Mathew advanced toward me again, this time with a grace and ease that was at odds with the absolute threat that had formerly radiated from him. Hearing my screams, he had sprinted in here to protect me.
A dent in the wall behind him told me he’d ripped open the door with such force that the brass knob had broken through the plaster. All that power, all that viciousness…
Any time he sensed I was in danger, he would immediately rush to my defense.
And then my stomach made a strange flip and a little tingle ran down my spine. Mathew didn’t frighten me at all. Absolutely not. But for deeper, more feminine reasons, I was frightened by this demonstration of his sheer might and fierce protectiveness.
Nicola mistook my shaking for fear and ran his hands over my bumpy skin. Realizing I was ogling Mathew while desperately clutching to Nicola caused my cheeks to flame. I buried my head in his chest to hide my bewilderment at being in the same room with his most powerful buddy.
“I can handle it, Matthew. “The roar of Nicola’s warning echoed across the space.
In response to Matthew’s low grumble, my attention was once again pulled to him. He froze in place, immobile as a statue made of stone. His jaw twitched and his dark gaze swept over my shivering body before returning to my face. He looked at me with his unblinking, piercing gaze for a few uncomfortable seconds.
His hands clenched once at his sides before he nodded abruptly at Nicola and spun around.
“Wait!” Before I could stop myself, I yelled out, the scream of desperation pouring from my throbbing chest. As recently as a minute ago, when he asked me about my nightmare, Mathew had been all gentleness and care. He felt cold and rigid once again. cold following Nicola’s abrupt rejection.
Matthew was the one who was unhappy, but Nicola assumed he was protecting me from any more pain.
I felt a pull at my chest as his massive frame abruptly stopped and he whirled around to face me again. His thick brows were furrowed over his eyes in a protective glower.
However, I no longer found that glare menacing. That fierce look was one I’d seen him give Nicola before, but it was in response to frustration rather than anger.
I whispered, “thank you,” trying to express my appreciation and my growing confidence in him. What led me to conclude that he wasn’t a malicious criminal.
I was so bitter and angry at him for kidnapping me that I couldn’t see his good intentions. I had never understood why Nicola cared so much for his imposing buddy until last night, when he had comforted me in the vehicle, letting me weep against him as he held me with excruciating kindness.
Matthew’s lips creased into a faint scowl, and he angled his head in my direction.
“Thank you for saving me from… that guy,” The thought of their enemy’s knuckles scraping down my face in a sick attempt at closeness made me cringe.
In reassuring strokes, Nicola’s long, deft fingers combed through my hair, and I melted into his embrace as the last of my fear left my body. I felt a wave of fatigue wash over me, and I couldn’t lift my head from its heavy pillow.
Mathew’s eyes became bright and comfortable again. “Godess, I think you should go back to sleep. If you need me, I’ll be only down the corridor. I will protect you from harm. ”
With each pass of Nicola’s fingers over my hair, my eyelids became heavier and I said, “I know.” “Appreciate it.”
I went down into the warm darkness and slept well to the accompaniment of his deep, resonating hum.
Nicola
I told Mathew over breakfast, “I’m going into the city to see my father tonight.” I suppose they’ve been keeping an eye on the property.
Emily had not yet emerged from her slumber, presumably exhausted by the ordeal of the previous evening.
When I thought about her scream, it was like a knife cutting through my mind. She barely even gasped my name when I found that jerk intimidating her in the ladies’ room of the restaurant. She had been too terrified to reach out to me at the time, but the fear continued to haunt her even in her sleep.
Had I not been concerned about her prolonged absence from our table and gone to check on her…
My blood began to boil at the thought of that jerk threatening her and touching her. Those who knew Samule would immediately recognize him thanks to the scar that ran across his cheek. A broken nose would only serve to accentuate his ugliness.
My dad might be upset with me because I bloodied him; we weren’t supposed to fight in the family. But I felt justified in my actions because Samule had threatened Emily. It was not my intention to start a war. Emily’s threat had been an attempt to intimidate and gain power.
It was obvious to me that that wouldn’t convince my dad to give up his claim to being the don’s heir. A few slights and insults weren’t going to make him back down. Castin, his rival, would assume power over my father’s body once he was gone.
Mathew said, his face contorting in anger that matched mine, “You need to tell your father about this.” The fact that Emily didn’t like him hadn’t stopped him from developing feelings for her.
The way he held her last night was something I witnessed. I overheard him refer to her as his godess. It wasn’t lost on me what that meant.