Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Two of the men I had glimpsed earlier stepped forward without hesitation, each grabbing an arm and beginning to drag the man down the hall. His feet scraped against the polished floor, leaving faint streaks of blood in their wake. The third man, the one who had stayed back, gave Mateo a tight-lipped smile, though the fear in his eyes was palpable. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath before scurrying after the others, his anxiety evident in every hurried step.
I stood frozen, still staring down the empty hall long after they had vanished from sight, the remnants of the scene playing on a loop in my mind.
“Elena.”
My name, spoken softly, snapped me out of my daze. Mateo’s voice was gentle, yet it carried an unspoken command that drew my gaze back to him. He stood there, composed, as if what I had just witnessed was nothing more than an everyday occurrence—a man completely in control, even amid violence. Our eyes locked, and for a brief moment, I was acutely aware of the vast chasm between us.
“I didn’t expect you to be awake so soon. I apologize for the mess.”
The mess. Not the fact that he’d just shattered a man’s hand and nose before discarding him like yesterday’s garbage. Then again, for someone like Mateo, that probably was nothing more than a love-tap. His bright smile, aimed directly at me, did little to diminish the unease twisting in my stomach, but it was disarming enough to make me pause. He wasn’t dressed in the sharp suit I’d grown accustomed to seeing him in.
Instead, he wore a simple black button-down, the sleeves partially rolled back, revealing the edges of that intricate tattoo winding up his forearm. The slacks he paired with it were tailored to perfection, emphasizing his lean, powerful build. Somehow, he looked even more dangerous—more alluring—than he had the night before.
I bit back the urge to ask what I had just witnessed, knowing better than to let those words slip out. It wasn’t my business, and the rules of this world were clear: keep your mouth shut and your eyes averted. Before my sister and I were sent away, we’d been raised around men like Mateo—men who dealt in shadows and made their own rules. My mother and father may have lavished me with love and affection, but they were far from angelic. I remembered a scene like this one unfolding outside my father’s office when he thought Eva and I were fast asleep.
It was when he realized we’d seen what happened a lesson was ingrained in me—see nothing, say nothing. Of course, he was also extremely apologetic, unlike Mateo.
His eyes roamed over me from head to toe, taking his time as he absorbed every detail. His gaze was heated, reminiscent of the night before, and it brought everything we had done rushing back into sharp focus. The way his hands had moved over my body, the way his voice had sometimes softened just for me—it all came flooding back in a dizzying rush.
The contrast between the tenderness he’d shown me and the brutality I had just witnessed was impossible to ignore. Mateo was a man of many faces, and I was only beginning to understand the depth of that complexity. I held my ground, meeting his gaze with as much composure as I could muster. His eyes darkened as they continued to roam over me, a small smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"You're even more beautiful in the morning light," he murmured, stepping forward with a quiet confidence that sent a shiver down my spine. His hands settled on my hips, firm but not forceful, drawing me closer until there was barely any space between us.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice low, almost intimate.
“Fine,” I replied, though the word felt inadequate, given the whirlwind of emotions still coursing through me.
Mateo’s smile deepened, a flash of something darker flickering in his eyes. “Then I didn’t do a good enough job last night,” he teased, his tone smooth, but with a sharp edge that made my breath catch.
A flush crept up my neck, heat flooding my cheeks as I tried to stammer out a response. “No, it was… it was good,” I managed to say, my voice faltering as I struggled to keep my thoughts in order.
He watched me, clearly amused by my flustered state. "Good?" he echoed, his voice dripping with playful condescension. "Anjinho, I don’t settle for good. I demand more—much more. And I’m quite certain you can give it."
The weight of his words, coupled with the intensity of his gaze, was almost too much. I needed to break the tension, to get my bearings before I completely lost myself in whatever this was.
“I... I need to go home,” I blurted out, my thoughts snapping back to the reality I had left behind. I could feel my phone buzzing relentlessly in my pocket—texts from Melody and Peyton, missed calls from my grandmother and uncle. I needed to check in with them, to get back to some semblance of normalcy, no matter how fleeting.