Matteo.
The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on, her defiance clashing against my anger in a storm as volatile as the one raging above us. I barely noticed Reed, who moved slightly, as if debating whether to step between us.
Smart decision not to.
“I know exactly how dangerous it is,” Valentina said, her voice trembling but steady. “But I can’t sit in your safe houses and do nothing while my life is spiralling out of control, and yours was in danger.”
Danger?
Did she know about the attack at Annalise’s house?
Did she know… Did she know about Annalise?
Those were the questions I wanted to ask, but those weren’t the words that spilled out of my lips.
“Spiralling out of control?” I repeated, my voice low but sharp enough to cut. “You think running into the night with nothing but him”… I jerked my head toward Reed… “counts as control?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, I saw the flicker of vulnerability in her eyes. But she masked it quickly, lifting her chin in defiance.
“You don’t get to dictate my every move, Matteo,” she said. “I tried going along with your plan even when you blatantly disrespected me by telling them not to tell me the whole truth, and your father sent me away. I’m not a pawn in the Nevarro games.”
Pawn. The word hit harder than it should have.
“No one is playing a game, Valentina,” I bit out. “But this is your life we’re talking about. Do you even realize what could have happened if…”
“I do realize!” she interrupted, her voice rising. “I’ve realized it every second since you dragged me into this mess. I’ve been lied to, used, and thrown into danger at every turn. So forgive me if I’m done playing the obedient wife.”
Damn.
Why did every word coming out of that pretty little mouth feel like a gunshot on an already bad spot?
I stepped closer, my jaw tightened as I fought to keep my voice steady. “You’re right. You’re not a pawn. But whether you like it or not, you’re my responsibility. I made a mistake once with you, and I don’t intend to do it again.”
Never again.
The stupid anger within me was slowly leaving, and all that was left behind was relief.
Relief that she was safe and so close to me.
Valentina’s laugh was bitter, cutting through me like broken glass. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
It wasn’t much, but those words hit harder than I’d ever admit, even to myself. My fists clenched at my sides, the urge to argue with her almost overwhelming.
But deep down… deep down, I knew there was truth to whatever she was feeling.
I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to soften, even as the storm inside me raged on. “I’m not flattering myself, Valentina. I made a mistake, and I fully intend on paying for my sins. I’ve tried to live without you, tried to get things down without you, but it all led down to this. I can’t be with anyone but you, Tesoro. I love you.”
Her eyes searched mine as if trying to find some shred of honesty in my words. I wanted to tell her more… to bare the truth I’d been burying for too long. But there was no time. Not here, not now.
She shook her head, breaking our gaze. “I can’t keep doing this, Matteo. I can’t keep living in fear, wondering what’s going to happen next.”
“You won’t have to.”
My folks would say it was the spur of the moment or the fact that I hadn’t been this close to Valentina in weeks. But I knew if she had asked me to run away with her at that moment, I would.
Her laugh was softer this time, tinged with a sadness that twisted something deep in my chest. “You’ll leave this all behind for me? Even after all the lies and the fact that I’m not your wife.”
Not my wife.
Those words stung, but I didn’t let it show. Instead, I reached for her hand, ignoring the way she stiffened at my touch.
“Come back with me,” I repeated. “Please.”
Those grey eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something… hope, maybe. Or trust. But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by the same guarded defiance that had been there since the beginning.
She pulled her hand away, stepping back toward Reed. “I’ll come back,” she said quietly. “But not because you asked me to. Because it’s the smart thing to do.”
Why was she standing with that man? What did Reed have that I didn’t?
Why was he standing that close to my woman?
But I didn’t say any of those words out, biting the retort that threatened to spill from my lips. Now wasn’t the time to argue. The important thing was getting her back to the estate, where I could keep her safe…
“Where are we going to stay?” Reed asked, his first contribution to the conversation. I could see the smile lines at the side of his lips.
The bastard thought he had won.
“The estate…”
“No.”
I stepped closer, ignoring Reed’s subtle movement to place himself between us. “The estate is the only place I can guarantee you’ll stay safe. Away from Luca and my father. Do you think out here is better? Out in the open where anyone can find you? Where anyone can hurt you?”
“And whose fault is that?” she shot back, her voice rising.
My jaw clenched, the rain dripping from my face as her words sank in. “If you’d stayed where I left you, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
If she had stayed back in that damn safe house with Valerie, none of what had happened would have happened.
“If I’d stayed,” she repeated, her tone mocking. “If I’d stayed, I’d still be waiting for you to decide what’s best for me, wouldn’t I? My sister would still be a slave to Luca…”
“She used you,” I snapped, my control slipping. “You can’t even see it, can you? Isabella played you because you’re too blind to think past your own damn emotions. She knew you’d throw yourself into the fire for her, and now look where it’s gotten us! She played you like a fool.”
Her hand moved before I even registered it. The crack of the slap echoed in the stormy night, louder than the thunder overhead. My head snapped to the side, my cheek stinging with the force of her anger.
I turned back to her slowly, wiping the rain… or was it blood?… from the corner of my mouth. My lips curled into a faint smile, a bitter laugh escaping me despite the burn in my chest.
Valentina Russo, my tesoro, had slapped me.