Page 195 of Cobra
The thought is immediate. It has to be. It has to be connected.
My voice drops. “He’s coming.”
Matteo’s expression doesn’t change. But something in his eyes sharpens. “Maybe,” he says. Relief hits me so fast it almost knocks me back. Not soft. Not gentle. Sharp. Like something that’s been coiled tight inside me finally loosens just enough to let me breathe.
“You know him,” I say.
“I know of him.” That’s enough.
“Is he—” My voice catches. “Is he okay?”
Matteo studies me for a long second. “Yes,” he says. “He’s doing exactly what you think he is right now.”
My lips press together. That tells me everything. “He’s going to kill them,” I whisper.
Matteo’s mouth curves faintly. “If they’re lucky, it’ll be quick.”
A small, almost hysterical sound wants to escape me. I swallow it. “He’ll find me,” I say.
Matteo tilts his head slightly. “You don’t need to be found,” he says.
Confusion spikes. “What?”
“You’re being returned.”The words take a second to settle. Then another.
“Oh.” Shock. Relief. Disbelief. All of it crashes together. “You’re—” I shake my head. “You’re giving me back?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because that was the arrangement.”
Arrangement.
The word echoes.
“With him?” I ask.
“With his club,” Matteo corrects. That fits. That feels right. Cobra wouldn’t ask. He would take. But he would also make sure I lived long enough to be taken back.
My chest feels too tight. Too full. “When?” I ask.
“Soon.” That’s not a time. But it’s enough.
“For now,” he continues, “you stay here.”
I nod. I can do that. I can stay. I’ve done worse.
He turns slightly toward the door. Then pauses. “One more thing.”
I look at him.
“My right hand, Nico, will take you back to them.”
Nico.
Another name. Another man I’ll have to trust. Or at least not fight.
