"Grand gestures, come to Jesus moment. Just get your ass to Indulgence." I hung up, giving him a ten-minute head start before I dialed the number Scar had been all too willing to give me.
"Bellandi," the voice on the other end said.
"Matteo?" I asked.
"Who is this?" His voice went taut, and I took it he didn't get very many phone calls from women. That pleased me.
"Sadie. I thought you'd want to know that I helped Ivory sneak out tonight. Scar's sitting downstairs, completely oblivious that she stepped out and took a cab."
"What?" he whispered, and that voice was menacing.
"I'm in her room pretending to be her to buy her time, but you should probably just head over to Indulgence."
"What the fuck is she doing in my club?" His voice went deep, menacing, and I worried about the guy that was on the date with Ivory. I convinced myself it would be fine. I'd warned him not to get touchy.
"She's on a date," I laughed, hanging up the phone. It rang when he called back, and I ignored it in favor of taking another sip of Ivory's wine. When Scar's phone rang downstairs, and I heard the front door slam, I considered how easy it would be to divert their attention and sneak her out again if the need arose.
I filed that bit of information away in case we needed it.
Nineteen
Matteo
I didn't know what the fuck Ivory was thinking.
Had I not clarified that I'd kill any man who touched her?
And yet, I sat in my Aston, cursing traffic as I tried to get to her from the meeting that had occupied me later than I liked. I scoffed, the thought of Ivory challenging me by going on a date with another man insane to think. Nobody else would have dared, but if she'd made one thing clear with this little stunt?
It was that I'd been too gentle. Given her too much time to adjust to the reality of my return into her life.
That would change.
Effective immediately.
By that time tomorrow there would be no doubt in her mind that I meant every word when I told her she was mine. Every word when I explained I would never let her go.
Pulling up in front of the club finally, I tossed my valet my keys as I climbed out and strode off without another word. The Aston was inconsequential in comparison to Ivory with another man.
"Mr. Bellandi?" the boy asked, hushing immediately when I didn't spare him a glance. My bouncers threw open the doors, and I prowled into my club, ignoring employees vying for my attention.
I didn't give the first shit about any of them. My eyes scanned the dance floor, looking for my deviant little angel. People crowded into the floor, admittedly a security nightmare for Ivory, even if she hadn't been with another man to begin with. The pulse of bodies was too much, would make it impossible for Scar to protect her unless he was practically on top of her. I caught sight of the huge man, standing guard against the wall. Following his eyes toward the center of the floor, my heart stopped when the crowd parted to reveal my angel.
I froze momentarily as she threw her head back and laughed at something the man across from her said. He miraculously danced with her without touching, something I found odd given Ivory's metallic emerald green dress looked painted on. It left her legs bare, the length of them standing out in the stilettos she wore. Delicate straps led to a scoop neck that showed a hint of the beauty I knew was hidden just underneath.
I growled, flinching when Scar touched my shoulder reassuringly.
"He hasn't touched her once," he admitted and the sincerity in his voice took me off guard. Something in me loosed, knowing I wouldn't need to murder a man in front of Ivory.
Even I knew that might be just slightly too much at that point in our relationship.
But that wouldn't save my Angel from the wrath she incurred.
Especially not when Duke appeared in her space.
Twenty
Ivory
It had been far too long since I'd been dancing.
I'd loved it, once upon a time.
And then I'd become a statistic. One of the millions of women who found themselves out of their depth in a dangerous situation with men who didn't give a shit about the word no.
I hadn't gone dancing since.
Hadn't been able to trust men or trust my recklessness.
That all changed the day Matteo came barging back into my life, even though I'd been the one to barge into his home. He was the most reckless thing I could ever do, not the alcohol pouring through my system or the way the music energized me as I moved to the sound of it. My date, Patrick, was nice. He kept his hands to himself, which, for a date in a nightclub, I had to say was surprising, but very much appreciated.
"You're the life of this club with those moves," he yelled, letting me hear him over the din of the music despite his respectable distance.
I threw my head back and laughed, because we both knew it wasn't a compliment. I wasn't a horrible dancer, but I was too enthusiastic in my excitement to give in to the sensations pounding through my body. The adrenaline of feeling like I was part of something, part of a crowd, for even just a little while.
A figure emerged from the way the crowd formed, slipping through any gaps he could find. My eyes landed on Duke, watching as he panted with exertion. Whatever he'd been doing, he'd rushed it. His jeans were stained, his tee-shirt beaten and one I recognized from his collection that he wore only in his studio. Duke wasn't the nightclub type to begin with, but there was no way he'd show up in studio clothes if he decided to go out for a night on the town.
"Duke?" I asked, and he sucked back a deep fortifying breath. "What are you doing here?"
He didn't answer, suddenly crashing into my space. His hand caught me around the nape, sliding underneath the curtain of my hair. I knew he'd find it slick with sweat, but he didn't seem to care. I stared up at him with wide eyes, and I knew what was coming.
I wished I could stop it, but something in the look in his eyes prevented me.
He needed it. He needed to know.
The least I could do was give him that.
Because the truth was, I already knew I'd never love him the way he loved me.
It wasn't possible when someone else already owned me.
Heart and soul.
One more deep breath, his cornflower eyes staring into mine intently. They drifted closed, his lips touching mine tentatively at first. I didn't move, didn't dare do anything. I had to let him see, had to show him. He'd spent too long waiting, too long wondering what might be.
It was time for Duke to move on with his life.
When I didn't shove him away, his confidence grew, and his lips pressed into mine more firmly. The tip of his tongue traced my lips, and I opened for him just enough for him to kiss me. The art, the passion, with which he worked translated into his kiss. A skilled seduction where he used his mouth as the only conduit.
But there was nothing, no spark.
Because only Matteo could make me feel.
When he pulled back, his eyes opened slowly, a mix of awe and apprehension flitting through them. "You didn't feel it?" he asked. I shook my head, looking down as tears filled my eyes. "I'm sorry, Duke. You know that I'd change it if I could."
"It's because of him? You're choosing a criminal over me?" His voice sounded harsh, and I knew that the rough wrath of Duke's temper hovered just under the surface, waiting to unleash when he was alone and could show the real hurt.
"No. I know Matteo and I will never last," I explained. "I'm choosing you over me." His brow furrowed, and I stepped closer to his embrace, wrapping my arms around him supportively. "You deserve more that I'll ever be able to give you. I love you too much to trap you in a relationship with me, when I know I'll never be able to love you the way you love me. I don't want that for you."
His arms tightened around me. "What about what I want?"
"You'll find someone better for you." He stiffened, pulling away. His eyes darted over my shoulder, and he nodded silently with a huff of
laughter before turning on his heel and disappearing into the crowd.
My spine tingled, something like apprehension sliding up it suddenly and pooling in my chest. The press of a body against my back came out of nowhere, making me stumble forward. A massive hand wrapped around my throat, trapping me, and panic flooded through me. My hands stretched up to claw at that hand, as Patrick stepped forward.
"Hey man, let her go!" he protested.
"It's quite fortunate that I think having his heart crushed is punishment enough. Otherwise, Duke would be a dead man. Get rid of the extra, naughty angel," Matteo's voice growled in my ear. I sighed in relief, my panic abating with the feeling of safety that came from Matteo. As pissed as he might be, and I imagined he really, really was, he wouldn't hurt me.
Not really.
"Let go of me, Teo," I whispered, giving Patrick a reassuring smile where he eyed us in a mix of fury and concern. "It's okay. I know him," I yelled.
"I suggest that you get the fuck out of my club while you still have all your limbs," Matteo grunted at him. His voice might have remained quiet, had we not been in a club. But with the music thudding overhead, he had no choice but to shout the command. Heads turned our way, watching the exchange. Patrick's eyes widened, but he nodded before abandoning me to Matteo.
I sighed, frustration mounting. I hated feeling owned, like property that belonged to Matteo and couldn't think or act for myself. "Did you forget about something?" he asked.
"Hmm, nope," I whispered, trying to ignore the way Matteo skimmed his free hand over my hip.
"You are spoken for, my love. Very much in a committed relationship. It is very fortunate for your date that he didn't touch you. Otherwise, it would have been the last thing he did."
I froze, feeling Matteo's grip on my throat tighten in warning. "Things are about to change. It's time for you to accept what is happening with us."
"There is no us! There will never be an us!" I yelled back at him, not even caring about the people watching.
"Ah, but you're wrong, Cara mia. There very much is an us. There has always been an us, and there always will be an us. You will never let another man touch you," he barked the order, releasing my throat in favor of taking my hand and yanking me toward the exit.
"Wait, I don't want to go anywhere with you!" I snarled, attempting to pry his fingers off my hand as I stumbled after him.
"That's most unfortunate for you. No one here will stop us."
"Matteo!" I shrieked, glaring at Scar where he took up his place behind us. The night air was cold as it hit my skin, the wind ripping through the street. The valet raced to get the car as Matteo draped his suit jacket over my shoulders. "My jacket is inside. At least let me get it before you cart me off like an animal."
Matteo nodded to Scar, who turned and stalked back into the club. When the Aston pulled up in front of the club, Matteo didn't wait for him. Instead, he shoved me into my seat and slammed the door closed before taking his own seat and stealing me away into the night.
✽✽✽
Matteo drove too fast.
He always drove too fucking fast, but nothing could compare to when he was full blown, pissed off.
"I cannot believe you were so stupid to go out without Scar. Do you care nothing for your safety?" he growled, turning blocks to head for the highway.
"I was fine!" I protested, shaking my head at his ridiculous behavior. I wasn't a reckless child, if I wanted to go to a club for once, then that was what I would do.
"And what would you have done if Adrian showed up?" Matteo asked, and I pursed my lips. I'd been confident no one could follow me since Scar hadn't even noticed me sneaking out, but there had been risk involved on that front.
It was just worth it, to have a single night of freedom from the confines of my life with Matteo.
"I can't have someone following me all the time, Teo," I whispered. "I need space, room to just be and the ability to do what I want."
"Yeah? Well, you can kiss that goodbye," he laughed, a dark, hollow sound that grated on my nerves.
"What does that mean?" He was silent for a moment, and I began to wonder if he would bother answering me or if I'd just wake up to some surprise restriction without asking my consent. He shoved the sleeves of his shirt up one by one, frustration written in every feature of his face. His bone structure was unique, sculpted, and radiated strength with his chiseled square jaw, and that always made him look intimidating to some extent, but the way he pursed his lips in that moment only aggravated it.
"Things are changing. You'll see what I mean once I make the arrangements." I considered asking but decided against it. If Matteo didn't want to tell me something, give me preparation, then he wouldn't. I could beat my head against a wall, or just accept that we would argue whenever he made those arrangements.
My eyes went to the tattoo on his forearm opposite me, watching the way the muscles corded as he gripped the wheel. "Why do you have that tattoo?" I asked.
His eyes darted down to it, and he veered off the road to pull into an empty parking lot of one of the many businesses lining the streets as we made our way out of The Loop.
"What are you—?" I stopped when he threw the car into park. He stripped off his seat belt, his body turning to face me ominously.
He took my hand in his, touching my fingers to the tattooed flesh of his forearm. I traced the lion's face with my fingers, circling the clock face that hid the face of a lamb in its intricate details. "I got it the day I broke up with you," he admitted, shocking me. "As a reminder."
"A reminder of what?" I whispered. I suddenly knew that I didn't want to have this conversation. My apprehension over it had made me procrastinate in asking, because why would I want to know why Matteo had immortalized the worst moment of my life on his skin.
"That the lion should never get involved with the lamb, because it's only a matter of time before the lamb is hurt." I huffed a laugh, pulling my fingers away suddenly. If I'd expected a sweet answer, something to hint that everything had been a lie, that had been anything but. "Not because I broke your heart, Angel. My life is complicated. It's dangerous, and it always has been. Walking away was the best way to protect you from the consequences of it. Every time I thought about going to you, about taking you back, that tattoo reminded me why I had to stay away."
Tears pooled in my eyes, and I shook my head. I wouldn't let him in again, and I worked to rebuild those walls between us, the shaky ones that seemed to fail every day. "Don't."
"It was always you, Ivory. Always," he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine. "You're the only thing that could hurt me. The only thing they could use to break me. That is why you need to do what I tell you. You must stay with Scar. It's the only way I can keep you safe."
I nodded, numbness flooding my system as I fortified my walls. Matteo sighed, aggravated. He'd always known when I worked to build up my walls, always sensed them the second they went up.
It was what made him so effective at tearing them down.
"Fuck it," he grunted, shoving open his car door. My eyes opened, staring around us. The lot was dark, not a car or a person in sight. I flinched when my door opened, and Matteo unbuckled me hastily.
"What are you doing?" I asked as he pushed me to lie over the center console. Maneuvering my legs, he twisted me about until I knelt on the seat. "Teo?"
"Hush, Ivory," he whispered, sliding my dress up my thighs and over my hips to reveal my black thong. "Fucking Christ, you're beautiful." His hand came down on the cheek of my ass in a loud smack that made me cry out, and I felt the searing pain immediately. He repeated it to the other side, and I whimpered. "You do not let another man touch you. Never again, Ivory. I gave Duke a pass because he won't be a problem again, and because I know you would hate me. I will not be that generous going forward." His hands stroked over my hot, burning skin, and I resisted the urge to squirm when that heat shot straight to my core and transformed into a deep, dark arousal that should have humiliated me.
>
Instead, I thrust my ass back at Matteo, letting him know just how I felt about his spanking. "Shut up and fuck me."
He chuckled, "my little angel likes being spanked? I'm not surprised. You'll take everything I give you, Cara mia."
I nodded, whimpering when his hand gripped the waistband of my thong and pulled it down my legs as far as he could until it got caught at my knees. He left it there, two fingers thrusting inside me and finding me already wet and waiting. The sound of his zipper broke the silence behind me, and only a few seconds passed before his fingers withdrew and the smooth, velvety head of his cock replaced them. A hand wrapped in my hair, making me arch my back to take him deep as he surged inside in a single, hard thrust that I felt bottom out against the end of me.
"Teo," I gasped, the fingers of his other hand bruising my hip with the force of his hold on me.
"You'll take it," he ordered, using his grip on my hair and my hip to tug me back until I fell out of the car. With his cock still planted firmly against me, he positioned me so that my hands supported me on the seat. My heeled feet hit the ground, feeling all too shaky to support myself, but Matteo didn't give me any reprieve. He pulled out and snapped his hips back in quickly, releasing his hold on my hair finally in favor of keeping my ass tipped up the way he wanted it. The skin of my ass tingled, something more than the recovering sting from his strike against me. A glance over my shoulder confirmed his eyes were fixated on where we connected, watching himself sink in and out of me in a fast rhythm. I knew I must have looked obscene, standing and bent at the waist to the point I nearly folded in half, and it wasn't easy to hold still and let Matteo take what he needed. His palm slapped down on my ass again, and I screamed, tossing my head back. "This pussy is mine."
"Yes, Teo," I whimpered, and in that moment, it couldn't have been a lie. I clenched around him, my body loving the domination in his voice and the way he gripped me.
Bloodied Hands: A Dark Mafia Romance (Bellandi Crime Syndicate Book 1) Page 14
