by Ella Miles
I was expecting him to hurt her. I knew he hated her, but I can’t stop the tears from flooding my eyes, seeing her drop to the floor in pain. And I can’t stop the ache in my heart from forming when I see Matteo kissing another woman. Even Nina. Even under these circumstances. I know that he loves her and hates her. Unlike me, who is nothing to him.
Matteo turns his attention to Arlo, who is writhing with anger after watching the woman he loves hurt by Matteo.
“You’re no brother of mine,” Arlo says growling.
Matteo stands expressionless in front of his brother. He stands still for a long time as he stares at Arlo. I don’t know what he’s doing. He doesn’t talk. He doesn’t move. He just stands there.
Suddenly, he pulls something shiny out of his pocket and quickly jabs the object into Arlo’s stomach.
I gasp at the sight of the blood pouring out of Arlo, not expecting Matteo to actually stab him.
Everyone’s eyes turn toward me. My gasp was far too loud not to be discovered, but they can barely see me as I’m still crouched behind the desk.
I have two choices. Run away. Or try to save Nina.
I choose the latter.
I run around the desk and race toward Nina, hoping if I distract Matteo’s men long enough, Nina will be able to escape. I’m fast, but not as fast as I used to be, now that I’m pregnant.
I run straight toward Paul, who is holding Nina back, and I kick him as hard as I can in the shin. He jumps back, and I grab her.
“Shoot her,” Enrico says to his men.
I hear the shots and Nina and I both duck down instinctively.
Abruptly, I’m gripped by strong hands, and I know that my plan to try to free Nina is short-lived.
I glance up and see Matteo shielding me from the bullets. Not Nina, me.
I frown, not understanding. I thought he only had love-hate feelings toward Nina. I thought he felt nothing toward me.
“Stop,” Enrico says, and the bullets stop. He chuckles loudly.
“Now, this looks familiar. Fallen in love again so soon have we? I thought I taught you better than to get attached,” Enrico says.
Matteo glares at him as he slowly lets me go, realizing his mistake.
“I don’t love her,” Matteo says. “I was trying to protect Nina. I don’t want you thinking I planned this and to renege on our agreement.”
Enrico narrows his eyes and lets his lips fall as he studies Matteo and then each of us.
“Time to make the swap, then. You won’t mind throwing in the bitch then will ya? An old man like me doesn’t get many opportunities to taste two beautiful women in one night,” Enrico says.
“It will cost you more,” Matteo answers.
“Well, of course,” Matteo says, snapping his fingers and more money is brought to Matteo’s feet.
Matteo grabs both Nina and my arms and starts walking us toward Enrico, he glances to his right, and I swear I see Matteo wink.
And then bullets. I duck again, getting far too used to covering my head at the sound of bullets.
People start running, and my feet start moving instinctively.
Matteo’s hand falls from my arm.
“Eden!” Matteo screams, but I don’t stop running. He doesn’t love me. He won’t protect me. I can only rely on myself to keep my baby and me safe.
I run, trying to get as far away from the bullets as I can. I don’t wait for Nina. She’s smart, and I know that she’s running back to Arlo. Together, they will be able to escape now that all hell has broken loose. I have no doubt.
I have to worry about myself.
I dart around a lifeless body and then make it to the back door. I need to make it to the car and then drive straight to the airport and never look back.
I grab the handle of the door as I feel a hand grip my shoulder, jerking me back.
“Hello, beautiful,” Enrico says, tossing me into two of his men’s arms. “I came for revenge, and I got something better, a chance to ruin true love.”
“You’re wrong. Matteo doesn’t love me. He doesn’t want me.”
He laughs. “Of course he loves you. He did everything he could to protect you and keep you out of harm’s way, even giving up his brother and old fling for a chance to keep me far away so that I would never discover you.”
Matteo loves me. I try to search for him to see if it’s true. To see if I was the idiot that missed the signs, that this was somehow all an elaborate plan to save me. I can’t find him. Enrico’s men start dragging me away. And now I’m afraid I’ll never know.
25
Matteo
Shit.
Enrico took Eden. I felt it the second she was gone. The bullet fire slowly started to subside, and Enrico was nowhere in sight. He stole her from me. I won’t let him live.
I’m going to kill Dierk for not keeping Eden locked up where it was safe.
I race back to where Arlo lays on the ground, with Nina over him, trying her best to close his wound and undo the rope around his wrists.
I bend down and place my hands on him, but Nina tries to fight me off.
“Get the fuck away from him!” Nina yells.
“Calm down. I’m helping him.”
“Get away!” she cries again.
I turn to Arlo. “Will you tell her to stop so that I can help you?”
Arlo studies me a minute and then looks at Nina. She stops screaming, and I look down at his wound. I pull thread and a needle out of my pocket I always keep with me when we are going into battle, and I start closing his wound.
“You did this all on purpose, didn’t you? Why?” Arlo asks, finally understanding I was scheming this whole time.
“Because Enrico was alive after you left. And he wouldn’t stop until he got his revenge. You protected Nina by running. I protected her by setting a trap for Enrico.”
“By using us as the bait?” Arlo asks, his voice raised.
“Yes.”
Arlo head butts me. “You put Nina’s life at risk!”
“I had to; it was the only way to get Enrico to come to me. I needed to ensure that he was killed.”
“You stabbed me and didn’t include me on the plan.”
I roll my eyes. “I barely stabbed you, and you know I missed any major organs. You’ll be good as new in a few weeks.”
Arlo growls, and Nina crosses her arms with a pissed expression.
“Why did you steal Eden? Why keep her so long?” Nina asks.
I wince, not wanting to answer. “I found you guys within a few weeks of you leaving. I needed it to look like I hadn’t though so Enrico would think you were so off the grid, he wouldn’t bother looking. So I pretended that I needed Eden’s help to find you. I planned on using her to get him to think I was struggling to find you and keep you safe until I came up with a plan. But then…”
“Then you fell in love with her,” Nina finishes.
I nod. “And now she thinks I hate her.”
Nina places a hand on my shoulder. “You’ll earn her love back.”
She slaps me across the cheek. “But don’t ever hurt her or stab my boyfriend again.”
“I won’t,” I say, rubbing the spot that barely stings.
“He’s headed north. We think he has a cabin he’s renting about thirty miles from here,” Clive says as he jogs over to me.
Nina’s eyes grow big as she takes a step in front of Arlo, who still has his arms tied behind his back.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Arlo asks, looking at Clive.
Clive cocks his head to the side as he grins as Nina. “Matteo needed my assistance.”
Nina and Arlo turn their gazes to me.
“I needed more help to ensure that Enrico was dead. I’ve been busy with Eden and the baby—”
“Baby?” Nina squeals.
I smile. “Eden’s pregnant.”
“Oh my god! I’m going to be an aunt!” she screams.
“Baby, that’s great, and all but our lives are still i
n danger, and we need to get Eden back and kill Enrico,” Arlo says.
Nina stops squealing.
I turn to Clive. “I found out Clive and Erick were still alive after I almost killed them in an ambush. They have doubled the size of their team, and I thought I could use all the help I could get going against Enrico.
“Enrico thinks Clive and Erick would be the last people I would ever work with, so I knew if they planned this operation, it would mean Enrico would have no clue of the plan. I was afraid some of my men might still be loyal to Enrico.”
I grab Clive by the collar of his shirt. “But it seems that Enrico isn’t dead. And Eden is gone. Your plan didn’t work. You have one hour to fix your screw up, and we’ll be right behind you. Enrico needs to be dead, and Eden needs to be safe. Otherwise, we have no deal. Understand?” I say.
“Yes,” Clive smirks.
I release him, and he runs off.
“What deal?” Arlo asks.
I shrug. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is killing Enrico and protecting Eden and our baby.”
I pull a knife out of my pocket and cut the ropes holding Arlo back.
“Thanks,” he says, as the ropes drop from his wrists.
Then he punches me in the jaw.
I close my eyes as the pain radiates through my entire head and down my arms.
“That was for stabbing me,” Arlo says.
“Seems fair.”
He laughs. “I’m not done yet. I still get a jab for risking me and my fiancé’s lives.”
“Fiancé?”
“I haven’t asked yet, but yea, I’m hoping,” Arlo says.
Nina gives him look that says ’yes’ and then jumps into his arms with a kiss.
I sigh. “It’s good to have you back. And as much as I’d love to watch you two make out, can we please go save Eden?”
26
Eden
My hands are tied in front of my body, and my mouth is taped shut as I sit in the passenger seat of Enrico’s car. He had one of his men throw me in the car so he could drive off alone with me.
He talks nonsense as he drives. Things about honor and what it means to be a man. How his sons have both disappointed him and just want him dead. But now that he has me, he will destroy Matteo, and then go back to obliterate Arlo by killing Nina.
I can’t listen.
I feel sick, and not just because he’s speeding around turns far too quickly. I’m sick that I left Matteo and didn’t have confidence in his love for me. He was trying to protect me in his own way. I’m sick he doesn’t understand that I trust him. I’m sick I’m going to die, along with our baby. I should have been thinking about our baby first, instead of trying to play the hero.
Enrico finally stops in front of an old cabin. I glance in the side mirror to see if there are any other cars behind us. There aren’t. There will be soon though. I have one shot.
My hands grab the door, and I jump out, running down the gravel road toward the street. A street we only passed one car during the entire ten plus miles we drove down it. The odds aren’t great that a car will pass when I reach the road, but it’s my only shot.
Enrico chases after me, and as much as I beg my legs to move faster, he catches me. He grabs my arms and jerks me backward, lifting my legs off the ground.
I try to beg through the duct tape, but it comes out mumbled. I can move my hands up enough to reach the duct tape, barely. So that’s what I do. I focus on getting the tape off. I can’t fight him physically, but I can fight with my words. I can hope that this man has a heart or soul in there somewhere. He might show some compassion if I could only speak to him.
He drags me away from the street and into the cabin, which isn’t much more than a fridge, couch, and bed. My eyes widen when I see the bed already set up with ropes to tie me down. He will not rape me. He might kill me, but he will not rape me. I won’t let him. I will fight to the death.
I finally rip the tape off my mouth.
“Please don’t do this,” I beg.
He tosses me to the ground, and I’m barely able to catch myself with my hands before hitting the floor.
“I’m pregnant!” I shout, pissed he just risked my baby’s life. Again.
He freezes, staring at me, finally seeing the small bump beneath my T-shirt.
“It’s Matteo’s. He’s going to be a father. You are going to be a grandfather. You can be in this child’s life. But you have to stop hurting your family. Stop. Ask for forgiveness and let’s move past this.”
He continues to stand over me, speechless, while I take several deep breaths, glancing around me for the nearest escape. There isn’t one. Unless breaking a window counts. The only door is the front door he carried me through.
He squats down to look me in the eye. This is it. My last shot.
I hold his gaze, trying to get him to see my humanity. He doesn’t need to hurt the baby or me. He can change.
If Matteo can change, so can he.
He cocks his head to the side and grins. “You’re not going to be pregnant for long. Not when you’re dead.”
I scramble to my feet to run, but he grabs my hair, jerking me backward.
He yanks me toward the bed, but I dig my feet in, making it as hard as possible for him.
He punches me hard in the stomach.
I see stars. I can’t feel anything. I’m dizzy, and sick, and pissed off. If he hurt my baby in any way, death will be his preferred option when I get through with him.
He grabs my hair again and starts dragging me to the bed. My eyes are barely open, but I see the shiny object sticking out of his shoe.
He’s not paying attention to me, so I quickly and quietly snatch the knife and hide it in my hands. I could stab him in the leg, but then he’d just shoot me. I have to wait for the right moment.
We get to the bed, and he scoops me up, tossing me to the bed.
His body crashes down on top of me. His weight feels like an elephant sitting on my chest. I can’t breathe. If I’m lucky, he might suffocate me before he has a chance to rape me.
His tongue licks my face, and I scream, “No.”
He pauses a second at my unexpected outburst. He laughs and does it again.
I scream again.
If he touches me, it won’t be enjoyable for him. I’m going to scream and yell and bite and fight. Do anything I can to try and stop him.
“I like fighters. This is going to be more enjoyable than I thought.” He sits back. “I’ll rape you here on this white bed. Then I’ll cut out your baby and let you bleed to death, before Matteo finally arrives, too late to save his one true love. It’s perfect.”
“You disgusting bastard! You won’t touch me.”
He licks my face again, simply to show his dominance. As his body presses in again, I remember the knife in my hand, the metal cutting into my grip. Somehow I must have grabbed the blade instead of the handle.
I need to turn the knife around. I need to stab him in the chest. Before he ties me to the bed.
I try to keep my pain focused on Enrico, as he continues to slobber all over my face, down my neck to my breasts. He rips my shirt open, giving him access, as his disgusting cock presses into my belly. I try to ignore him as I slowly turn the knife around, cutting my hands and side in the process.
“Your breasts are going to taste delicious in my mouth,” he says, lowering his mouth.
I jab the knife as hard as I can into his stomach. He cries out, but grabs my neck, tightening around me, trying to suck the oxygen out of me. I have limited mobility, but I jab the knife into his stomach again and again, until finally, he releases me.
I roll out from underneath him as he grasps his stomach, lying on his back, holding his wounds.
He thinks I’m done. That I will try to run off and his guards will capture me. But I can’t let him live.
Matteo and Arlo made that mistake before. Enrico threatened everyone I love: Matteo, Arlo, Nina, and even my baby. I gave him the chance t
o change, but he didn’t take it. He has to die.
I don’t think twice. I take the knife and jab it into his throat will all my might.
Blood spurts out and his body jerks. I pull out the knife and stab him again, blood spraying everywhere. I stab him one more time until the blood slowly stops pouring out and his body is lifeless. I stare at him a few minutes, ensuring there is no way he is still alive. Finally, I get off the bed and head to the door, still holding the knife with my bound hands.
I don’t have time to untie my hands. I need to get out of here.
I throw the door open, and I’m met with gunfire.
I know I should slam the door shut, run back inside, and wait for the winner to emerge, but then I see Matteo. He sees me, and I see the pain in his eyes. I can’t lose him. I can’t risk his death without telling him I love him and I trust him.
So instead, I stupidly run toward him. He runs toward me with a pissed off expression on his face.
I don’t see the bullets. I don’t see the men dying. Only Matteo.
He catches me in his arms, wrapping them around me tightly, and dives us down to the ground as he takes a bullet in the back.
“Oh my god! Matteo!” I cry, needing him to live.
He strokes my face, and I know he’s going to be okay.
“Are you hurt?” he looks down, seeing the blood covering my body. His hands start searching for my wounds, but other than the small ones on my hands and stomach, he’ll find none.
“I’m fine. But…” I pause, not sure how Matteo will take my news. He was trying to protect us all from Enrico, but he was still his father. I’m not sure if he would have killed Enrico if it came down to it. “I killed Enrico.”
Matteo’s eyes widen. “You’re sure?”
“I stabbed him three times in the neck and waited until blood stopped spewing out of his neck.”
Matteo grins. “That’s my baby,” he says, kissing me firmly on the lips.
“I’m so sorry. I should have trusted you. I love you. I want to spend forever with you,” I say.
