Valentina.
The incessant buzzing of the safe phone pulled me from sleep. I blinked, disoriented, the darkness of my room feeling heavier than usual.
When had I even fallen asleep?
Grabbing the phone from the nightstand, I squinted at the screen.
Unknown.
Just likes time.
I knew better than to ignore it. Swiping to answer, I whispered, “Hello?”
For a long moment, there was only silence. Then, the faint sound of breathing filtered through the line.
“Isabella?” I asked, sitting up now, my pulse quickening. “Is that you?”
No reply. My fingers clenched around the phone.
“Please, say something. Are you okay?” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care.
Static hummed in the background before muffled voices emerged. I pressed the phone tighter to my ear, straining to make sense of the fragmented words.
“He’s at the estate,” a male voice murmured.
Another voice, sharp and commanding, responded. “Good. Make sure no one leaves. I want no mistakes.”
My chest tightened. Luca.
There was a shuffling sound, and then Luca spoke again, his voice colder than the night air. “Send the men. No one gets in or out without my say.”
The line went dead.
My breath hitched as I stared at the phone. They were coming. For Matteo.
Someone must have alerted them or something.
Throwing off the covers, I bolted from the bed. My feet hit the cold floor as I fumbled for my robe, adrenaline overriding any lingering grogginess. My mind raced with possibilities, but there wasn’t time to dwell.
The hallways were eerily quiet as I sprinted toward Matteo’s wing of the estate. The dim lights on the walls cast flickering shadows, but I ignored them, my mind on where I needed to be.
The storm still raged outside, lightning illuminating the expansive estate through the tall windows. Each thunderclap sent vibrations through the walls, but I didn’t slow down.
I wasn’t thinking when I got to his room, so with my heart pounding so hard like it was about to fly out of my chest, I shoved his door open.
Matteo turned, his dark eyes narrowing in surprise. And that’s when I noticed.
His chest was bare, droplets of water trailing down the defined planes of his torso. A towel hung precariously low around his hips, revealing just enough to leave little to the imagination.
I should have knocked.
Heat rushed to my face, but I couldn’t look away fast enough. What was wrong with me? I had seen Matteo in the half naked before, and even in the nude… there was nothing to be ashamed about.
He tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips. “If you want me so badly, Valenrina, all you have to do is ask.”
Matteo Nevarro was an idiot, and it clearly showed.
“Put something on,” I snapped, averting my gaze. “We need to leave. Now.”
His amusement didn’t waver. “Care to explain why you’re barging in here like a storm of your own?”
I crossed my arms, glaring at the floor. “Luca. He’s sending men here. I overheard him on the phone.”
That wiped the grin off his face. He grabbed a shirt from the chair, pulling it on as he moved toward me. His expression hardened, and all traces of humour were replaced by cold calculation.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I said, meeting his gaze. “He knows you’re here.”
He cursed under his breath, running a hand through his damp hair. Without another word, he moved to the nightstand, retrieving his gun.
“We’re leaving,” he said simply.
Man was I glad that he didn’t bother asking me how I got that information, and just acted.
When we reached the main hall, Reed was already waiting. He stood by the staircase, his arms crossed, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp.
“You’re cutting it close,” he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “Luca’s men aren’t exactly known for their patience.”
“You knew?” I demanded, rounding on him.
He smirked. “Of course I knew. There was no way in hell Luca wouldn’t have spies around and in this estate. I don’t sleep when I know an ambush might happen.”
I ignored the jab. “And your plan is?”
Reed shrugged. “To make sure you get out of here in one piece. Matteo has his exit strategy. I’ll cover the rear.”
“No,” I said firmly. “We all leave together.”
Reed chuckled, shaking his head. “Admirable, but impractical. Someone has to stay behind to slow them down.”
Matteo stepped between us, his tone brooking no argument. “Reed knows what he’s doing.”
My gaze flicked between them, frustration simmering. Reed’s confidence was infuriating, his nonchalance grating against my nerves. But I couldn’t deny the unspoken understanding between him and Matteo.
“Fine,” I muttered. “But you better make it out alive.”
Reed grinned. “Touched by your concern.”
The storm intensified as we made our way to the garage. Matteo’s hand gripped mine, his pace unrelenting. My bare feet slipped on the wet cobblestones, but he steadied me, his focus unyielding.
“You’re slowing us down,” he muttered, glancing back at me.
“Maybe if I had time to put on shoes…”
A loud crash echoed from the front gates, cutting me off. The sound of tires screeching followed, and Matteo cursed under his breath.
“They’re here,” he said grimly.
We picked up the pace, finally reaching the sleek black car parked in the garage. Matteo opened the door, ushering me inside before sliding into the driver’s seat.
The engine roared to life, the car speeding down the winding driveway.
“Do you think Reed would make it?” I asked, my voice barely audible over the storm.
“With my life,” Matteo replied without hesitation. “The bastard would want to get back to you since he thinks he has a chance with you. He’ll be driving behind us soon.”
“Reed…”
“Don’t. It doesn’t really matter now.”
I nodded, but unease settled in my chest. My mind drifted back to Reed’s calm demeanour, his infuriating smirk, and the way he’d stood in the shadows, ready to face whatever came his way.
I really hoped he would make it back to us.