The private jet came to a stop and Matteo got to his feet and motioned for me to do the same. My legs shook as I followed him toward the door, which was already gliding open. Cold air blasted against my face. Snow dusted the landing strip and the surrounding buildings. It was around 4pm, but I felt as if it was the middle of the night. Matteo grabbed my wrist, giving me a warning look. “Don’t run. Don’t do anything stupid. Your father’s men are looking for a chance to hurt you. I’d kill them of course but that won’t help you.”
Was he actually worried about me? Matteo was an enigma. I wasn’t sure why he was so interested in me. I had a feeling it was his pride. He couldn’t accept that I didn’t want him, so he’d force me to marry him even if I didn’t want it, even if he didn’t want me anymore. If he really cared about me, he would let me go. No, this was a power play. Emotions had nothing to do with it.
“Don’t worry. I want to see Aria.”
He shook his head. “This isn’t the right moment for your snark to return. Your father won’t appreciate it.”
Then why was he almost smiling if he thought it was such a bad idea? The door was fully down and Matteo led me down the few stairs, his fingers around my wrist unwavering. I felt like a toddler who did her first steps. Annoyance battled with worry in my body, but before I could decide if I wanted to risk a retort I spotted a familiar blond head. Aria. She stood beside Luca, and when she saw me she started running.
I peered up at Matteo pleadingly but he didn’t let me go and kept leading me toward Aria in unhurried steps. When my sister had almost reached us, he released me and I rushed toward Aria. We collided almost painfully. I crushed Aria against me, hugging her as tightly as possible and she did the same in return. “Oh Gianna, I was so scared for you. I’m so glad you’re here.” She was crying and my own face was wet with tears. God, I’d missed her.
After a moment, she pulled back, her eyes doing a quick scan, lingering on my new hair color. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
I brushed a few strands of her blond locks away from her face, suddenly feeling like breaking down sobbing. Regret weighed heavy on my mind. I should have never run. Seeing Aria’s worried face was another reminder. If I’d stayed, if I’d married Matteo, then Sid would still be alive, and Aria wouldn’t have had to worry for months. Why did I have to want the freedom to make my own decisions?
“Gianna?” Aria lowered her voice. “Did Matteo do something?”
“Matteo didn’t do anything,” Matteo said in a hard voice, making Aria and me both jump.
“I didn’t ask you,” Aria said quietly. My eyes darted between them. I had a feeling they weren’t on good terms. Also because of me. Luca arrived beside us and clapped his brother’s shoulder. “Good to see you again.”
I hadn’t even considered that Matteo had been gone from home for a long time because he’d been after me. Luca barely glanced my way, not that I cared.
“I’m fine,” I told Aria who seemed reluctant to believe me.
“The boss is waiting,” Stan barked. “Let’s go. It’s not like the whore deserves a big welcome.”
Aria gasped. I stiffened but managed not to show my shock. I didn’t give a damn what Stan thought of me. But Matteo was the fastest to react. He pulled a knife and hurtled it at Stan who cried out when the blade nicked his ear.
“Next time my blade will split your fucking skull if you don’t keep your mouth shut,” he said.
Stan rested his hand on the gun in his holster but didn’t pull it. Blood was dripping from his cut ear down onto his shirt. There was murder in his eyes. Carmine stood very still, but he hadn’t pulled his gun either. When I turned to Luca, I knew why. He had both of his guns aimed at my father’s men and behind him Romero whom I hadn’t even seen before was doing the same.
“We don’t want this to end badly, do we?” Luca asked in a very low voice. “Your boss wouldn’t appreciate it.”
Carmine nodded and relaxed his stance but Stan looked like he didn’t care if my father punished him as long as he got to kill Matteo first. For several moments neither of us moved, then Luca put his guns back into their holsters. “Let’s go.”
Carmine picked up the knife Matteo had thrown and handed it back to Matteo, who didn’t take his eyes off Stan.
“She’ll drive in a car with us,” Stan said.
Matteo’s lips pulled into a cold smile. “This is the last warning you get. Stop pissing me off or I’ll carve a smile into your throat.”
Carmine grabbed Stan’s arm and pulled him toward a black Outfit car while the rest of us headed toward two BMWs.
Aria moved to sit in the back with me, but Luca held her back. “No. I want Matteo to keep an eye on your sister.” Aria gave me an apologetic smile before she sat shotgun beside Luca.
Matteo gave me a knowing look when he settled beside me on the backseat. “You’d probably jump out of the moving car if I gave you the chance.”
I huffed. “I’m not completely crazy. Do you think I’d risk running around Chicago unprotected when my father’s men are obviously out to hurt me?”
“So you trust me to protect you but still don’t want to marry me.”
Surprise shot through me. “You still want to go through with the marriage?”
“You could probably ram a knife into his back and he’d still want to go through with it,” Luca said from the front. “He’s a stubborn fucker.”
“I didn’t hunt you for six months only to let you go.”