Dirty

by Ella Miles

  I stand up and slide into her side of the booth draping my arm around her shoulder. I may not be able to make her laugh right now, but I can make her forget.

  My hand slides up her jeans, and I silently wish that she had worn a skirt instead of pants. She shifts as her cheeks finally flush pink.

  I tilt her head toward mine and kiss her firmly on the lips. She melts in my arms, instantly forgetting about everything. I continue making out with her in the booth, not caring that this is a fancy restaurant and this is simply not done. I want her calm. She doesn’t know that my men are all around, waiting for the signal to attack.

  Food is set in front of us. The restaurant has a fixed menu so course after course will be brought to us.

  The first is soup, bringing us both back to the night I fed her soup by holding the bowl up to her lips.

  She laughs when I pick the bowl up to her lips, but it doesn’t stop her from drinking the liquid from it.

  The rest of our meal is pretty uneventful. We talk, we laugh, we eat. Clive nor Erick have made an appearance, nor any of their men. We’ve been eating dinner for almost three hours now, well past the time that a normal dinner would take. They aren’t coming.

  “I need to use the restroom before we go,” Eden says.

  I nod, get out of the booth to let her out, and then take a seat again, watching her ass sway as she walks away in her jeans. Loving that we are both wearing jeans, despite this being a fancy restaurant where everyone in it is wearing dresses and suits. The staff hasn’t said anything to us. They know better.

  I pay the waiter while I wait for Eden to return. But ten minutes pass and she still hasn’t returned.

  I glance back at Dierk at one of the tables a few back. He has a concerned look on his face as well.

  Shit.

  We both dash up, drawing our guns, as we run toward the back exit.

  I find Eden with a gun pointed at her head in Erick’s arms.

  She doesn’t look afraid though. She looks mad. And I know that she has the skills to break free from Erick’s arms any moment she wants to. I don’t know what self-defense classes she took, but they were good. She’s taken out plenty of my men before. She won’t right now. She’s acting as bait. But she will when the time is right.

  “Let her go,” I say, acting scared. Although it’s not an act. I am scared. I hate him touching her or having a gun pointed at her. Even if the plan is working.

  “Nah, I think we will keep her. You seem to care about her. I think we will enjoy playing with her a bit first,” Erick says, nuzzling Eden’s neck. Her eyes turn to rage, matching my own.

  Patience.

  Don’t let him goad you into doing anything stupid, I tell myself.

  I sigh. “Fine. Take her. She’s nothing to me.” I put my weapon down pretending I’m done fighting.

  Clive laughs. “You can’t fool us. You love her. You won’t let any harm come to her.”

  I swallow. I don’t love her. But damn, do I care about her more than I should.

  “Fine. You got me. Now make a trade.”

  Clive raises his eyebrows. “What kind of trade?”

  “Me for her.”

  He laughs. “No way, what use are you to us?”

  My men are in position. The only man that ran out with me was Dierk, and that’s because he was acting as my usual security. Clive and Erick and the dozen men they brought with them don’t know that I have more men here.

  “What do I have to do to get her back?” I ask slowly and deliberately, giving Eden a look that she needs to break free now, as I give my team the cue words to attack.

  Erick’s hand drops just a tiny bit as he grows tired of holding the gun. Eden takes the opportunity to knock the gun out of his hand while she elbows him hard in the nose. He lets go of her immediately, grabbing his nose. She runs toward me as shots from my men ring out around us.

  I start shooting as well; I won’t ever leave my men to fight a battle for me.

  “Get her out of her,” I say to Dierk as Eden reaches me. I grab her hand and sling her over into Dierk’s arms. He grabs her arms and starts pulling her. He’ll get her inside.

  I have a job to do. I need to kill these bastards and keep my men and Eden safe.

  I glance to my right to make sure that Eden is safe after Erick & Clive’s men start returning shots, but Dierk has barely made it to the door and Eden is in his arms, fighting him the whole way. I give him a look and then turn my attention back to Erick who now has his sights set on me.

  He fires, but I’m faster. I hit him hard in the chest watching him fall to the ground. Most likely dead, or he will be soon enough.

  I hear Eden scream, and I feel the bullet in the back of my arm. I try to spin to turn and shoot my attacker before he gets another shot off but I know I won’t be fast enough. I can only hope that he doesn’t have great aim and hits me in my extremities instead of my head or chest.

  The shot has gone off, but I make it all the way around before I realize what happened.

  Eden.

  She took the bullet for me and is lying on the ground at my feet.

  I aim my gun at the guy that shot us both, and hit him in the head, watching him drop dead instantly.

  And then I fall to the ground, scooping Eden up in my arms before I run. I never run. I stay and fight with my men. Maybe I would have in the past, but not now that I’m their leader.

  But tonight is different. Eden could be dying in my arms, and I need to save her.

  I run as fast as I can to my car, toss her in and then start driving, not thinking about anything other than getting her to a hospital as fast as I can. She took a bullet that could have easily killed me. She saved me.

  I stroke her lifeless face as I drive. I’m pretty sure she stole more than a bullet meant for me. She stole my heart.

  Erick may not be right about many things. But he was right when he said that I love her. I do. I love Eden. I would do anything for her.

  I only hope I get the chance to tell her and earn hers in return. Because there is no way, an angel like her could love the devil in me. I need to give her her freedom and hope it’s enough to keep her.

  19

  Eden

  I wake up and immediately know I’m in a hospital. It’s far too bright to be anywhere in Matteo’s home. The only other place it could be is heaven, but I know that the bullet just barely grazed my arm, so that can’t be it.

  Although, why I’m in a hospital is lost on me. I can tell from how my body barely aches that I’m not injured enough to be here.

  I look over and see Matteo holding my hand like I’m about to die, staring at me with relieved eyes when I open mine. He exhales deeply, reaches over the hospital bed, and hugs me.

  “I’m so glad that you are okay,” he says.

  I scrunch my nose. “Did I miss something? Because I don’t feel that injured.”

  I move my arms and legs around, realizing the only part of me that is even taped up is my arm, and it barely hurts. I have an IV that could be feeding me pain drugs, but they wouldn’t make me feel this much better.

  “You were shot in the arm.”

  I smile. “You brought me here because I was shot in the arm?”

  He nods, still frowning and not understanding while I’m smiling.

  “Yes, you were also passed out, and I was afraid you might die.”

  I bite my lip to keep from smiling brighter as I stroke his cheek.

  “You do know I survived an injury to my leg that was a lot worse than this without going to the hospital?”

  “That was a mistake,” he says coldly.

  I raise an eyebrow. “Did the doctor say that something was wrong with my leg?” I’d be surprised if he did. My leg feels amazing.

  “No, he said it seemed to have healed nicely.”

  “Then, what’s the problem?”

  He sighs.

  My heart falls in love a little more, seeing him risking losing me to bring me here.

/>   “How did…?” I ask, not being able to ask how many men he lost when he saved me instead of staying and fighting.

  “Clive and Erick are taken care of. We only lost two men. It’s going to be hard for the men to lose them. But their sacrifice wasn’t in vain. Just like yours wasn’t.”

  I swallow. I hate that anyone died, but I’m glad it’s over. We’re safe. For now at least.

  I hear the knock and look up to see a doctor walk in smiling at me brightly.

  “Can I have a moment alone with Eden?” she says, looking at Matteo.

  “No, I’d like to be here for whatever you have to talk to her about,” Matteo says, glaring at the woman for even suggesting that he leave my side for a moment.

  I don’t care if he stays or leaves, but I like that he wants to stay.

  The woman gives him a snide look back. “I’m not asking. I have private information that I need to discuss with Eden, and I will not have you here when I talk to her.”

  He doesn’t budge. “I’m her husband.”

  She laughs. “No, you’re not. Now get out of here, before I call security and have you thrown out. I don’t care if you are the king of Italy, I want you out.”

  He looks from her to me, and I nod, encouraging him it’s okay that he leaves.

  “I’ll be right outside the door if you need me.” He kisses me gently on the lips and then storms out, flipping off the doctor as he does.

  The doctor ignores him and walks over to my bed. “I’m Abigail Faustino. I’ve been looking after you while you are here. How are you feeling?”

  “Great actually.”

  She smiles. “Good. I know that you were involved in a gunfight with Mr. Carini. I’m not here to ask questions or get involved. But I am here to help if you want a way out. Do you need a way out?”

  I swallow. I may never get another chance like this again. She’s offering to help me. I should take it. My heart thumps loudly. I can’t.

  “No, I don’t need your help,” I finally say.

  She nods. “I figured you’d say that. Mr. Carini seems to be especially fond of you, so I hope he treats you well.”

  “He does.”

  “Good, well now that that is out of the way, I have some news to share with you. When you were admitted, we ran some regular tests and well…you’re pregnant.”

  I gasp and then I can’t breathe. I can’t move. I can’t think. Of all the things she could have said, that was the least expected.

  The door is thrown open, and Matteo runs in, clearly having heard what the doctor said.

  The woman sighs but doesn’t object as Matteo runs to my side and holds my hand.

  “I think she might be in shock,” the doctor says, coming to my side as Matteo stares at me.

  I suck in a breath as the doctor puts her hands on me.

  “How far along?” I ask, coming to.

  “We don’t know for sure without an ultrasound, but it could be a couple of months.”

  I swallow, staring at Matteo, silently telling him that it could be Armas’ baby.

  Matteo frowns. Grabbing my cheek and forcing me to look at him. “It’s mine.”

  I swallow. It should make me feel better. It should make me feel happy to know that it’s most likely Matteo’s, but it doesn’t. I don’t know how he will feel about having a baby. I don’t even know how I feel. Should I get an abortion? I shouldn’t have a monster’s baby while I’m captured.

  But I haven’t really been captured in a while. He has given me freedom without actually telling me I was free. I just turned down freedom. He’s shown me he loved me without telling me.

  And I know I love him. Is this the worst thing? Maybe him having a kid would change him. Make him softer, get out of this life and live a whole new life with me.

  “Could you leave us alone for a few minutes, doctor?” Matteo asks.

  The woman nods and leaves.

  I stare at Matteo, still not understanding how I feel. Matteo smiles at me softly as he holds his hand over my stomach.

  “We are going to have a baby,” he says, giddily kissing me firmly on the lips, seemingly happy with the idea.

  I take a deep breath and close my eyes as he kisses me. He’s happy to have a baby with me, so I’m not going to fret. Not immediately anyway. I’m going to just be. And see what happens.

  I open my eyes though, needing to talk about so many things. But what I see when I open my eyes isn’t the Matteo I’ve gotten used to these last few weeks.

  Instead, a darker Matteo is here with much darker intentions. His hands are on me touching me without permission. His cock burns inside me, and his eyes see red.

  I close my eyes and open them again, and I’m back in the hospital room instead of the couch in his room. It was a memory. A memory I had forgotten or tried to push out of my head. Whichever it is doesn’t matter.

  What matters is that I remember. I remember the worst of Matteo. And I realize I should have taken the doctor’s offer to help me escape.

  20

  Matteo

  Eden’s pregnant.

  That should send my heart into a panic.

  I’ve stolen a woman, made her mine, and now I’ve knocked her up.

  She hates me. There is no way she will want to carry my baby. Even if she does, there is no way that afterward, she will stay. That she won’t try and steal the baby away from me.

  Eden deserves to be free. I can’t keep her trapped. Not anymore.

  But I can’t let her go. Because if I do, if she gets that chance, she will never stay. I won’t ever see the baby.

  And this baby is already mine. I need an heir. I need a family to continue my legacy just like my father needed me. And more than that, I want a family. I want someone to love and take care of. That’s who I am. I take care of people, and I want to take care of a family.

  I stare at Eden. I have no idea how to keep her. I have no idea how to set her free, but convince her to stay. I have to try though. And it starts with telling her how I feel.

  “Eden I—”

  She slaps me hard across the cheek before throwing the covers off and stepping out of hospital bed. She rips the IV out of her hand before she starts gathering her clothes in the corner of the room and starts putting them on, one by one.

  “What was that for?” I ask, trying to keep my anger out of my voice.

  She pulls up her jeans before grabbing her top and jerking it on before she answers me.

  “You raped me,” she says.

  I freeze. The one thing I didn’t want her to remember is rushing back into her memory. I stare at her, not sure how to continue. I don’t see fear when she looks at me. I don’t see the same broken woman I saw with Armas.

  Instead, I see a strong, fierce woman, that won’t put up with my crap.

  “Eden, let me explain.”

  She laughs. But it’s not a funny laugh. It’s a ‘you’re ridiculous for trying to explain rape to me’ laugh.

  “I don’t need you to explain. I was there. I remember. You raped me.”

  “I stopped!”

  “You stopped because you were interrupted. And stopping doesn’t matter anyway. You should have never started!”

  “I’m sorry! Okay? Is that what you want to hear? I’m fucking sorry.”

  She shakes her head. “You can’t just apologize for rape. That doesn’t make it any better. It doesn’t take away any of the pain.”

  She starts walking toward the door, and I grab her arm.

  “Where are you going?” I ask.

  “I’m leaving,” she says, before realizing her mistake. She doesn’t have freedom. She doesn’t get to leave because she wants to. I tell her what she gets to do and what she doesn’t.

  She freezes, as does my heart because I know what I have to do, and it risks losing her and the baby forever.

  I reach into my back pocket and pull out my wallet. I dig out my cash and my credit card along with my cell phone and hand them all to her.

 
She takes them hesitantly, not understanding what I’m doing.

  “You’re free. Use the money, the phone, to get you wherever you want to go. Tell Dierk to take you if you prefer. But you’re free to go. You’re not my slave or my captive. You’re free.”

  She studies me for a moment and then she walks to the door.

  “I love you, Eden. I love this baby. I still want you to be mine,” I say.

  She doesn’t hesitate at my words. She simply walks out, leaving me alone.

  I thought raping her would break her. I thought it would change her and force her to give me what I want.

  Instead, she broke me.

  One week after Eden left, I could barely get out of bed.

  Three weeks after she left, I was so drunk all the time I couldn’t even think straight.

  Six weeks after she left, and I’m now a broken man, not worth anything.

  “I found her,” Dierk says, while I lie on the couch staring out the window.

  “What?” I ask, sitting up abruptly.

  “I found her,” he says again.

  “Did she go back to her condo in Los Angeles? Or did she get a new apartment?”

  “She didn’t go back.”

  “Huh?”

  “She didn’t go back,” Dierk says again, getting annoyed at having to repeat everything to me. “She’s staying in a hotel in the old downtown area. She’s working at a coffee shop as a barista. She stayed.”

  She stayed.

  She fucking stayed.

  That must mean something. She still has feelings for me. She still wants me. She wants me to fight for her. Or she still has unfinished business. Whatever it is, I’m going to find out. Today.

  I get up off the couch, needing to go to her immediately.

  “Where are you going?” Dierk asks.

  “To get Eden back.”

  He runs in front of me, blocking my path to the garage.

  “You aren’t going anywhere. One, you are drunk and are not driving a car. Two, Eden will not take you back in this state. You’ll just piss her off further. You are going to have to work hard to earn her trust back.”