Page 173 of Phantom Mine

Breathing is difficult.

“I’m sorry I’m late,cara mia. Thank you for waiting for me.”

Relief caves my chest in on itself like a balloon that’s had the air let out of it.

“You were lucky to make it out of there earlier,” I say tremulously. “That was reckless.”

The corner of Matteo’s lip lifts in a conspiratorial smile. “I took a page out of your playbook.”

This is one of the many things I love about him. That he embraces my recklessness, my impulsiveness, my stubbornly passionate side. He doesn’t try to stifle or control it, he only seeks to provide protection for it.

“I told Thiago I wouldn’t marry the man he betrothed me to and he agreed.”

Matteo smiles, his chest moving as he exhales deeply.

“That’s good, Leni, I would have really hated having to go back there. A second conversation would have been far less civil than the first.”

A shiver ambles down my spine at the mild threat in his voice. It’s almost lazy, a guarantee more than a warning. I have no doubt if he and my brother were to meet again on the subject, a lot more bullets would flown.

Standing elevated on the altar, I motion to the church we’re standing in.

“Why did you ask me to meet you here?”

Matteo looks around unhurriedly, taking in the frescoes, the stained glass, the rows of pews. “I wanted you to see it.”

“See what?”

His eyes come to mine. He advances on me, his slow and deliberate progress steadily stealing the breath from my lungs until he’s standing at the bottom of the three steps, staring up at me. “See the exact place I’m going to marry you.”

My eyes squeeze shut. “That’s not funny.”

“Am I laughing, Valentina?”

I open my eyes to find that he isn’t. In fact, his face is as determined as I’ve ever seen it, every muscle taut and focused on me. Sharp, intense eyes reflect the unwavering resolve in his words.

“You’re engaged,” I murmur.

“I broke it off.”

“Y—” My heart catapults so violently into my ribcage, it nearly makes my body stumble forward. “What?”

Matteo doesn’t miss my reaction. A slow, arrogant smile curves both sides of his lips. “I’m not marrying her.”

Even though he’s saying the words, I don’t dare hope that it’s true. Not when I know what the roadblock has been this entire time.

“I thought there wasn’t a way out of it? I thought it was the only way you could keep your position?”

“It was,” he nods. He places a foot on the first step, inching closer. “I’m no longer theDonof the Italian Mafia. I renounced it.”

My head spins. The reality of his words is hard to grasp, like I’m having an out of body experience. I draw back from him but he comes after me.

“The truth is, I was never going to be able to walk away from you. I tried to talk myself out of it, tried to convince myself that this was just a fling and I’d get you out of my system in time to marry the woman I was supposed to, but I was just fooling myself. An hour with you obsessed me to the point of madnessfor a year and a half, so how could I ever think that more time together would lead to anything other than needing to keep you by my side forever?”

I shake my head stubbornly, refusing to let the emotions pummeling at the doors of my heart and demanding entry, in.

“Not wanting anyone else to have me is not reason enough to marry me.”

Matteo chuckles darkly. “My mind was made up long before you tried to leave me,cara.”

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