Page 98 of Bellini Born

“That’s the problem, Summer. I don’t know what’s going on. And until we can figure it out, I need to get you and the girls somewhere safe.”

“Just me and the girls?” I asked weakly. The mere thought of him sending us away had my throat closing up.

“Do you think, after what happened tonight, I’m going to let you out of my sight for a single minute? We’re all going. Together. As a family.”

Relief washed over me, and my eyes slid closed, exhaustion pulling on me heavily.

“Enzo will secure the documents necessary to leave the country.”

A smile touched my lips. “Is that guy some kind of jack of all underworld trades?”

“Something like that.” Matteo chuckled roughly. “My every wish is his command. If he can’t get something done, he has the right connection to make it happen.”

I was seconds away from sleep when a thought occurred, and my eyes sprang open on a gasp.

Panicked, Matteo shot to his feet, searching my body to pinpoint the source of my pain. “What? What is it?”

“Cookie. Did she make it out?”

Collapsing onto the chair again, Matteo shot a death glare in my direction. “If you weren’t laid up in a hospital bed, I would wring your neck for risking your life for that damn cat.”

“Did she?” I pressed.

He dragged a hand down his face and groaned. “She may have used up one of her nine lives, but the little furball is still on this plane of existence.”

“Good.” My heavy eyelids drifted shut. “That’s good.”

There was the soft brush of lips against my cheek. “Rest now,bella. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

I liked the sound of that.

Lights from the surrounding skyscrapers filtered in through the windows of the room, where I sat propped up in bed, Matteo’s head in my lap as I carved a soothing path through his thick hair.

The pain meds had thrown off my sleep schedule, making it so that I was practically nocturnal. I’d been cautioned against taking the sleeping pills prescribed to me because our undisclosed destination was in a different time zone, and staying awake all night would have me ahead of the curve on jet lag.

Matteo, on the other hand, hadn’t slept since the fire. At least that’s what the dark purple circles under his eyes would suggest. It was almost like he was afraid that if he allowed himself to succumb to such an essential human function, I would disappear.

I couldn’t say I blamed the guy. The last time he’d fallen asleep, he had woken to the house being in flames, with me trapped inside.

“I’ve never felt like this before.” His raspy voice cut through the silence.

“Like what?” I continued the rhythmic stroking of my fingers.

“Like my heart exists outside of my body. And it fucking terrifies me. Because once word spreads that I risked my life for yours, my enemies will use it against me. You’ll be seen as my weakness, my Achilles’ heel. And they wouldn’t be wrong. The things I would do if anything were to happen to you . . .” He didn’t have to finish that sentence for me to know he alluded to the extreme violence he was capable of.

I frowned down at Matteo. “I don’t understand. You’ve been married before.”

He lifted his head, the darkness of his gaze visible even in the middle of the night. “We were never in love.”

My jaw dropped. “You had two children! How could you not have been in love?”

One of his shoulders rose in a half-shrug. “Allegra and I had an arranged marriage.”

Allegra. That was the name Gabi had mentioned when we were inside the club.

Matteo continued to explain. “Honestly, I didn’t think much of it. In powerful mafia families, it’s widely accepted that matches are crafted to align interests and forge alliances. Love was never part of the bargain.” He heaved a sigh. “Heirs, however . . . those are a requirement.”

“Oh.” The picture was becoming clearer.