4. Matteo
4
Matteo
S omething is wrong.
Bang!
The sound of glass shattering jolts me awake.
My body reacts before my mind fully registers what's happening. I grab my gun and hurry to the bedroom.
"Elena!" I call out, keeping my voice low but urgent.
Gunshots hit the wall beside me, and I duck, returning fire without hesitation. Two shots, two bodies hit the floor. But there are more coming.
"Matteo!" Elena's voice, sharp with fear. At least she's awake and hopefully unhurt.
I back toward the bedroom, maintaining cover fire as I go. "Get Fiona. Stay low. Move to the bathroom."
When I reach the bedroom, Elena is already clutching Fiona to her chest, the child mercifully asleep .
Elena's eyes are wide with terror, her body trembling.
"Caruso's men?" she whispers.
"Yes." I grab her arm, pulling her toward the bathroom. "Safe room behind the shower tile. Press the third tile from the left, second row down."
More glass shatters in the living room. Heavy footsteps. I count four, maybe five hostiles.
Elena follows my instructions, finding the hidden panel. The door slides open to reveal a steel-reinforced panic room barely big enough for two adults. She hesitates.
"What about you?"
"I'll hold them off. Go."
She shakes her head. "You'll die."
"Not today." I check my magazine. Six rounds left, plus another full clip in my pocket. "Get in the fucking room, Elena."
She cradles Fiona tighter and steps inside.
"Don't open this door for anyone but me or Nico. Understand?"
She nods, her eyes locked on mine. For a heartbeat, something passes between us. Then I close the panel, sealing them inside.
I position myself in the hallway, using the bedroom doorframe as cover. Two Caruso soldiers appear. I don't give them time to aim. Two shots, two more bodies on my floor .
My phone vibrates. A text from Julian: Two minutes out with backup.
Fucking Julian. He should have been here already, monitoring the perimeter.
If Elena and her daughter die because of his incompetence, I'll put a bullet in his skull myself.
Footsteps approach from the kitchen—they've found the back entrance. I'm outnumbered and running out of ammunition.
The first man rounds the corner, and I put a bullet between his eyes. The second grazes my shoulder before my return fire catches him in the throat.
The third man keeps covering, firing blindly around the corner. I count his shots, waiting for the empty chamber to click. When it comes, I surge forward. His eyes widen as I appear. My knife slides between his ribs with practiced precision.
Suddenly, the apartment goes quiet. Too quiet.
Then the front door crashes open.
I spin, weapon raised, only to find Julian standing there with three of my men.
"Boss, I—"
"Shut the fuck up." My voice is deadly calm. "You're three minutes late. You know what happens in three minutes? People die."
"The perimeter looked clear when we left— "
"Your job was to make sure it stayed clear." I step closer. "Elena and her daughter could have died because you weren't where you were supposed to be."
"I'm sorry—"
"Get this mess cleaned up."
I move back to the bathroom and open the hidden panel. "Elena, it's me. It's over."
She emerges with Fiona clutched to her chest.
"Are you hurt?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "We're fine." Her eyes narrow at the blood on my shirt. "You're not."
"It's nothing. Pack whatever you can. This location is compromised."
I call Nico. He immediately answers, “I heard.”
"Yeah. Five of Caruso's men. We handled it."
"Bring them to the estate," he says. "It's the most secure location we have."
"Your house?" Since his father's death and his son's birth, Nico has guarded the estate fiercely.
"If they find this safe house, they might compromise your others too."
“Alright”, I reply and hang up.
Elena finishes packing. "Where are we going? "
“My brother-in-law’s estate. Nico Moretti’s property is the most secure place in the city.”
"The Reaper's house?"
"Don't call him that to his face," I advise with a hint of a smile. "He pretends to hate it, but secretly, he's flattered."
Outside, two black SUVs wait. I usher Elena and Fiona into the first, getting in after them.
During the drive to Nico’s estate, Elena stares at me. “You killed those men without hesitation, like it was nothing. "
I meet her gaze. "Would you rather I'd hesitated and let them kill you and your daughter?"
She shakes her head. "No. Thank you for protecting us."
"I gave you my word and I intend to keep it.”
Nico’s estate sprawls across twenty acres, surrounded by heavy security. The iron gates open as our convoy approaches, revealing the expansive grounds and imposing stone mansion in the distance.
“This is where we’ll be staying?” Elena asks, taking in the pristine landscaping and security cameras positioned discreetly along the perimeter.
“Yes. No one gets in or out without Nico’s approval. You’ll be safe here till I take care of everything that’s going on. ”
My siblings are already gathered—Lorenzo pacing, Olivia perched on a settee, Angelo by the window. Isabella rises to greet us, taking Fiona from Elena's arms.
"I'll show you to your room first," she tells Elena. "You can freshen up while Matteo briefs everyone."
Once they've gone, Lorenzo rounds on me. "What the fuck is happening, Matteo? First, you disappear for two days, then you call an emergency meeting and show up with some woman and her kid?"
"Sit down," I command, my tone leaving no room for argument. "All of you."
Then, I explain everything—the trafficking operation, the cult, the murders, the betrayals.
Lorenzo explodes from his chair. "This is perfect! We have everything we need to wipe those fuckers off the map."
"And start a citywide war?" Olivia counters. "That's exactly what the feds would love."
"Lorenzo's right that we need to act," Angelo interjects. "But we should be strategic."
I silence them with a sharp whistle. "Enough. We're not deciding anything tonight. We sleep on it, reconvene tomorrow with cooler heads."
They bid their goodbyes and leave.
Nico holds me back afterward. “Come with me. ”
I make my way to his study, where he pours his prized whiskey into two glasses.
"You need to be careful, Matteo."
I raise an eyebrow. "I'm always careful."
"Not with enemies. With the woman." He takes a sip. "I recognize it because it's how I looked at Isabella before I admitted to myself what she meant to me."
"That's different—"
"Just remember, in our world, the people we care about become weapons our enemies can use against us."
As if summoned, Elena appears in the doorway, wearing fresh clothes that make her look smaller, more vulnerable.
"Isabella put Fiona down for a nap," she explains. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Not at all," Nico says smoothly. "I was just leaving to check on my wife."
Once he's gone, Elena steps into the study, her eyes taking in the leather-bound books and guns.
"Your daughter is settling in, okay?" I ask, trying to ignore the way the evening light catches in her hair.
"She's adaptable." Elena wraps her arms around herself. "More than I am, probably. "
I say nothing, waiting for her to continue.
"I need to ask you something," she says finally. "And I need you to be honest."
I nod once.
"Will you teach me how to defend myself?" The words come out in a rush. "I want to protect Fiona if it comes down to it. I can't always rely on you or your family being there."
I study her face, surprised by the request. "It won't be easy."
"I don't need easy. I need to keep my daughter safe."
After a moment's consideration, I nod. "We can start tonight, after dinner. The east wing has a training room.”
The training room is sparse and functional—mats covering the floor, mirrors along one wall and various equipment organized neatly along the other.
Elena meets me here dressed in workout clothes.
"First rule: forget everything you've seen in movies. Real self-defense isn't pretty or fair."
She nods, her expression serious.
"Second rule: you're smaller than most attackers will be. Use that to your advantage rather than trying to match strength."
I position myself behind her, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from her body. "If someone grabs you from behind— "
My arms encircle her, and immediately I realize my mistake. Her scent—something floral with an underlying sweetness that must be uniquely hers—fills my senses. I exhale sharply, my breath hitting the soft curve of her neck.
She goes still in my arms, her breath catching.
"You—" My voice sounds rough to my own ears. I clear my throat. "You want to drop your weight like this-"
I guide her through the movement, hyperaware of every point where our bodies connect. When she successfully breaks my hold and spins to face me, her cheeks are flushed, and there's a sheen of sweat on her skin.
"Like that?" she asks, her voice slightly breathless.
"Yes. Good." I step back, putting the distance between us. "Now we'll practice strikes. The most vulnerable points on an attacker are…"
The door swings open, and Isabella walks in, her eyebrows shooting up as she takes in the scene.
"Sorry to interrupt your... training," she says, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Elena, Fiona's asking for you."
Elena nods, oddly flustered. "Thank you. I'll go to her now." She hesitates, glancing back at me. "Same time tomorrow?"
"Same time," I confirm.
Once she's gone, Isabella turns to me with a knowing smile. "Well, well. "
"Don't start," I warn.
"Start what? Pointing out the obvious? That you're falling for her?"
I busy myself with re-wrapping my hand wraps. " That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. She's under my protection. That's all."
"Matteo." My sister's voice turns serious. "I've known you my entire life. I've seen you with dozens of women. But never have I seen you look at any of them the way you look at her."
"And how do I look at her?" I challenge.
Isabella's smile turns soft. "The same way Nico looks at me."
The simple statement hits me with unexpected force. I want to deny it, to laugh it off as ridiculous. But lying to my sister has never worked.
Instead, I remain silent, which Isabella correctly interprets as confirmation.
"Be careful, brother," she says quietly. "Not because I disapprove, but because I've never seen you care for someone that isn’t family. It might not end up well. ”
The realization settles over me that my sister might be right.
And that, more than any Caruso hitman, is what truly frightens me.