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I watch through a haze as Matteo glares at the woman behind the desk and demands two tickets on the next flight. She makes a weak attempt to remind Matteo about the line of people who got here before us, but he shuts her down. “This is an emergency.”
“I’m sorry, Sir. I still have to insist that—”
He speaks through gritted teeth, his hand that’s curved around mine shaking with effort as he struggles to hold himself back. “You’re going to give us two tickets on the next fucking flight, or I’ll get you in so much trouble your head will spin.”
The woman’s cheeks, already too red from a heavy-handed application of make-up, flush with chagrin. “Sir, please refrain from using foul language. I’m going to have to call security if—”
“You people fucked up,” Matteo cuts her off. “My son has boarded a plane with a strange man and somehow nobody has bothered to check if he was the legal guardian.”
The woman’s glossy lips part, but no words come out. She mutters something and calls her colleague to the desk, whittling Matteo’s patience down even more.
After a heated exchange, two boarding passes are placed on the counter with our names on them. “It’s boarding in thirty minutes,” we’re told by a brusque voice.
It feels like walking through haze with only Matteo’s hand to guide me through the security checkpoints, the maze of shops, and the throngs of travelers.
If it weren’t for him, I’d be sobbing on my knees with no idea what to do next.
But then again, if it weren’t for him, Jack would still be at home with me, safe and sound, isolated from the violent world our families live in.
Wait a minute.
This is exactly what Matteo wants.
This is exactly what he’s been pushing me to do the whole time he’s been here.
He’s getting what he wants. Jack’s already on his way to Matteo’s family home. I’m sitting by the boarding gate beside him, hanging onto his every word.
Have I been fooled this whole time?
I twist my hand out of Matteo’s grasp as I begin to see him in a new light.
He’s been sweet and kind and attentive, sure. He’s been getting along well with Jack, too. Maybe that’s why I’ve let my guard down. I forgot all about who he really is.
Even after that violent display at the hotel, I didn’t realize what kind of a monster lurks beneath Matteo’s charming, confident demeanor.
He’s a mobster. He was born into a mafia family and is even being prepared to take over. He’s fully capable of violence. He has probably killed people before. Who’s to say he can’t kidnap someone, even if that someone is his own son?
“Something wrong? You’re shaking.” Matteo’s gaze flickers across my body. Is that real concern in his eyes, or is that just an act?
“I’m just worried.” I force a smile. “You know . . . about Jack.”
Matteo rests his hand over mine. But what felt like a comforting gesture, only moments ago, now constricts my lungs. I can’t breathe.
Jumping up to my feet, I mumble something about going to the restrooms.
Adrenaline surges through me. I can feel my heartbeat everywhere; every cell in my body is throbbing. My head hurts.
Would I be delivering myself right into the enemy’s hands if I get on that flight with Matteo? But what choice do I have?
Maybe I should’ve risked leaving the country after walking away from my old identity.
I considered that option. I wanted to get as far away from danger as I could. But the man who picked me up in his car advised me not to do it. He told me it would be difficult to fake a believable passport, especially when there would be multiple checkpoints to go through in multiple countries.
On the other hand, walking away from my family wasn’t even a crime. He gave me a fake ID to use, telling me that wasn’t exactly legal but also relatively low-risk. Teenagers use fake IDs to buy alcohol all the time.
By the time I stand in front of Matteo, I’ve come up with a plan. Something I hope will level the playing field.
With shaky lips, I suggest, “Maybe I should call my family and ask for their help.”
A frown is immediately etched into his drop-dead-gorgeous features. “What?”
“Yeah.” I wring my fingers but keep my face as neutral as I can. I’ve got to be strong for my baby. “You called your family, and they can’t help us. Maybe we should consider other options. My mom can pick up Jack at the airport. Nobody else in my family needs to know.”
Matteo stares at me like I’ve sprouted an extra head. “Do you have a death wish?”
Matteo
“Do you have a death wish?” I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth.
Grace gapes at me, her eyes wide, her jaw hanging open. She’s trembling.
