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I can’t take any more steps away from him; a dresser is almost at my back. His words are having the intended impact, sweat is trailing down my back, and there’s a fine tremble all over my body. I don’t bother to answer him. There’s no need to confirm anything. Somehow Diego has insight and information he shouldn’t have, making him very dangerous.
“Listen to me Mia, I have no desire to hurt you. What you’re doing with my cousin and his friends is none of my business right this second. But don’t mistake me for one of them, littlereina. I will eat you for fucking breakfast. The next time you threaten me with a gun, you had better pull the trigger.” He reaches forward and grabs the gun by the muzzle, I hold tight, refusing to release it, my finger still on the trigger. “Your secret is safe with me Amelia, as long as mine is with you.” He spits out in a venomous whisper.
The shock of that name leaving his lips has my grasp on the gun momentarily faltering. It’s enough to have him pull it from my grip, slide the safety back on, and place it in the band of his pants in mere seconds. He moves towards me and grasps my face in his tight grip, one hand sliding into my hair and pulling me towards his hard body. His lips are a breath away from my own. Diego brushes his lips lightly over mine with barely any pressure before pulling back to stare at me. I am immobile at his daring touch and fear slithers down my spine. “I will not cower before you. You are a powerful little queen, but I am not one of your fallen kings, Mia. You come at me again, and I will drag your corpse to the altar, my cock rammed up your ass, and then I’ll fuck and trap your sister in a hole so dark and deep you’ll never see her again.” He releases me and pushes me towards the door of the room.
On shaking legs, I take a step back, never taking my eyes off of him. He’s a viper just waiting to strike. I thought that I was stronger, more cunning, and ruthless than all these men, but staring at Diego standing there with the threat to Isabella on his lips, I realize I was deadly wrong. This one will destroy everything and anyone to get what he wants.Run, Mia!My mind urges.
I grab the handle to the door, open it and slip out of the room, my heart in my throat, my mind a hurricane of thoughts, the first of which is how I’m going to protect Isabella from Diego. I make it back to my room, but I can’t bring myself to open the door. I rest my forehead against the closed door, trying to get my breathing under control. The desire to scream and murder Diego Cabano races through my veins. FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!He knows who we are!That’s the least important part, idiot.He will hurt Isabella, and it will be all your fault. I need to fucking fix this right now, Diego has to die.
Chapter 21
Mateo
“Pride, envy, avarice - these are the sparks have set on fire the hearts of all men.” Dante Alighieri
IwatchasMiaslides to the floor outside of her room, her head bowed and pressed to the door like she’s in agony. I want to go to her, to slip my arms around her and tell her that everything will be alright, that I will stand by her side, and together with Theo, Finn, and Carter, we will destroy anyone that tries to hurt us, but I hold firm to my shadows.
I observed her leaving her room an hour ago and making her way to my cousin’s on silent feet. The desire to go after her and shake her made my blood pound in my ears. Her only saving grace was that I knew he wasn’t in there when she slipped inside. The fucker has been sneaking off with Isabella every chance he gets.
I don’t know what his game plan is or what he’s playing at with Mia’s sister, but I don’t like what I am seeing or hearing here. I made my way to the door once he returned, oblivious to the fact that Mia was already inside. I pressed my ear against the door to try to catch some of their conversation. It was muffled through the door, and I could only make out a few words, but I heard him tell her that he would drag her corpse with his cock up her ass to the altar and then fuck and trap Isabella.
A riot of emotions soared through my body at the moment. I have never felt rage like this before. The knowledge that Mia is alone inside of the room with him and that he still wants to force her to the altar has me twisted up inside. My stomach cramps painfully, and a harsh breath leaves my lips.Get it together motherfucker. Now is not the time to have a panic attack. You’re weak; it’s no wonder she chose a different Cabano.
Did she go in there because she knew he was with Isabella and was jealous?Does she want him?Fuck I will not be able to restrain myself from fucking murdering him if she does. I don’t give a shit that we’re cousins. It’s one thing to share her with Theo, Carter, and Finn. They’re my brothers. Anyone else, fuck that; I’ll bury them in a shallow grave after I rip every one of their limbs off.
I watch as she picks herself up from the floor, swipes her hand across her face, and trails down the hallway to the stairs. Even when she may be hurting, my strong queen stands unbreakable and indestructible.Is she, though? Is she indestructible?She may not love me, but I won’t let that stop me from protecting her against all comers, even my own family.
I trail my hand down my face with exhaustion. Once Mia has disappeared down the stairs, and I hear the backdoor opening and closing, I make my way to my cousin’s door. I turn the knob and slip inside.
“Primo, to what do I owe the pleasure at almost three in the fucking morning.“ Diego’s sarcasm slides across the darkened space. I can make out his shadow sitting on the bed against the headboard.
I flip the light, and we are both momentarily blinded by the brightness. I make my way over to the side of the bed, staring at him, anger and destruction in my gaze. The fierce desire to wrap my hands around his traitorous neck fills me. How could he do this to me? We grew up together, both of us the only children of demanding fathers. He was more than a cousin to me. He was my brother in my solitude, my shadow growing up those summers in Columbia. When did it become acceptable to hurt me for his gains? Was it when I stopped coming to see him? Does he resent my abandonment?
“I want to know what you’re trying to do here, you fucker?”
“Whatever do you mean,primo? I’m here helping; I got Theo and Carter out, didn’t I?“ He smirks in my direction, his lip curling and the scar on his face causing the raised skin to pull upwards, giving him a sinister appearance.Who did that to him? Who hurt him?The thought crosses my mind before my anger overtakes all my other thoughts.
“You and your dad manipulated Mia to get what you want. You didn’t do it out of the goodness of your black heart.” I clench my hands tight at my side to prevent them from flying at his miserable smug face.
“What are you doing with Mia’s sister, Diego? Do you think it’s wise to play games with both Stratford sisters? Do you even realize what Stella will do to you?”
“You worry too much, Mateo. Stella Stratford is not going to do anything to me while I have Mia up against the wall, and I doprimo, have her against the wall with no way out. As for Isabella, that’s none of your fucking business.“ He slides his legs to the side of the bed, pulling himself up and into my face.
We are evenly matched in height; he might have a few pounds on me in muscle mass, but I’ve already taken him down once to the fucking ground, and if he keeps pushing my buttons and playing games, he’s about to find out how much damage I can do to him. His cold green eyes land on mine and don’t flinch away; Cabano eyes, the eyes of a serpent. We are so similar in some ways and so different in others.What happened to him all those years we were apart?
He had the best our name could offer; he grew up with wealth and privilege. He grew up with two parents that loved and cared for him, unlike my wretched ass, who grew up discarded and unwanted. The asshole also had the love and support of our grandparents living nearby while he was growing up. In comparison, I had nothing and no one except the kings. How is it that now, he’s the bigger monster?
“Let me be crystal clear here…primo.“ I spit out with vehemence. “If you persist on going after both Mia and Isabella, I will end you. I will gladly end your father, too; blood ties be damned. Don’t push me, Diego. I have much less to lose than you do.”
With a hard shove at his chest, I send him backward onto the bed and shift towards his door, giving him my back so that he knows I don’t fear him. I have my hand on the door handle when I turn around and stare at him. He’s half lying on the bed, his elbows holding up his muscled upper body and an angry scowl across his face.
“You would hurt your own family, Mateo? For a girl? One who’s lying to you and hiding who she really is?
I bite the side of my cheek hard until the taste of copper fills my mouth. “What do you think you know, Diego?”
He releases a deep sigh and sits up, bracing his elbows on his knees and raking his hands through his short hair. “I know Mia is not who you think she is. She’s a liar, the goddessNemesisreborn as a Stratford princess. You should be wary,primo; I’m watching you head recklessly to your demise.”
“You should be wary of my diminishing tolerance for your bullshit and your presence, Diego. I would hate to see you at the bottom of the ocean or, worse, in a small six-by-nine jail cell. You’re still prettyprimo, even with that ugly scar; I’m sure someone would end up making you their cock slut. Don’t push me,primo. I will not show you mercy.”
