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I glance up and see Matteo shielding me from the bullets. Not Nina, me.
I frown, not understanding. I thought he only had love-hate feelings toward Nina. I thought he felt nothing toward me.
“Stop,” Enrico says, and the bullets stop. He chuckles loudly.
“Now, this looks familiar. Fallen in love again so soon have we? I thought I taught you better than to get attached,” Enrico says.
Matteo glares at him as he slowly lets me go, realizing his mistake.
“I don’t love her,” Matteo says. “I was trying to protect Nina. I don’t want you thinking I planned this and to renege on our agreement.”
Enrico narrows his eyes and lets his lips fall as he studies Matteo and then each of us.
“Time to make the swap, then. You won’t mind throwing in the bitch then will ya? An old man like me doesn’t get many opportunities to taste two beautiful women in one night,” Enrico says.
“It will cost you more,” Matteo answers.
“Well, of course,” Matteo says, snapping his fingers and more money is brought to Matteo’s feet.
Matteo grabs both Nina and my arms and starts walking us toward Enrico, he glances to his right, and I swear I see Matteo wink.
And then bullets. I duck again, getting far too used to covering my head at the sound of bullets.
People start running, and my feet start moving instinctively.
Matteo’s hand falls from my arm.
“Eden!” Matteo screams, but I don’t stop running. He doesn’t love me. He won’t protect me. I can only rely on myself to keep my baby and me safe.
I run, trying to get as far away from the bullets as I can. I don’t wait for Nina. She’s smart, and I know that she’s running back to Arlo. Together, they will be able to escape now that all hell has broken loose. I have no doubt.
I have to worry about myself.
I dart around a lifeless body and then make it to the back door. I need to make it to the car and then drive straight to the airport and never look back.
I grab the handle of the door as I feel a hand grip my shoulder, jerking me back.
“Hello, beautiful,” Enrico says, tossing me into two of his men’s arms. “I came for revenge, and I got something better, a chance to ruin true love.”
“You’re wrong. Matteo doesn’t love me. He doesn’t want me.”
He laughs. “Of course he loves you. He did everything he could to protect you and keep you out of harm’s way, even giving up his brother and old fling for a chance to keep me far away so that I would never discover you.”
Matteo loves me. I try to search for him to see if it’s true. To see if I was the idiot that missed the signs, that this was somehow all an elaborate plan to save me. I can’t find him. Enrico’s men start dragging me away. And now I’m afraid I’ll never know.
25
Matteo
Shit.
Enrico took Eden. I felt it the second she was gone. The bullet fire slowly started to subside, and Enrico was nowhere in sight. He stole her from me. I won’t let him live.
I’m going to kill Dierk for not keeping Eden locked up where it was safe.
I race back to where Arlo lays on the ground, with Nina over him, trying her best to close his wound and undo the rope around his wrists.
I bend down and place my hands on him, but Nina tries to fight me off.
