Page 46 of Defending Mateo
“You deserve good things, Mateo.”
Not sure he believed her, in fact, pretty sure he didn't, he tucked himself back into his boxers and pants, and zipped himself up. If he didn't walk away from her now, he wasn't going to be able to. It was hell leaving her here, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop anyone from approaching her, but he had to focus on the big picture. Falcon was right, sometimes it was the little things that were important, but sometimes it wasn't. Sometimes it was the big picture, and this was one of those times.
“Won't be far away, little mouse. Promise.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she chewed on her bottom lip, but she didn't beg him to stay, because she knew they had to do this.
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think, little mouse,” he murmured.
For a second, her brow furrowed, then amusement sparked in her eyes. “Christopher Robin says that to Winnie the Pooh in The House at Pooh Corner. You saying Pooh Bear quotes is not something I expected to ever hear.”
“You love those classic children’s books. I've seen your collection, they’re important to you, so they’re important to me too.” Now wasn't the time to tell her, but he’d actually been building up a collection of first editions of some of the well-known children’s classics she didn't already own, and he’d been intending to give them to her along with a ring when he was ready to propose.
“Maybe it’s time you stop pretending that you don’t have emotions,” she whispered. “It doesn’t make you weak, and people do care about what you're feeling. Don’t let what your parents did steal anything else from you. There’s an entire world you're missing out on because you think that feeling is a weakness.”
“Remember your own words, little mouse. If feeling isn’t a weakness, then you have to stop beating yourself up over the perfectly normal feelings of rejection, fear, anger, and sadness over your childhood. You survive. Whatever life throws at you, you find a way through it. That’s strength, baby. That’s bravery.”
“Are you finished with her?” a man asked as he guided a woman in a sparkling gold dress up onto the platform.
“For now. Will definitely be back later though for another round,” he replied as he smirked at them, then released Ally and stepped back. “Enjoy.”
“Oh, we will,” the man said, his eyes glittering with desire as he guided the woman before Ally, leaning her back against his chest and lifting her dress, baring her for Ally to pleasure, as he began to pluck at her breasts.
Gritting his teeth and curling his fingers into fists, he barely contained his rage. Ally’s expression of resignation was like a knife through the heart. But he had to walk away, had to find a quiet corner where he could tell the guys they needed to do something to cause enough of a commotion for him to grab his girl and run.
Chapter
Sixteen
August 20th
9:14 P.M.
Why wasn't anything happening?
Ally had expected to be off this platform before now. It had to have been over an hour since Mateo had approached her, and she’d made him come down her throat. It was the only thing she’d done tonight that was her own choice, that she’d actually wanted. Making him fall apart had her feeling powerful, like she could bring a man as strong and confident as Mateo Adler to his knees.
But everything else she’d had to do … that made her feel ill, and she didn't want to do it anymore.
Surely Mateo and his friends had a plan on how they were going to get her out. So why didn't they start enacting it?
True to his word, Mateo had stayed close by. He circled around, laughing and talking with the others, pretending to drink the champagne offered by the waiters, but she knew he’d never really drink when he was here on an op. It was weird to think of herself as an op, it made her feel, once again, like shewas a thing. Only this time, a thing to be rescued instead of a thing to be played with. She was pretty sure that wasn't actually how the team Mateo had brought with him saw her, but it was how this whole situation made her feel.
A loud voice suddenly filled the room and she jumped. She was so on edge, expecting gunfire to pepper through the ballroom, but this wasn't anything of the sort. It was just a man, dressed all in black, stumbling slightly, clearly drunk, as he made his way toward where the small band played.
Announcing in an even louder voice that he was going to sing for them, Ally let her shoulders sag as she realized this wasn't a rescue coming. At least everyone seemed to be watching the drunk man, so there was no attention on her for the moment.
Taking advantage of this break, she closed her eyes and drew in a few deep breaths. This night had been hell, but it could have been worse. And Mateo was here, in the ballroom with her, a team outside. Before the night was over, she’d be out of here, on her way back home.
Home.
She wasn't ready to think about what that would feel like yet. It probably wasn't going to be all roses and sunshine as it should be, because she wasn't going to be the same woman she’d been when she was grabbed outside?—
“Time to go, little mouse.”
The words caught her by surprise, and her eyes snapped open, her head snapped up, to find Mateo approaching.
“That man is?—”
