Page 57 of Raziel

“Gotta go,” I said, and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

She caught my wrist. “Maya—”

I shook her off with a smile sharp enough to cut. “I’m going to get high. I’m okay. Later.”

Matteo was in a Maserati idling at the curb. He leaned against it, in a polo and jeans, arms crossed over his chest. “Damn,” he whistled.

“Let’s go get something to eat, handsome,” I said, then glanced up at the security camera above the door.

Smiled.

Matteo opened the car door for me. I slid into the car, and he shut the door.

I knew Raziel would watch the footage.

He would be pissed.

I giggled to myself.

Let him choke on it.

Chapter Twenty Two- Maya

“You ever eat here before?” Matteo asked as we settled into a diner not too far from the club.

“Nah,” I said, twirling the water glass between my palms, trying to cool my annoyance.

He smiled. The waiter slid plates in front of us—his steak bleeding red, mine a thick cut—well done, like me. My eggs were scrambled; his were fried and runny. I wondered how Raziel took his steak. How he would look sitting across from me at a restaurant. It wasn’t something we could do. I shook the thought away. I picked up the knife, but Matteo stopped me, hand brushing mine.

“Let me.”

He pulled the plate toward him, knife glinting as he sliced the steak into neat, even bites. He was treating me like I was fragile porcelain. Nobody had ever done that.

I didn’t know how I felt about it, but a few butterflies took flight in my stomach.

He slid it back in front of me, fork resting on the edge.

I tried to play it off, stabbing a piece like it didn’t mean nothing. “What are you, some kind of gentleman gangster?”

He chuckled. “Not hardly. I’m an ER doc.”

I froze mid-chew. “Stop lying.”

“Dead serious. At Bayfront Medical in St. Pete. Nights.”

I raised a brow. “I thought you were like Priest… or Raziel.”

His eyes stuck on me. “No. Not the life I wanted.” He leaned in, softer. “I wanted to clear the air. I know about you, about what you beat. Most people don’t come back from that.”

The steak got heavy in my throat. I swallowed hard. “That supposed to impress me? Endear me to you?”

He frowned and shook his head. “It’s me trying to tell you I see you. And I don’t believe you are what people try to break you down to be. You’re not just what people say. You’re beautiful. Resilient.”

My phone buzzed in my clutch. I grabbed it and checked.

Raziel: Where are you?

I flipped it over, face down, like the screen was poison, and put my focus back on Matteo.