18. Siena
Siena
I wake up in a bed in a strange, concrete room I’ve never seen before, disoriented and unsettled.
The dreamlike echo of Franco’s voice lingers in my mind as I blink against the piercing light streaming through small, high windows.
The walls must be at least twenty feet tall, and the cold, industrial vibe of the room presses down on me.
My head throbs with a relentless ache, and I hear voices outside the room, faint but growing louder. One of them is definitely Franco. I sit up and lift the blanket off me, gingerly swinging my legs to the floor.
The motion sends a rush of vertigo crashing over me, and the room tilts dangerously. I grip the edge of the bed, forcing myself to stay still until the sensation passes.
When I can finally stand, I shuffle carefully toward the barely open door, using the bed for support.
The voices outside are clearer now. Franco’s tone is sharp, but I can’t make out the words. I freeze when I hear Matti’s voice—low, seething with barely controlled anger.
“If you cared about your sister, you’d stay the fuck out of this.”
What is it that Matti wants Franco to stay out of? Why is he even talking to Franco? My mind spins with confusion.
I press my forehead against the cold steel door, trying to steady myself. There’s no knob like a normal door, just levers, latches, and deadbolts. This place feels like some sort of prison.
Franco’s voice floats to me again, softer now, almost pleading. A wave of fear crashes over me. Is Matti holding us both prisoner?
The thought sends chills racing down my spine. Despite everything, I can’t shake the instinct to protect Franco. Is he hurt? Guilt washes over me for blaming him earlier at the law office. Whatever his faults, he’s still my brother. I can’t lose another sibling.
Matti’s voice breaks through the fog in my mind, breaks through the barrier of whatever wall or door is separating us, sharp and chillingly clear: “I will end your fucking life.”
The vertigo hits again like a gust of wind, and my knees suddenly feel watery and weak. I crumple to the floor and press my cheek against the cool concrete. It grounds me, even as my thoughts begin to spiral.
Through my haze, I hear scuffling, grunts, and muffled voices, but I can’t make out what is being said. Everything is spinning, and my hearing is as cloudy as my vision.
I don’t know how much time has passed when strong hands lift me off the floor. My eyes flutter open, and I find myself staring into Matti’s face. His expression is tight with concern, but his voice is harsh. “Why are you out of bed?”
I turn my face into his chest, too weak to argue. His warmth envelops me, and for a fleeting moment, I don’t care if he’s my captor or my savior.
“Fuck,” Matti mutters under his breath as he carries me out of the room. Fear pricks at my skin. Where is he taking me? Is he bringing me to Franco? Is he going to kill us both?
The air becomes humid and stifling as we pass through another door. I force my eyes open and take in the surroundings. The walls and ceiling are stainless steel, reflecting the harsh light from a single bulb encased in a metal cage.
Matti sets me down on a cold metal chair, and I realize we’re in a giant shower. Multiple shower heads line the walls, and large drains are embedded in the stark white tile floor. The room is clinical, a place designed to wash away more than dirt.
My voice trembles as I blurt out, “Are you going to kill me like you killed my sister?” The words hang in the air, and I freeze, cursing my inability to shut the fuck up. If he wasn’t planning to kill me before, he is now.
Matti stands with his back to me, the silence between us stretching unbearably, then he turns on the water, letting it run until steam rises.
“Siena, you were almost killed today by a fuck who won’t be alive by this time tomorrow.
I brought you here because I thought you’d want to wash off…
whatever he did to you. Not to mention, you were just on your second disgusting floor of the day, and you have open wounds. ”
That doesn’t exactly answer my question, but he speaks like someone who’s used to giving orders, not explanations.
“Can’t the doctor do it?” I ask, touching the back of my head gingerly. The memory of getting the stitches is hazy, but I had assumed that the doctor would handle everything.
Matti’s eyes snap to mine, his tone firm. “Absolutely not. It’s not his job to touch you beyond what’s necessary. Now stand up.”
I hesitate, irritation flaring. A doctor isn’t allowed to touch me, but Matti is? “I can do this myself—”
“Raise your arms,” he interrupts..
Something in his tone compels me to do as I’m told. He grips the hem of my dress and pulls it over my head in one swift motion, leaving me standing in my bra and underwear.
A chill courses through me despite the warmth of the room. I cross my arms over my chest, trying to shield myself from his gaze.
“Turn around.” Matti’s voice is softer, but still commanding. I can sense his eyes raking over my body when I turn, stopping with my back to him. When I look back at him over my shoulder, he averts his gaze.
A murderer and a gentleman? Who the fuck is this guy?
“I need to wash the abrasions that came in contact with the floor, and your hair, especially where the stitches are,” he mumbles, the words sounding more like a challenge than a reassurance.
I nod, uncertain and off balance.
He steps in close behind me. “Uncross your arms.”
Again, I do as directed.
What the fuck is happening right now?
His breath is warm on my neck and next to my ear. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”
He moves efficiently, brushing the straps of my bra off my shoulders and unhooking it in one practiced motion. I gasp as the garment falls away before I can react.
Before it hits the floor, he hooks his fingers into the waistband of my panties, sliding them down until they pool around my ankles .
Matti’s hands are suddenly off me, and I realize my eyes are squeezed shut. I open them and turn around to find him stripping off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt, his shoes and socks already off to the side.
Suddenly wide awake, I can’t stop myself from staring.
He’s an asshole, a murderer, but holy shit, he is gorgeous.
His body is a canvas of black tattoos from neck to knuckles to the deep V indented into his lower abdomen, every inch of him chiseled like stone.
The silver pendant on his chain reflects the light and draws my attention to the veins standing out on his neck and shoulders.
Wetness gathers embarrassingly between my thighs as I wait for him to continue undressing, but he doesn’t.
I drag my gaze back up his body to his rugged face.
He pulls his belt out of the loops with a sharp crack, his bright blue eyes sparkling as he smirks at me watching him.
I huff and look away abruptly, but can’t stop myself from watching him in my peripheral vision.
He steps back under the flow of water. Rivulets cascade down his chest, over the sharp lines of his abs, and soak into his pants as he rubs his hands through his hair. He steps back out, scrubbing his hand over his wet stubble.
“You’re not worried about ruining your suit?” I ask, trying for sarcasm and condescension, but the sight of him half-dressed while I’m naked has me feeling shy and exposed.
“I could give a fuck about the suit. I don’t want to hurt you with the buttons and buckles.” He pulls the metal chair over so that it’s just in front of the waterfall raining down from the shower head and sits down, patting his thigh. “Come here.”
I balk. He wants me to sit on his lap—naked? “Um, I’ll pass.”
His expression hardens. “You were on the floor when I found you. I don’t need you falling again. Sit. The. Fuck. Down.”
I cross my arms over my chest, jutting out my hip defiantly. “And if I don’t?”
He exhales slowly, leveling a glare at me. “Make this easy, or make it hard. Your choice, Siena.”
“What, no more ‘kitten’?” I ask mockingly, holding his stare and refusing to move.
He huffs out a breath in irritation. “Jesus Christ, I’m not going to fuck you, Siena, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I scoff. “No shit. No way I would let that happen.” But I still don’t move.
A wolfish grin teases at the corners of his mouth as he sits back and laces his fingers behind his head, showcasing his wet abs. “You think you could stop me from taking what I want?”
A shiver shoots through me as I take in the size of him: more than a foot taller than I am, wide shoulders, thick muscles everywhere. I doubt there are very many people in the world who could stop him from taking what he wants, and I know I’m definitely not one of them.
“I thought you said you didn’t want me? But no, I guess not,” I concede with a scowl.
Matti stands up slowly, the amusement sliding off his face. He steps in close to me, forcing me to tilt my head far back to look up at him. I start to shake.
“You’re wrong, Siena. One ‘no’ from you is enough to stop me from doing a lot of things.” He pauses, considering his words. “Not everything. But a lot of things.”
His lips part, and he dips his head an inch lower, his mouth hovering above mine. Not one inch of him is touching me, but my heart is pounding in my chest so hard it feels like it isn’t beating at all, just a constant thrum of energy.
“And I didn’t say I didn’t want you, kitten. I said I wasn’t going to fuck you right now.”
Right now?
I wish I could come up with something cutting to say, but he’s looking at me with such intensity that I’m rooted in place, unable to move, much less speak.
“Now, are you going to sit down so that I can I help you get cleaned up?”
It’s like he has a stranglehold on my throat, because I open my mouth and only a squeak comes out. I snap my lips closed and shake my head, trying to regain my voice.
“I can do it by myself,” I croak.
“So that’s a ‘no?’”
“That’s a ‘no.’”
Before I can process what’s happening, he scoops me up in his arms like I weigh nothing and carries me back to the chair. He sits down and settles me so that I’m straddling his thigh and facing away from him, his arm holding me in place like a vise.
“What the fuck? What happened to “your ‘no’ can stop me, kitten?”” I mimic his deep voice.
“You need to get better at listening,” he grunts. “I said ‘not everything, but a lot of things.’ And when your ‘no’ negatively impacts your health and safety, it doesn’t mean shit. Now be a good girl, do what you’re told, and make my life easier for once.”