Page 81 of Stolen Queen

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MATTEO

Ileave Ava sleeping, not wanting to wake her when she’s under the weather. I jot down a note to let her know I’ll be back later. I’d rather have stayed with her, but the family needs to get the Rinella situation under control.

I enter the D'Amato estate and head to Elio’s office. Lana and Lazaro are already there.

"Matteo." Elio nods as I take a seat instead of my usual stance against the wall.

“So what’s the big emergency?” Lana asks, sipping the coffee she holds. “I’ve got a meeting at ten.”

“Do you want to do the honors?” Elio asks me.

Lana and Lazaro both look at me, their brows furrowed in curiosity.

I clear my throat. “I have Ava Rinella. She’s under my protection.”

Lazaro laughs. “I knew it.”

Lana’s jaw drops. “What? Have you had her the whole time?”

I nod.

Her head swivels to Elio. “And you knew?”

“No,” he says with a shake of his head. “Not until the other night.”

“What about you?” she asks Lazaro.

He holds up his hands in defense. “I didn’t know, but I’m not surprised.”

The disbelief on her face quickly morphs into frustration as she processes what I've just revealed. "You've had her this whole time? Are you out of your fucking mind, Matteo?”

“Probably, but I couldn't let her father sell her off to Nardone.”

Lana throws her hands up in exasperation. "And you thought kidnapping her was the solution? Do you have any idea what kind of danger you've put us all in?"

"Lana," Elio starts, but she cuts him off with a sharp gesture.

"No, don't you dare try to defend him," she snaps at her brother. Her gaze sweeps over all of us. "This is exactly the kind of reckless behavior that's going to get us all killed. First, you break off the engagement with Ava. Then Lazaro does the same. And now Matteo's gone and kidnapped her?"

There’s no response to that because it’s true.

"Do you boys ever think about the consequences of your actions? Or do you just assume everything will work out because we're the D'Amatos?" She throws her hands up in the air. “My brothers, all fucking idiots.”

“I’m not your brother,” I say, as if that will get me off the hook.

The glare she gives me makes me recoil. Then she whaps me on the back of the head. “Of course you’re my brother. And you’re as stupid as these two.”

I grin.

“What are you smiling about?” she demands, clearly annoyed that I’m not taking her more seriously.

“That you think of me as your brother.”

She rolls her eyes. “For God’s sake.”

“Maybe we can get back on point about what we need to do next,” Elio says.

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