by Cala Riley
“You love me,” he jokes, making a man behind Sofia growl.
“I might allow my wife to be close to you, but I rather not hear about how much she loves you,” he deadpans. The man turns his cold, hard eyes toward me.
He’s the kind of man you cross the street to avoid.
“You must be Vanessa,” he murmurs.
“And you have me at a disadvantage.”
“Oh?” He raises a brow, making Matteo go stiff and Sofia smirk. “How so?”
“You know who I am, but I have no idea who you are.”
“Cara,” Matteo hisses as Sofia and the man laugh.
“Bastiano Catalini,” he introduces himself. I slide my hand into his.
“I would say it’s nice to meet you, but I don’t know if it is yet,” I joke, making them laugh again and Matteo groan.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Matteo’s hand slip into his pocket. I swear you can hear the vibration echo off the walls, making me go stiff.
“Pleasure’s all mine,” Bastiano says, kissing his wife’s hand. “Come, the others are in the dining room.”
Matteo switches it off as he guides me forward.
Matteo and I fall into step behind them. I look all over, taking in the grand entry.
I have never seen anything like this.
How much money do they have?
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Mia, the blonde woman from the other day, steps forward, giving Matteo a hug.
“It is,” I reply when she pulls back, moving in to give me a hug.
It feels awkward, but I hug her back before quickly stepping back into Matteo’s arms.
“I’m so glad you came. I love that dress.” She smiles warmly at me.
I think this is the one who will be my ally tonight. I haven’t seen the third girl, but by the glares she was giving me, she already hates me.
“Thank you, Matteo picked it out.” I give her a shaky smile.
She raises an eyebrow at him. “You didn’t let her pick her own clothes?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “I haven’t really had time to take her shopping. I do work for a living, you know.”
I look down, smiling to myself. He doesn’t want to admit he hasn’t allowed me out of the house. It used to bother me, but I’ve been here a couple months now and I’ve never felt safer.
“That’s terrible,” she scolds him before turning to me. “I’ll come take you shopping soon. Then you can pick out your own clothes.”
“Oh, no that’s not really necessary. I don’t really have the money for that.” I feel my face burn with embarrassment.
“Nonsense. It’ll be my treat. Or hell, Matt can pay for it since he has been so rude. It seems like a fitting punishment, don’t you think.”
“Jesus, Mia. You’re scaring the poor girl.” Sofia comes over, grabbing my arm.
“Will you come with me to the kitchen?”
I look to Matteo, but he nods. “Go on. I need to talk to Bash, anyway.”
“I’ll go talk to Izzy then,” Mia huffs.
I follow Sofia to the kitchen. She takes a seat at one of the stools motioning for me to sit next to her.
An older lady comes into the room, smiling when she sees Sofia.
“I told you I could handle this. Go back to the dining room,” the woman says with an accent.
“Nonna, this is Vanessa. She’s Matt’s date. Vanessa, this is Nonna Rosa. She’s like the grandmother to the entire family.”
“Very nice to meet you, Bella.” She walks over to hug me and kiss me on the cheek. “Matteo is such a good boy. You take good care of him.”
“I will.”
“Nonna, I just need a minute with Vanessa.”
“Okay, but I’ll be back soon.”
Once the door shuts, Sofia turns to me. “I like you. You have a fire inside and I can see the survivalist inside you.”
“Thank you, I think?”
“It’s a compliment. With that being said, Matt is one of the best people I know. I don’t know how much he has told you about his job or us, but he took a bullet for me. He saved my life. He has such a good heart.”
That’s only part of him. I think to myself.
She doesn’t see the other part. Or maybe he doesn’t show it to them.
“I’ve gotten to know Matteo for the past couple months, and I can honestly say that I agree with you. He has a good heart and cares deeply for those he deems family.”
He hasn’t decided that’s me yet, but there’s still time. One day, I might convince him to let me stay forever.
“Good.” Her eyes turn hard. “Because if you run, if you decide one day that you want to leave him and break his heart? I’ll hunt you down to the ends of this earth and I will make you pay. That man is my brother, and I refuse to let anyone treat him bad or hurt him. Do we have an understanding?”
“We do, but I think you’re talking to the wrong person. If anyone is going to leave, it’s going to be him.”
She narrows her eyes. “Why?”
I shrug. “Look at him. He’s way out of my league. Can we go back now?”
Her eyes soften. “Yeah, we can.”
She leads me back to the dining room, but stops me before we step through the door. “I want us to be friends, Vanessa. You’re good for him. I hate that he’s been avoiding us here, but I can see he’s different. He’s family and one day you will be too.”
“Yeah. Maybe,” I say noncommittally.
She sighs before leading the way into the dining room.
“Nonna will bring dinner out in a minute,” Sofia says as she takes her seat by Bastiano.
I make my way to Matteo, smiling when he stands to pull out my chair for me.
“You okay?” he whispers in my ear.
I give him a tight smile and nod.
It’s going to be a long night.
Watching her walk away with Sofia has me nervous. It’s not that I think Sofia would hurt her. As long as she doesn’t hurt me, she’s safe from Sofia, but I wonder what Sofia wants to talk to her about.
“Let’s get a drink and talk about this problem you keep having,” Bash says.
“Sounds good,” I say, following him into the dining room.
“Matteo.” Gio nods from his chair. “Brought a date, I hear,” he teases, making Lo chuckle.
“I did.”
“I look forward to getting to know Vanessa but let’s take care of business while the women aren’t around. No offense, but I don’t know Vanessa and I don’t want anything said around her.” Bash says.
“Understandable.”
“Tells us about the trouble you’ve been having,” Lo demands.
“I still have Frankie digging into it, but so far we know he’s a West. Low-level, corner worker. His head seems too big a little bigger than most and he thinks he can come in and take over.”
Bash hums, hands steepled in front of his face.
“Do you think our green friend is making a move?” Lo asks Bash.
“No, no way,” Gio says.
“I agree with Gio.” Bash nods toward him. “Things are good between us. We both want to do things differently than the men before us. He wouldn’t start a war for no reason.”
“Do you think this kid could be working on his own?” I ask.
“He could be,” Lo says, thoughtfully.
“I’ll have a talk with our green friend and see what he has to say,” Bash says quietly as the women walk in.
“What are you guys talking about?” Iz asks, sitting down next to Gio.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he teases, leaning over and kissing her.
Lo stands, pulling out Mia’s chair.
“Thank you.” She smiles softly at her husband.
“Oh perfect, you are all in here.” Sofia breezes into the room with Vanessa trailing behind her. “Nonna Rosa is ready to serve dinner.”
“Then we better not keep her waiting.” Bash smirks at his wife as he pulls out her c
hair.
I pull out Vanessa’s chair and whisper in her ear. “Everything okay?”
“Everything is great,” she whispers, smiling back at me.
Curled up on my side, I watch Matteo get dressed. He adjusts his cufflinks before smoothing his shirt while looking in the mirror.
“Can I ask you a question?”
He turns, walking toward me.
“Of course,” he says, picking up his suit jacket, sliding it on.
“Why do you dress in a suit every day? Wouldn’t it be easier to do whatever it is you do in street clothes?”
“I’m sure it would be easier, but that’s not the point.” He smirks. “If you dress like a thug, you get dismissed. Dress like a businessman, people will stop and listen.”
“So it’s a respect thing?”
“It’s a respect thing.” He strides to me and leans over me, kissing me deeply. “Are you going to be a good girl today, cara?”
“I’ll try,” I sigh.
“What are you reading today?” he asks, dragging me out of bed.
“Interesting Facts About the Human Body.”
“Interesting. I look forward to discussing it with you once I get home.” He gives me one last kiss. “See you later.”
“Later,” I yell as he walks away.
The way his ass looks in those pants should be criminal.
I shake the thought away and head into the bathroom. Letting the shower heat up, I throw my hair up into a messy bun so it doesn’t get wet. I rush through my shower and get dressed. Walking into the kitchen, I smell freshly brewed coffee.
For a captor, he’s awfully sweet. I never drank much other than water before I came here, but Matteo is teaching me the acquired tastes of many different things. He’s spoiling me.
“Morning,” Nico rasps while drinking coffee and reading something on his phone.
“Morning.”
“Do you need anything from the store today?”
I lean against the counter, taking a sip of my coffee. “Let me think about it. I’ll let you know in an hour? I haven’t really thought about dinner yet.”
“Sounds good.” Nico stands and rinses his cup in the sink. “I’m going to go do a patrol. Have that list ready by the time I’m done so I can hand it off.”
“Can do. See you in a bit.”
He walks out, and I get to work figuring out what to make for dinner. Ever since my failed escape, I’ve tried to make dinner for Matteo. It doesn’t always work out, but it’s been a learning experience. Quickly, I find a recipe that doesn’t look too hard and write down what I need, leaving the list on the counter. Heading into Matteo’s office, I grab the book I’ve had my eye on since yesterday and curl up into a chair and dive in.
Nico comes in and checks on me randomly throughout the day, but never speaking unless he’s telling me he’s going to patrol. I think part of him is still leery from when I tricked him, even though I’ve apologized a million times. Honestly, my goal each day is to try to make him laugh like he used to when we would talk. I haven’t done it yet, but I’m learning patience can be a virtue.
Before I know it, the sun is setting, and it’s time to start dinner. I set the book down on the side table and stand, stretching. Catching movement out of the corner of my eye, I turn toward the window. I frown, not seeing anything. As I turn away, I see Nico approaching.
I let out a sigh of relief.
That explains it.
I make my way downstairs to the kitchen. Turning on the oven, I look out the window waiting for Nico to walk by. When he does, I smile. He nods his head, but nothing else.
I turn to the island to look at the recipe before I start. I hear the door start to open, but then it stops. I look up in time to see someone hit Nico in the head.
The mystery man looks through the door and I drop down, trying to hide.
Please don’t see me. Please let Nico be okay.
He needs help, Vanessa! my brain screams at me.
Crawling to the drawer where the butcher knives are, I pull one out. I’m not that strong, but hopefully this will help. Crawling toward the door, I peek out and let out a sigh of relief when I see the man is no longer there. Nico is laying on the ground though, not moving. I stand, praying the back door is unlocked. I don’t have the code if it’s not, nor do I have a way to get help. I pull on the handle, flinging the door open, relieved it’s unlocked. I kneel and check Nico’s pulse.
Still alive. I scoop him under the arms and awkwardly try to pull him up the stairs.
“I need to work out,” I mutter under my breath, panting. After way too long, I drag him into the kitchen. Running back to the backdoor I press the lock button that I always see Nico press.
No one can get in. You’re safe.
Who was it? Is it Ricky?
Shaking away the million thoughts running through my head, I rush back to Nico and see blood coming out of his side. I lift his shirt and see that he’s been stabbed. Leaning over him, I reach into a drawer and pull out a dishtowel and press it to his side.
“Sorry,” I whisper, digging into his pocket for his phone.
I hold his right thumb up against the screen, unlocking it. Immediately, I find Matteo’s number and press call. Setting the phone down, I hit speakerphone and apply as much pressure to Nico’s wound as possible.
“Everything okay, Nico?” Matteo answers.
“Matteo,” I say calmly.
“Cara?” Matteo asks, confused. “Where is Nico and how did you get his phone?” he demands.
“You need to come home,” I say, shakily. “Nico was doing his rounds, and I watched someone come up behind him and attack him. They ran off, but Nico wasn’t moving.” I stop, trying to catch my breath. “I got him inside. There’s so much blood, Matteo,” I whisper.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes, okay? Do you know what happened to the guard out front?”
“No,” I sniffle. “Hurry.”
“I’ll be there soon. Keep pressure on his wound, alright?”
When I’m silent a moment too long, he repeats himself, “All right, Vanessa?”
“Okay.”
Matteo hangs up and I watch Nico carefully. Feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath my hands.
“Come on, wake up,” I whisper. “Please wake up. You can’t leave yet. I haven’t made you laugh again.”
I keep talking to him, hoping he can hear me.
Several minutes later, I hear the lock turn and footsteps pounding down the hall. Looking over my shoulder, I see a frazzled-looking Matteo and Lorenzo, with Mia hustling behind them. She pushes past them and comes to his other side.
“Let me take over,” she says, giving me a soft smile.
Slowly, I move my hands away, giving her room.
“Come here, cara,” Matteo rasps, holding his hand out to me.
“Let’s step out and give Mia some room,” Lo says.
I follow the men back into Matteo’s office.
“Now tell us exactly what happened.”
I tell them about how I read all day and when I went to go make dinner; I think I watched the whole thing happen. How Nico was unlocking the door, but the man hit him on the head. How Nico tried to react, but he wasn’t fast enough. By the time I’m done recapping, my cheeks are wet from crying.
“Make a copy of today’s footage from your camera and put it on a drive while I go check on Mia,” Lo says and Matteo nods.
Lo stops next to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “You did good, little one.”
“Thanks,” I whisper, wishing I could have done more.
He leaves the room and Matteo gets to work doing what Lorenzo asked. Once done, he drops a flash drive into his pocket. He moves around his desk, comes over, looming over me.
“You could have left,” he whispers, wiping a tear from my cheek. “That was your opportunity to run.”
“It never even crossed my mind,” I mumble.
“You like being here?” he asks, searching
my eyes.
“I do,” I say, honestly. “I’m scared for Nico.”
Matteo gives me a small smile. “Nico’s a fighter. He is one of the strongest soldiers I have. He’s going to make it through this.”
“He was stabbed and hit in the head. I didn’t even see him get stabbed. What if he hit something important?”
“I love that you care. Let’s go check on our patient.”
I groan in frustration.
I slide my bloody hand into his and stand. I follow him into the kitchen where Lorenzo is holding Mia, whispering to her.
Is Nico okay?
I must make a sound because everyone looks at me.
“Hey, don’t worry,” Mia says, softly. “He’s okay. I’m having him moved to our infirmary, where he will be as good as new in no time.” She smiles.
“Good.” I breathe a sigh of relief.
Matteo takes the flash drive out of his pocket and wordlessly hands it to Lorenzo.
“I will get this checked out and keep you updated,” Lorenzo says, dropping it into his pocket.
A knock at the door makes me flinch and both men tense.
“Relax, it’s just the backup I called to help move Nico,” Mia says, resting her hand on her husband’s chest.
Matteo walks over and lets a man with a gurney in. All three men lift Nico onto the rolling bed.
“You ready?” Lorenzo asks Mia.
“I am.” She turns looking at us. “Hopefully next time I see you two it’s under better circumstances,” she teases.
I fake a smile for her benefit, but I don’t feel like smiling.
Lorenzo ushers Mia out the door, and Matteo locks it behind him.
Keeping myself busy, I light the candle on the island and start to clean up Nico’s blood on the floor.
I feel Matteo staring at me, but I don’t face him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t make anything for dinner,” I whisper.
“Eating is the last thing on my mind, cara.” He bends down, scooping me off the floor, and sets me on the counter.
He presses his lips to mine. I kiss him for a moment before pulling back, resting my head on his chest.
“I was so scared. I didn’t know if he had unlocked the door or not. What if I couldn’t get to him? What if the guy came back? I would have had no way to call for help.”