“Your breasts are going to taste delicious in my mouth,” he says, lowering his mouth.
I jab the knife as hard as I can into his stomach. He cries out, but grabs my neck, tightening around me, trying to suck the oxygen out of me. I have limited mobility, but I jab the knife into his stomach again and again, until finally, he releases me.
I roll out from underneath him as he grasps his stomach, lying on his back, holding his wounds.
He thinks I’m done. That I will try to run off and his guards will capture me. But I can’t let him live.
Matteo and Arlo made that mistake before. Enrico threatened everyone I love: Matteo, Arlo, Nina, and even my baby. I gave him the chance to change, but he didn’t take it. He has to die.
I don’t think twice. I take the knife and jab it into his throat will all my might.
Blood spurts out and his body jerks. I pull out the knife and stab him again, blood spraying everywhere. I stab him one more time until the blood slowly stops pouring out and his body is lifeless. I stare at him a few minutes, ensuring there is no way he is still alive. Finally, I get off the bed and head to the door, still holding the knife with my bound hands.
I don’t have time to untie my hands. I need to get out of here.
I throw the door open, and I’m met with gunfire.
I know I should slam the door shut, run back inside, and wait for the winner to emerge, but then I see Matteo. He sees me, and I see the pain in his eyes. I can’t lose him. I can’t risk his death without telling him I love him and I trust him.
So instead, I stupidly run toward him. He runs toward me with a pissed off expression on his face.
I don’t see the bullets. I don’t see the men dying. Only Matteo.
He catches me in his arms, wrapping them around me tightly, and dives us down to the ground as he takes a bullet in the back.
“Oh my god! Matteo!” I cry, needing him to live.
He strokes my face, and I know he’s going to be okay.
“Are you hurt?” he looks down, seeing the blood covering my body. His hands start searching for my wounds, but other than the small ones on my hands and stomach, he’ll find none.
“I’m fine. But…” I pause, not sure how Matteo will take my news. He was trying to protect us all from Enrico, but he was still his father. I’m not sure if he would have killed Enrico if it came down to it. “I killed Enrico.”
Matteo’s eyes widen. “You’re sure?”
“I stabbed him three times in the neck and waited until blood stopped spewing out of his neck.”
Matteo grins. “That’s my baby,” he says, kissing me firmly on the lips.
“I’m so sorry. I should have trusted you. I love you. I want to spend forever with you,” I say.
He grins. “That’s my line. I’m sorry. I should have trusted you with the plan. I should have told you.”
I shake my head. “I don’t care. I just want you safe.”
Matteo kisses me as men continue to fight around us. We should move somewhere safer, but we can’t. So instead, we lie on the ground making out, tongues swirling together as we wait for it to be over.
“I think we need to get you two to the hospital,” Arlo says over us.
Matteo looks over his shoulder. “Nah, I’ll have you stitch it up, and Eden is fine.”
Matteo helps me up, and I hold my shirt closed, Matteo wrapping his arms around me.
“I just checked the cabin. Enrico’s dead. I made sure this time. He’s really gone,” Arlo says.
“Eden killed him.”