“Bring her phone to me when the call is over. Make her smile today.”
“I, uh, yeah. I can do that.” Drake took the phone. “What about Anson? If he comes?”
“I called him this morning and told him to spend the day with Rosalie. That Bianca wanted to rest. He agreed. You are responsible for her today. Vanessa will see her at one to do her nails in the garden. Do not be late.” Matteo eyed him.
“Of course.” Drake left quickly, his irritation having turned into nervous energy. I knew he was struggling with Bianca since she thought he’d betrayed her and the kings. In a way, he had, but he was easy to figure out.
His eyes gave him away. We knew he’d fallen for her when we saw him at the hospital, but we’d heard it in his phone calls when he’d check in with us.
The guy had it bad. I felt sorry for him because falling in love meant losing yourself. Nobody wanted to do that. It was why I didn’t waste time in relationships. I had my soulmate, and she was gone. It was as simple as that. Now I waited to be reunited with her and our daughter, and to someday have Vincenzo join us.
“Teo,” I started, but he held his hand up to stop me.
“I know,” he said, rubbing his eyes.
“Do you?” I asked. “Because having a weapon on you in the room of a woman who is probably one of the most dangerous threats to you seems… unwise.”
“It wasn’t on me. I left it in my jacket… on the floor,” he muttered.
Klaus shot me another look as I shook my head.
“Brother, what is going on with you? You’ve not been acting normally. This isn’t like you.” I eyed him, my concern growing.
“She is a good woman. She will make Dominic a very happy man.”
“Then why do we continue to keep her?” Klaus asked. “She is pregnant. She has a family.”
Matteo shook his head. “I’m… protecting her.”
“From what?” I asked. “You’re the biggest threat to her.”
“I’m really not.” He sighed. “My father is.” He paused for a moment as he stretched his neck. “You know this. You know the sort of monster he is. Thatsheis.” His expression turned sour.
“Then here is not where she needs to be,” I said. “Because they are coming here.”
“But I can protect here. I cannot protect if she’s holed up with fucking Dominic!” His chest heaved as he shouted.
I swallowed and gave him a moment to calm down. “Your faith in Dominic has wavered, brother. He is a good man. The torture you put him through affects our children as well. My son suffers because of your hatred, as does Klaus’s. In our lives, have we all not suffered enough? It would be unwise to hand the suffering down to our children.”
“Dominic is not my child. He’s my brother. He’s a fucking stain on this earth and my life! I was tied to a fucking chair, forced to watch his conception before my father,my own fucking flesh and blood, forced me to rape my wife because he didn’t think I’d consummate the marriage. He watched me do it, a gun to my fucking head. I had tofuckwhat had already beenfucked!” Matteo tugged at his hair as he hung his head. “I did not want it. I never wanted it. I had a family. I never wanted a new one.”
Klaus turned on his stool and stared at Matteo, a sad expression on his face. Klaus knew what it was like more than I did, since Klaus’s marriage had also been arranged. He lived in a loveless hell for years. It hardened him, too.
I went to Matteo and knelt, then turned his chair so he could face me. He didn’t really, just continued to let his head hang.
“Teo, you have a second chance. Alessandro and Tomasso are home. They came to find you. They are good boys. Good, strong men with morals. They don’t say the words, but I know they idolize you and still see you as their father. This hatred of Dominic needs to stop. It’s taking over everything.”
“He wins if it stops,” Matteo whispered. “He wins. He gets it all. A beautiful woman he loves. A family. An empire someday.He wins.And I… I suffer and lose. I am tired of the sacrifice, Alessio.”
“You don’t lose, brother. You could have a relationship with Dominic. With Bianca. With your newborn nephew.”
He shook his head. “Sylar has said words that trouble me. He told me to think things over, and I have. I’m terrified.” His eyes met mine, and I could see the fear shining in them.
“What is it?” Klaus stood before coming over to stand beside me as I continued to kneel for Matteo.
“I just… I don’t want to talk about it. I can’t.” Matteo let his head fall back, and that’s when I noticed the dampness on his cheeks. Matteo never cried. Not since he got the news that Delilah and Giana had been murdered. That was the day we truly saw him crumble and break. And it was the beginning of pure hatred toward Dominic, who had been treated with indifference before.
Klaus and I exchanged a quick look, but neither of us commented on Matteo’s tears.
