10. Kaz
The tearsin her eyes are driving me insane. Her words are like daggers piercing through the air. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. Mattia is Ludovico’s best friend, always siding with him, no matter how stupid his actions are. Mattia would take a bullet for him. He would also be willing to share his wife, apparently. I’ll deal with the damn consequences later. There’s no point in trying to defend myself. Mattia might have told Ludovic that he could have her. What the hell do I know?
As I gaze into her eyes, I see the hurt and anger that have been simmering beneath the surface for so long. I ache to undo all the pain that he has inflicted. I yearn to reach out to her to explain myself, but I know it would be futile. She has stopped hitting me—not that I care, but my anger flares up nonetheless. It’s too late, and she’s already rebuilding the walls she has always kept between herself and Mattia. Ludovic is as good as dead, but I have to fix this first. She won’t trust anything I say. She won’t believe me even if I tell her that I saw red when that bastard laid his hands on her. I’m out of words to explain or persuade her, so I do something incredibly foolish. Something that has been on my mind for the past two years.
Reaching out to her waist, I pull her into my embrace. My heart races as our eyes meet, hers wide with fear and curiosity. Leaning in, I can feel her warm breath on my lips and a rush of heat coursing through my veins. I place a hand on her cheek and slowly bring my lips to hers, soft and gentle. Something inside me shifts, a spark of electricity running through my body as I linger, savoring the moment and the sweetness of her lips.
“Don’t,” she whispers.
“I’m sorry.” I lean my forehead against hers. I understand why she’s asking me to stop. Mattia took whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
She looks at me, surprised, her eyes burning slightly less brightly now. I stand still, trying not to pin her against the wall and claim her as mine.
“I’m sorry, Wildfire,” I repeat. “I don’t know how to prove to you that I’m telling the truth.”
“Thank you. It’s the first time you’ve ever stood up for me.”
“Because I’ve been a dumb fuck so far.”
She smiles and she”s not running away, which I take as a good sign. She’s wearing a black dress at a wedding, and her statement is loud and clear for everyone, including myself.
She’s stunning.
She’s a danger to my plans.