He snaps the shackle on to my wrist and leads me outside.
I close my eyes and inhale deeply, letting the air and warmth take over me.
But I’m jerked forward as Matteo starts running, giving me no time to warm up. He's faster than me, so I have to push myself to prevent myself falling to the ground and getting dragged.
The path he jogs is beautiful. Through the forest behind his house, a trail he has clearly carved out for himself and no one else.
We jog for a long time until my legs and lungs burn, but I don't complain. For one, I have a great view of his ass as he runs. And as much as I hate to admit it, he has a great ass. And two, I get to push myself and work on gaining speed and strength so someday I can outrun him. And three, I can bask in the warm sun.
As we return to the back of the house, a buzzing sound makes Matteo stop and pull out his phone.
"Yes?” He pauses. "You still haven't found my brother and Nina then?"
"Fine." He hangs up the phone.
I strike him on the back, frustrated.
"What was that for? And just when I thought you were learning to behave."
"What about our deal? You promised if I left those messages at work, you wouldn’t go after Nina and Arlo for at least a week."
He pulls out his phone again and hands it to me showing me the date.
"You have been here two weeks."
My mouth drops open. Two weeks.
"How did you keep me alive for that long unconscious?”
"IVs. The medications I gave you seem to have had a particularly strong effect on you."
I look up, needing to know an answer to my question desperately. “Why? Why do you want Arlo and Nina? Why do you have a picture of Nina in your bedroom?"
"Because Arlo owes me for leaving. He's my brother. He is supposed to stay and work for me, but he left, abandoning me without a word or a goodbye."
“And Nina?”
"I love Nina. I want her back."
“You’re lying. You’re saying that so I’ll eventually tell you where they are. You don’t love Nina or care about your brother. How can you love someone that hurt you?”
His eyes shoot straight into mine as his lips pull back.
“I guess you’ll find out if it’s possible. Could you ever learn to love me despite how I’ve hurt you?”
“No. Could you if I hurt you as badly as you have hurt me?”
He shrugs. “I guess I’m a more forgiving person than you are.”
He stares past me as he leads me back inside. I don’t believe he loves her. He’s not capable of love. He doesn’t even know what love is. Matteo is evil, and I won’t ever tell him where Nina is. Even if it costs me my life.
5
Matteo
I need to shatter the shield around Eden.
I need to demolish her will to live so that she will tell me anything I want.