Page 16 of House of Lies

“Take your fucking hands off my wife, brother.”

Mattia materializes out of nowhere, grasping Ludovic’s wrist and twisting it behind his back. Ludovic groans, stepping away, allowing me a moment to catch my breath and try to process what had just happened. Mattia is livid, for whatever reason, and looks like he’s going to set his brother on fire. He has always been composed and in control, making his loss of control now even stranger. Ludovic smirks, whispering something to either calm him down or remind him of the promise he made him. Instead of listening, Mattia’s punch lands with a sickening thud, sending Ludovic reeling backward, but he quickly regains his balance.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Mattia? The bitch ain’t worth it.”

People gathered around us, waiting to see what would happen next. I’m not sure how many saw exactly what happened, but there will be gossip, and if there’s something Mattia hates, it’s for people to talk about our marriage.

“Touch what’s not yours again, and you’ll lose your hands, brother or not. That’s my wife you’re talking about, shithead. Do I make myself understood?”

Rubbing my chest as if trying to keep my heart from escaping, I hurriedly walk away on wobbly legs, determined to put as much distance as possible between Mattia and myself. Knowing him, he will accuse me of enticing his brother. He will call me a whore and claim that I should have stayed home. Perhaps. I am confused.

“Caelia, wait!”

I run past the guests and inside the house. I have no idea where I’m going, but any place will do as long as Mattia can’t follow me. I make the mistake of looking over my shoulder. I’m wearing heels and am not a fast runner on a good day. I make a left and keep running, opening a door without caring where it leads, when he grabs my wrist, spinning me in his arms.

“Don’t touch me!” I glare at him, anger flashing in my eyes.

Mattia doesn’t listen. He steps forward, pushing me into the room and slamming the door behind us. He stands still, his jaw clenched, and his stormy eyes freeze me in place. We stand there in silence, tension thick in the air. So much unspoken anger and resentment hang between us.

“What the fuck did he say to you?”

“You mean you don’t already know?” I try to pull my hand away, but he refuses to let go.

“No, I don’t, Caelia. I am asking you once more. What did he say to you?”

My heart races as I look at him, a whirlwind of thoughts swirling in my mind. He struggles to rein in his emotions, his fist clenched tightly by his side. I hate him so much. I don’t know why he took my side in all of this, but this is so unlike him. He’s so close to Ludovic. What he did makes no sense. He’s too close, invading my personal space, making it difficult for me to breathe.

“Mattia has promised to let me destroy your cunt, but he hasn’t delivered so far. This is what he said.” My voice is quiet, but bitterness seeps through. “I hate you so much, Mattia!” I slam my fist into his chest. He doesn’t falter. “I despise you with every fiber of my being!” I strike him repeatedly. “This marriage is a goddamn joke!”

Releasing my other hand, he steps closer. We are inches apart, and I feel suffocated.

“I didn’t.” There is a subtle shift in his eyes that would be easy to overlook if I were not already holding his gaze. Surprise and hurt register briefly, but they are gone in a second.

My breath comes in short, angry bursts, my anger blinding me.

“I think you did, Mattia.” I laugh bitterly, tears blurring my vision. “Because you used to threaten to bring him to watch, remember?”

“Fuck, I never told him that, Caelia. You have my word that I’ll kill him if he ever touches you again.”

“Your word?” I pause, taking a step back, my chest heaving. We stare at each other for a few moments before I speak again. “Your word means nothing to me.” My voice softens.

He means nothing to me. I must remember my plan. Despite the hurt and betrayal, one of us will leave this marriage alive. It will be me. It has to be. I need to buy myself time to save some money first.

CHAPTER 10

Kaz

The tears in her eyes are driving me insane. Her words are like daggers piercing through the air. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. Mattia is Ludovico’s best friend, always siding with him, no matter how stupid his actions are. Mattia would take a bullet for him. He would also be willing to share his wife, apparently. I’ll deal with the damn consequences later. There’s no point in trying to defend myself. Mattia might have told Ludovic that he could have her. What the hell do I know?

As I gaze into her eyes, I see the hurt and anger that have been simmering beneath the surface for so long. I ache to undo all the pain that he has inflicted. I yearn to reach out to her to explain myself, but I know it would be futile. She has stopped hitting me—not that I care, but my anger flares up nonetheless. It’s too late, and she’s already rebuilding the walls she has always kept between herself and Mattia. Ludovic is as good as dead, but I have to fix this first. She won’t trust anything I say. She won’t believe me even if I tell her that I saw red when that bastard laid his hands on her. I’m out of words to explain or persuade her, so I do something incredibly foolish. Something that has been on my mind for the past two years.

Reaching out to her waist, I pull her into my embrace. My heart races as our eyes meet, hers wide with fear and curiosity. Leaning in, I can feel her warm breath on my lips and a rush of heat coursing through my veins. I place a hand on her cheek and slowly bring my lips to hers, soft and gentle. Something inside me shifts, a spark of electricity running through my body as I linger, savoring the moment and the sweetness of her lips.

“Don’t,” she whispers.

“I’m sorry.” I lean my forehead against hers. I understand why she’s asking me to stop. Mattia took whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

She looks at me, surprised, her eyes burning slightly less brightly now. I stand still, trying not to pin her against the wall and claim her as mine.

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