sting. And I touch my own face where he hit me to try to soothe the pain.
“You steal from me again, and I will cut off more than you can bargain for. Do you understand?” When I don’t respond, he yells, “Do you understand or not?”
I softly nod to avoid another slap.
“Good. Don’t fucking try that on me again.”
The car finally comes to a stop near his mansion, and when the locks are off, I immediately rush out into the fresh air to try to control my emotions so I don’t cry.
How did I end up in this mess? If only I hadn’t taken his money. But God, I needed it so badly.
I swallow down the tears, blinking a couple of times as Lucio steps out of the car, too. There’s no point in running because his guards are everywhere. Except in my room, of course, because he barred all the windows off with metal. Heprobably knew I’d jump if I got the chance.
I don’t want to marry this bastard, but he’ll make me. All because of the money that he gave to me when I needed it the most.
“You,” Lucio barks, “go to your fucking room and let the maids help you. If I so much as hear a single scream, I’ll personally come up there and give you a reason to scream. You got it?”
I suck in a breath and don’t reply as I waltz up to the door of his mansion, sticking my middle finger in the air, but I doubt he sees it. He’s too preoccupied with trying to find whatever remaining cash he still has after the explosion threw it all across the room and out into the void.
I guess I should be grateful to whoever interfered with their negotiations because it definitely wouldn’t have ended well. One of them was about to get shot, and I doubt Lucio’s men would have let Matteo hurt him without gunning him down first.
I couldn’t bear it.
And all of this because of that same fucking money.
Lucio really is the devil.
Still, I can’t help but wonder if the man who wants him dead isn’t just as much a devil as he is.
I go up to my room and close the door behind me. The maid still isn’t here, so I have some peace and quiet on my own for now. I stay put near the door and fidget in my pocket to take out the item that dropped out of my hair, and I stare at it. It’s a tracker with the same letter engraved ontop as the cuff links that Matteo wore.
A smile lifts up my face.
Maybe, just maybe ...
Suddenly, there’s a knock on my door, and I jolt in surprise.
“Miss?” The door opens, and I step away, tucking the tracker back into my pocket.
“I’m here to help you clean up a little,” the maid says.
I clear my throat and smile. “Yes. I’m ready.”
Matteo
The next day
Just when I’m about to open my laptop, Franco knocks on my door.
“Come in,” I say and put down my regular morning coffee. I don’t like being interrupted during my work, but he knows if it’s important, he should come to me, no matter the time.
“We were right, it was an ambush. The Costa family is responsible. We found some of their bullets.”
