Matteo

Chapter 10 Matteo

MATTEO

After I’ve finally rinsed off all the blood, I dry off with the towel, but nothing I do rids me of this rage. I’m fuming from the carelessness with which Lucio simply erased my employees, like they weren’t even people at all to him.

That monster couldn’t care less who lives or dies as long as he has his prized possession.

Well, he’ll have to snatch her out of my cold, dead hands.

I spritz some cologne on my neck and get dressed again while taking some deep breaths to calm myself down. While I glance at myself in the mirror, the only thing that makes me smile again is the thought of her fingers spreading that apricot seed dust all over that cake.

How did she even manage to figure that out? Smart girl.

The rage only subsides a little from the thought of her, but it’s enough to clear my head.

God, those magical fingers of hers as she rubbed the tension right out of me should be worshipped. I wanted to stop myself from moaning out loud right in front of her, but my cock had other plans.

However, I refuse to be led by my dick, no matter how badly it wants the pussy that shall not be his. She doesn’t want me and may never.

Suddenly, my door opens, and Sarah rushes inside my room, panting, while nearly falling over her own feet. “Sir, Stella has escaped.”

My eyes widen as they connect with hers through the mirror. And I abruptly spin on my heel. “She did WHAT?” I bark.

“I couldn’t find her in her room,” she says as I barge over to her. “I looked everywhere. I even checked her bathroom. She’s missing,” she says.

“What do you mean missing?”

I waltz past her and out the door, heading straight toward Stella’s bedroom. But the moment I push open her door, the chilly wind makes my skin crawl.

She’s gone. She’s really gone.

What the hell?

“I don’t know how she did it,” Sarah says behind me as she finally catches up. “All the rooms are locked whenever she is inside, and the windows are barred, right?”

I nod. “They should be.”

Sarah seems completely beside herself with panic. But I have more important things to focus on, like where the hell my wife is.

I search through her room, open all the closets, check under the bed, and I even double-check the bathroom, but she’s nowhere to be seen. The only thing that’s off is the tiny window in the bathroom corner that’s open, which it shouldn’t be.

My eyes narrow as I check it out. There’s a small bit of damage on the wood panel, and it tells me everything I need to know.

“She escaped through the window,” I say through gritted teeth, as I march straight past Sarah. “Goddammit!”

“Oh my God. What are we going to do?” she asks.

“You? Nothing. I will handle this,” I tell her. “Franco,” I call out over the banister.

The weaponry door bursts open, and Franco rushes out to look for my voice, and when his eyes finally connect with mine, I add, “Stella’s gone. Grab my car, now.”

“Yes, sir,” he replies, immediately rushing toward the door.

“Sarah, call my connections in town. Tell them to be on the lookout.”

“Yes, sir. I’m on it,” Sarah replies.

She immediately grabs her phone to make the calls, while I storm toward the stairs.

“If anyone sees her, have them call me immediately. Make sure they keep her where she is. I don’t want her to end up in the wrong hands.”

Leticia exits the kitchen, rubbing her hands on a towel.

“Did I hear you correctly? Did Stella leave?”

“She escaped,” I reply.

She covers her mouth in shock. “Oh no, what if she ends up in Lucio’s hands?”

I straighten my jacket as I walk toward the front door. “I won’t let that fucking happen. She’s my wife, and I’ll die before I ever let him have her back.”

Stella

I run through the grass as fast as I can toward the edge of the property.

The wind chases underneath my bathrobe, but I try to ignore the piercing cold as it makes all the hairs on my skin stand straight.

I don’t care how frosty it is out here or that I’m wearing nothing but a simple bathrobe.

I have to get as far away from this house and that man as fast as possible before anyone else gets hurt.

When I finally reach the fence that surrounds his property, I stare at it for a moment, wondering if I can do this.

I have to. There’s no other choice.

I miss my life outside of these walls. I miss who I was. I miss my freedom.

I grab the bars and start climbing up, pinning my toes between each of the metal rods to keep my grip steady. It’s slow and tedious, but I finally manage to reach the top and crawl over, then jump down.

When my feet hit the asphalt, I groan from the pain that reverberates in my bones, but I keep pushing ahead. I can’t let the pain stop me now.

I run and run as fast as I can, far away from the house and into the woods beyond.

I don’t know where I’m going or where I am, but if I can find a road, maybe I’ll be able to get back into the city, and then I’ll figure it out from there.

Matteo couldn’t possibly live that secluded, I’m sure of it.

We didn’t drive that long after the wedding.

I kept track of it. But dammit, I should have stolen some shoes from the closet before I ran.

Twigs crack beneath my feet, and one sharp stone cuts into my skin. I hiss in pain, clutching my foot as the blood oozes from beneath my sole. I wipe it off with my bathrobe and wait until the wound settles before I continue running.

There’s a creek not too far from here, and I dart toward it to clean my foot and make sure the wound doesn’t get infected. After I wipe down the water, I look around and notice some streetlights up ahead. My heart begins to race as I make my way toward them through the thick of the forest.

There’s no time to waste. Any second now, Matteo is about to find out I’m gone, and he’ll send all of his men after me like some goddamn hounds looking for prey. I have to get ahead of them before they catch me.

I never want to return to that place again, not if people have to keel over because of it. I would rather face an infinity married to that scumbag Lucio than risk having more innocents die on my behalf.

I clutch my bathrobe tightly as I zigzag through the forest, looking behind me every so often to check if any of Matteo’s guards are behind me.

I don’t see them, but I can still feel them breathing on my neck like an invisible ghost haunting me.

I’m not sure I will ever get rid of that feeling completely.

When I finally make my way to the road, a car zooms past, and my heart skips a beat. I wave, but to no avail, as they don’t stop or turn around.

I sigh out loud and keep my bathrobe clutched together tightly while I briskly pat off any remaining tree dust, twigs, dirt, and gravel from my feet, legs, and the fabric of my bathrobe in an attempt to look a little presentable.

I stick up my thumb in the hopes that someone will give me a ride.

I don’t care where. Anywhere is good as long as it’s far away from Matteo’s mansion.

I wait and wait until finally the next car comes into sight, and I wave wildly with my thumb stuck in the air, hoping they’ll stop for me.

It zooms by so fast my bathrobe nearly flies off, and I grab it to keep myself together while trying not to cry.

Another one completely ignores me. Maybe the next one will finally stop and take me with them.

But then the car stops in the middle of the road, and my heart stops beating for just a second.

They stopped.

It slowly backtracks until it reaches me, and the windows roll down. A young man sticks out his head. “Well, hello there. What’s a good-looking lady like you doing here?”

Can I trust them?

I bite my lip, hesitating for a moment before I open my mouth. “I’m looking for a ride. Can I come with you?”

“To where?” he asks.

“The city is fine,” I say, pointing at the sign that’s at the end of the road before it makes an abrupt left turn.

He looks at his buddies, one of them behind the wheel, the other two in the back seat, and I realize the car is really crowded already. He turns his head and says, “Sure, jump in the back. There’s plenty of room here.”

The door opens, and two sleazy-looking guys stare up at me like I’m not wearing anything. One of them steps out, the stench of marijuana nearly making me throw up.

Good God. Do I have to?

Maybe I should wait for the next car.

“After you.”

I wince and hide it with a smile, but they still keep the door open. They seem adamant, and I don’t want to be rude. I hesitantly approach the car. I don’t know if I’m even making the right decision, but questioning their motives won’t get me anywhere closer to freedom. Going with them will.

I set my reservations aside and sit down on the bench as the one who opened the door for me slides back inside, sealing me between the two of them.

God, it feels cramped in here.

Another car drives by, and I’m instantly feeling the regret of not waiting for the next one instead.

“So where do you want to go?” the guy in the passenger seat asks me.

I blurt out the first clothing store that comes to mind. “Zara’s.”

He grins. “Is that why you’re wearing a bathrobe?”

His buddies giggle.

“Yep,” I reply.

“Okay, whatever the lady wants. Let’s go,” the guy behind the wheel says, and he kicks the car into gear and slams on the gas.

We race off so fast I have to hold on to my seat to stay put, and the guys beside me are awfully amused by my inability to adjust to their speed.

This is reckless driving, and these guys are out of their mind, probably intoxicated on mushrooms, liquor, drugs or whatever else because I can see it in their eyes. Their pupils are wide, their eyes bloodshot, and their grins are almost permanently fixed on their faces.

Oh God, what the hell did I get myself into now?

One of them sticks up a cigarette, takes a drag, then holds it out to me. “Want some?”

I shake my head and smile. “No, thank you.”

“You sure? It’s a good one.”

I shake my head again. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass. I already had a smoke today,” I lie.

“Did you now?” another guy replies, laughing.

I don’t even know their names. I’m not sure I want to know.

I keep the two sides of my bathrobe wrapped together tightly as one of them peeks at me, and I suddenly feel very naked.

God, this was definitely a mistake.

“So why are you wearing a bathrobe?” the one beside me asks.

“Oh, just because,” I say. “I was warm.”

“Hmm, sounds like a great excuse,” he says, taking another drag of his cigarette.

The other one lights one up too, and I can smell the pot. I hide my grimace behind my blond hair so they don’t notice my disgust.

“So you came out of the woods, bare feet, wearing only a bathrobe, and you’re telling me you did this by choice? Nah, I don’t think so.”

The one in the passenger seat laughs. “Sounds to me like she was running away from something … or someone.”

Panic wells up inside me. “I’m fine, thank you.

I was just camping, and I threw out all my clothes because they had holes.

That’s it. I’m looking to buy new ones, that’s why I want to go to Zara,” I lie.

“But if you don’t want to take me there, you can just drop me off again, and I’ll find someone else to take me. ”

I hope my brazen response keeps them in check.

One of them suddenly places a hand on my leg. “Don’t worry, girl. We’ll take you there.”

The other one bumps into me from the side. “Yeah, don’t stress out. You want some of this?”

He tries to offer his marijuana, but I decline.

“I need to keep a level head so I know what I’m buying.”

He nods suspiciously, as if he doesn’t believe my story, and I don’t blame him. It was haphazardly put together at the last second. What else was I supposed to say? That I just ran away from a Mafia lord? They wouldn’t believe me if I told them the truth.

I shake my head and focus on the view outside the window, trying to take my mind off things and this awful stench.

But the longer I stay here, the more awkward it feels, especially when they can’t stop bumping into me, rubbing my thighs with theirs, their fingers grazing past my bathrobe.

And the longer I sit here between them, the more freaked out I get.

“Have you ever taken a road trip before with a bunch of dudes?” the one to my left asks. “Because you’re so tense, girl.”

“Yeah, loosen up,” the one on the right says. “If you won’t take a drag, at least take a drink. Here.” He shoves a beer into my face.

I smile and take a quick swig. “Thanks.”

I only did it to keep them from hounding me.

But then one of them leans in too close, his lips nearly on my neck, and I push him away. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, come on, girl, can’t we have a little bit of fun? You’re in our car after all.”

“No, what do you mean?” Another one beside me also starts groping my leg, and I shove him away. “Ew, get off me.”

“Is that any way to thank the guys who took you into their car and gave you a ride?” the one in the passenger seat says.

“You haven’t given me a ride to anything,” I say in defiance. “We’re not even in the city yet.”

When the dude to my left tries to kiss me again, I push him back into his seat.

“Stop touching me.”

One of them sticks his finger into my bathrobe, and I completely freak out.

“Hey!” I shout, and I drag my robe back together, then slap him in the face. “I said don’t touch me!”

“She slapped me,” the guy says, rubbing his cheek.

None of them looks amused.

“Let me out,” I bark. “Now.”

Instead, the driver actually locks the car doors, sealing me inside.

Panic seeps into my bones as the two beside me glance at me with vicious eyes and crawly hands ready to pounce.

“I don’t think so, pretty girl,” the guy in the passenger seat says before he grabs my throat. “If you can’t pay us for taking you with us, you’ll be the perfect plaything on the way there.”