Unless he wanted Mateo to see it. That’s possible. Until tonight, I had no idea what was on that footage, but when I went to Mateo’s study looking for him, I wandered into his security room. Normally the larger security screen is on some room in the house that he was last checking, but now there’s a copy of the tapes from the bar.
And since they’re still loaded up, I’m guessing that means he has been watching the same goddamn tapes for three days. I checked the monitors to see if I could find him. When I found him in Mia’s bedroom, in their bed, I knew I had some time, so I watched.
It looked like Vince and Mia were on a date. Mateo doesn’t let Mia out to play much since she tends to cast a devotion spell on any man she interacts with for too long and he doesn’t want any new Vinces or Marks becoming a thorn in his side. But since Mia has about as much sense as a grapefruit, when her super sexy ex-boyfriend showed up, it looks like she happily went to grab a drink with him. The video from the bar is a little grainy, but Mia is all smiles. Vince looks like he’s having a good time, too. Then she gets emotional and he holds her. There’s no audio, so it’s impossible to tell why Mia got upset or what Vince said to her. Mateo is a bit of a voyeur, but under the circumstances, I’m thinking he probably didn’t appreciate watching this one little bit.
He’s obviously flagellated himself with it, though. It probably doesn’t help that the moody Morelli grew up good. Vince was always a cutie, but four years later, he’s super hot. Mia’s a bit flighty, and Mateo knows she’s easily led; hell, he’s part of the reason she’s so easily led. He broke that girl down and trained her for himself, not accounting on anyone else getting their hands on her again.
Now someone else has. Mia left that bar with Vince’s arm around her waist, and no one has seen her since.
Not that Mia would ever cheat on Mateo, and she definitely wouldn’t leave Mateo. Not on her own. Mateo knows that. But however he got her to go with him, Vince has her now and Mateo isn’t around. If he doesn’t find her fast, Vince just might sneak back into her heart. Especially after the shit Mateo pulled, making Mia think Vince was dead. I know he didn’t think she’d ever see Vince again, but way to melt away any of her negative feelings toward him.
So, now he has Mia somewhere. At best. At worst, everyone’s fears about him turning into Matt weren’t unfounded and he took her to kill her. I hoped that wasn’t why he wanted her, but I couldn’t completely discount it. I mean, he’s clearly a little crazy or he wouldn’t have shown his face in Chicago ever again. Just the fact that he came back for her is a bad sign.
I’m hoping he’s just been carrying a torch for her though. He can whisk her away somewhere Mateo can’t reach her, hypnotize her with his abs, make her fall in love with him again. He managed it the first time when Mateo wasn’t there; he might be able to swing it a second time. I should’ve put together an informational pamphlet for him, just in case he never figured out what he wasn’t doing that Mateo was. I’m no idiot, I’ve dissected that shit; I could seduce Mia if I had a penis.
I’m sure he’ll figure it out. It’s not rocket science. I still wish I would’ve given him a manual.
Too late now.
So, after I reviewed the tapes from the bar, my conscience was soothed. I told myself if he wanted to chop Mia up into little pieces and toss her in a field somewhere, he probably wouldn’t have been so tender with her when she got emotional and tipsy. He obviously still cares for her. Whatever voodoo she practices must not have a shelf life.
A quick glance at the monitors showed my very own voodoo-afflicted male lying in her bed alone rather than coming to mine. Totally fine. Who wants sex and comfort when they can wallow alone in an empty bed?
He’ll snap out of it.
It’s only been four days.
I’m hoping to nudge things along, though. I know how he gets, I knew the dark cloud would be unavoidable, but if Vince pulls this off and keeps Mia off the radar, it will all be worth it. Or if he kills her. That would be a lot cleaner, but obviously I’m not hoping for that.
Totally not my preference.
I’m at least 93% sure that’s not my preference.
Mia going gah-gah over Vince is my preference, it’s just more complicated; if Mateo does eventually find them, he’s still going to drag her ass back here. Hopefully Vince only came back because he was better prepared. I have a lot hanging on that kid, so he better have his shit together this time.