Page 126 of Vicious Intentions
When he steps toward me a second time, I raise my hand again, eager to knock it away. But this time, he anticipates my move and catches my wrist with his free hand, holding me still.
“I’ll have to buy more glasses if you plan on breaking every last one,” he says with a grin, his grip soft instead of forceful.
“Are you really making jokes right now?”
Matteo’s shoulders slump before shaking his head. “No. You’re right. I guess this isn’t the time for jokes.”
My brows pull together as he sets the carafe on the bedside table, placing the glass beside it.
“There are new clothes in the wardrobe for you, so feel free to take a shower and change into something more comfortable. If you change your mind and want to eat something, just let me know, and I’ll have it prepared for you. It’s been a long day. I suggest you rest. I doubt tomorrow will be easier for you.”
“Why?” I cock an eyebrow. “What’s going to happen tomorrow?”
“By my count, it will probably take your father at least a good twenty-four hours to figure out where you are. And once he does, it’s anyone’s guess how he’ll react.”
“And where exactly am I?” His eyes soften slightly, mirroring the faint curve of his lips.
“New York. Your new home.” My eyes widen at his reply.
“This isn’t, nor will it ever be, my home.”
“We shall see,cara mia. We shall see.”
It’s official. I’ve been kidnapped by a madman.
I don’t sleep a wink at night, replaying how I got myself into this mess in the first place. Here I thought I was falling in love, when in reality I was being played. Manipulated by the one person I thought would never hurt me.
How could Raffaele do this to me? After all the years we’ve been friends? After this past year, when our feelings grew into something more?
As if those memories weren’t hard enough to recollect, my mind then drags me back to the last kiss we shared. Everythingabout it feltwrong. That should have been my first warning sign. Though my heart truly believed his love for me was pure, my body and subconscious knew otherwise.
What Raffaele and I shared was never real. It was always one-sided. Raffaele never loved me. He just wanted to use me. This was probably his plan all along. Maybe even from the very first time he called me, when I was still in junior high. How foolish of me to think his offer of friendship had ever been genuine.
My cheeks burn at the memory of our most recent calls. The way he made me come undone with just a few words. Shame and embarrassment crash over me all at once, and I hate myself for being so stupid.
I get out of bed, feeling like I can’t breathe all of a sudden. My hands fly to my throat, but my fingers brush against the cool silver necklace resting there. Tears sting my eyes as I stare at the pendant with a single keynote at its center, and then at the sweet inscription on the back.
Lies. Lies. Lies.
I brutally rip it from my neck and hurl it against the wall with all my might. The sting against my skin is nothing compared to the mortification and humiliation burning through me.
I fall to my knees, burying my face in my hands as I sob, thinking about my family and how they must be losing their minds with worry.
And all for what? Because I trusted the one person I never should have? When they find out how gullible I was… I shudder at the thought. But then again, Raffaele was just a kid when this started. He couldn’t have come up with something like this on his own.
No. This has Matteo written all over it. He took me because he thought I was weak. He forgot that I’m a Romano, too. Lethim try to scare me all he wants. I was raised by wolves. I know how to bare my teeth.
‘Be the villain,’my sister, Stella, whispers in my mind.‘Stop being the victim and be the villain instead.’
“Show me how,” I sob, wishing she were here to tell me what to do.
But she’s not here.
I have to face my monsters alone. I have to beat Matteo at his own game… alone. And I can’t do that on my knees, crying over the mess I’ve made of my life. I need my wits about me if I’m to stand any chance of beating Matteo at his game. Which means I should at least try to sleep for an hour or two before he comes back.
I’m about to wipe my tears and climb back into bed when the door swings open. Matteo stands there in a three-piece suit, looking like Hades himself risen from the underworld.
“Anna?! Are you alright?” he says, rushing toward me, his eyes wide with something that almost looks like alarm.
