Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
He hid his surprise. “Done.” He turned and walked away.
Evelyn stared at me.
“I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“Geo is my personal physician. He will examine you, so I know you’re all right.”
“And your father?”
I smirked. “Not my father. My priest.”
Her brow furrowed. “You’re going to make sure I’m all right, then he’ll give me last rites?”
I shook my head, words I never thought I would say coming from my mouth. “No. He is going to marry us.”
Chapter Four
Evelyn
After he made his announcement, I gaped up at the man standing in front of me.
“What?” I sputtered.
“I can’t let you go. I can’t kill you, so I have no other choice.”
I looked over his shoulder to the room behind him, remembering what I had witnessed.
“You killed those people—I saw you do it.”
He lifted one shoulder. “Yes.”
“I expected you to kill me.”
“We don’t kill innocents. Ever. But I need your silence.”
I pointed behind him. “They–they weren’t innocents?”
“No,” he snapped.
“I don’t understand.”
“I will explain it when I am ready. Not before.”
I didn’t know what to think. “But marriage…?” It seemed far too big a jump to comprehend.
He shrugged. “Insurance, if you will.”
I frowned in confusion, my aching head making my thought process slow.
“Under the law, you can’t be forced to testify against your husband. I already know you’re a loyal person. You’ll marry me for the protection I offer you. I will marry you for your silence, and…” He trailed off. “You’ll be safe,” he repeated.
“But those people…”
He pulled me to my feet, holding on to my arms when I swayed. “I already said I would explain when I’m ready to explain. You don’t question what I do. How I do it. You need to accept this. Accept me.” He shook me gently. “There’s no choice here.”
His voice was low, and he met my eyes steadily, no emotion showing.
He was right. What choice did I have? If he set me free, I would probably die. I was too weak physically to go too far, and Blaine would find me. But marriage?
“Will you hurt me?” I whispered.
His face softened, but he stood tall, and his voice was filled with conviction. “No. I will protect what is mine. I live in a violent world, but violence will never touch you. I won’t allow it.”
The dull light in the room emphasized the dark color of his eyes. As he studied my face, those eyes became liquid and warm. His expression changed, the stress leaving his face. He looked handsome, almost approachable. He raised one eyebrow quizzically. “Well?”
As if I had a choice in the matter. I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. And for some reason, I found myself believing his words.
“No. I will protect what is mine.”
“I don’t know your name,” I whispered.
He smiled; it was slight, but it changed his features. He stepped back, shrugging off his coat, draping it around my shoulders. “My name is Matteo. Matteo Campari.”
“Why?” I breathed. “Why don’t you just kill me? You don’t know me. I don’t mean anything to you.”
He tilted his head, studying me. “I can’t kill someone so beautiful and innocent, and whose only mistake was stumbling into a place she shouldn’t. You’ve already been punished.” He ran his finger down my cheek. “And you’re wrong. You do mean something. Time will tell us what that is.”
I shook my head, still confused. “But…why?”
He held out his hand, his tone brooking no argument. “Because I can.” He waited as I stared at his outstretched palm. “Your choice, Evelyn. I suggest you choose wisely.”
I let him lead me out of the building.
The car raced down the highway, the rhythmic sounds of the tires almost soothing. Beside me, like a silent sentinel, was Matteo. He had been busy on his phone, spitting out orders in the same foreign language he used earlier, and now he stared out the window.
“Were you…were you speaking Italian?” I asked bravely. I had recognized a few words, mostly curses, but a couple of the other ones were familiar as well.
“Yes.”
“Ah. We’re–we’re going to your home?”
He studied me, then crossed his legs, running his fingers down the sharp crease of his pant leg.
“Yes. It is north of the city, in a private area. It will be your home as well. I think you’ll find it comfortable.”
“Will I—” I swallowed. “Will I be a prisoner?”
“No,” he replied swiftly. “You will be protected. Cared for. Given the respect due as my wife.”
My head ached with the turmoil and confusion of the past hours. I had been beaten, run terrified for my life, witnessed multiple murders, and now I was traveling in a luxurious car and being told I would be married to the stranger sitting next to me. It was all overwhelming.
I rested my head in my hands, startled when I felt Matteo cupping my face, his long fingers tenderly caressing my skull.