Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 118245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 591(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 591(@200wpm)___ 473(@250wpm)___ 394(@300wpm)
Matteo.
I wanted Matteo.
Tears streaked along the sides of my face as the pain of regret seemed to weigh my body down further. A deep, crippling exhaustion enveloped me as I slowly lost consciousness.
My mother’s face flashed before my eyes. I’m so sorry, Mama. I failed.
Then all I saw was Matteo. His crooked smile. His winks. His powerful hands.
I should have told him. I should have told him everything. I should have trusted him.
As my arms fell slack at my sides, my head lolled to the side.
A strange euphoria took over.
I was just so tired.
Fino released his grip on me.
I fell to the dirt. At first, too stunned and out of it to even think to breathe.
Then primal instinct took over.
My mouth opened and I sucked in a choking gasp of dust and air which only made me choke harder as I clutched at my sore neck.
Fino kicked me in the stomach. “Shut the fuck up. Do you want the whole household to hear you?”
My body curled into the fetal position as I clutched my middle. He hadn’t kicked me hard, but it was enough of a blow to hurt as I was trying to expand my lungs with precious air.
He squatted down on his haunches. “Get me the information I want, or your father will find out you’re nothing but a snitch and a rat. Then your sister will wind up fish food, just like your mother.”
Fino took a final drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke in my face again, causing another choking fit.
With a flick of his index finger, he tossed the still lit cigarette onto the dirt where it rolled near some brush. “If I even suspect that you went running to the Cavalieris for help, I’ll burn this place to the ground with all of them inside. Understood?”
He disappeared back into the shadows without waiting for my response.
Tightening my arm around my waist, I forced myself onto my knees, gathered the skirt of my dress, and crawled through the dirt to the lit cigarette butt, putting it out before the dry branches could catch fire.
I then rolled onto my back and took my first real breath as I stared up at the cold, unfeeling winter skies. The bright flashes of white starlight seeming to mock me.
“Ella? Ella are you out here?”
Oh no.
I tried to roll back onto my knees as Matteo’s voice came closer.
“Ella are you—Jesus Christ.”
His powerful arms lifted me off the ground.
My cheek rubbed against the softness of his shirt, the scent of his cologne comforting.
“Baby? Baby, what happened? Who did this to you?” His voice was a low growl. “I’ll fucking kill them.”
I reached up and clutched at his shirt. “No. No one," I rasped. "I came out here for some air and… slipped.”
Nausea rolled through my stomach as the lie soured in my mouth.
He carried me into the warmth of the villa. Bending his knees to lower me onto the nearby sofa, he said, “I’m going to get some help.”
My fingers dug into his shirt in a tight grasp. “No! Please don’t! It’s too embarrassing. Please, Matteo. Please!”
After adjusting his grip, he straightened. “Shhh, it’s okay, babygirl. I won’t tell anyone.”
He pressed his lips to my forehead then carried me out of the library and up the stairs to his bedroom.
His jaw tightened when in the light from the bedroom, he saw the dirt on me and my borrowed dress, and my scraped knees. “What the hell happened, Ella? The truth.”
I eased back onto the edge of the mattress where he set me down. “It was stupid. I was crying and I went through the library out onto the veranda and must have slipped on a branch or rock or something on the ground. It knocked the wind out of me.”
Kneeling before me, he reached up and cupped my cheek as he searched my face. “Did you hit your head?”
Yes.
“No. I don’t think so.” I reached up and felt the back of my skull. “There’s no bump.”
Not trusting my response, he moved his hand to massage the back of my neck and the base of my skull as he searched for any sign of injury. “Why do you smell like cigarette smoke? I know you don’t smoke.”
I swallowed painfully. My brain was so fuzzy it was difficult to think of so many lies in quick succession. “I think there was a security guard who was smoking nearby.”
Puzzled, he asked, “Why didn’t you call out for help?”
“I was too embarrassed. I’d already disgraced myself in front of your family. I didn’t want to make the whole thing worse.”
He sighed as he reached down to pull off my now ruined ballet flats. “You silly little girl. Do you have any idea how fucking worried I was? I’ve been tearing this place apart looking for you.”