Page 47 of Twisted Vows

She pulled back just enough to meet his gaze, her hands pressing against his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her fingertips. "I never should have left."

His grip tightened, his hands smoothing down her back, as if reassuring himself she was real. "If you ever run from me again—"

She silenced him with a kiss. Fierce, desperate, a promise in the way her lips crashed into his. Matteo stiffened for a half-second, then melted into it, one hand tangling in her hair, the other gripping her waist with bruising intensity. This wasn’t just a kiss—it was a claim, a battle, a surrender all at once.

When they finally pulled apart, their breaths mingled, shallow and uneven. Her hands slid up to his jaw, her thumbs brushing the rough stubble lining his cheeks. "I wasn’t running from you," she whispered. "I was running from everything else. But I know now… the only place I’m safe is with you."

His forehead pressed against hers, his grip still firm, still unrelenting. "You’re not going anywhere again. Not now. Not ever."

She nodded, her fingers tightening around the lapels of his bloodstained jacket. "No more running."

She was exactly where she was meant to be.

Because loving Matteo DeLuca was a love worth ruin.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Leonardo was still inside. The men who had taken her, who had helped him try to erase her, still lived. Matteo wasn’t one to leave unfinished business, and neither was she.

Isla turned in Matteo’s arms, breathless, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. "We have to finish this."

Matteo’s jaw ticked, his thumb brushing over the side of her face. "We will. But I’m not risking you again."

She pulled away just enough to look up at him, her chin tilted defiantly. "I’m not a risk. I’m your equal."

A slow, dark smirk played at his lips. "Then let’s burn this place to the ground."

Together, they moved. Luca and the rest of Matteo’s men had already secured the villa, dragging Leonardo’s remaining men into the grand foyer, bound and kneeling. Some were pleading, others remained silent, resigned to their fate.

Leonardo himself was on his knees in the center, his once-pristine suit stained with blood. His expression was eerily calm as he met Isla’s gaze. "You think you’ve won."

She stepped forward, standing over him. "No. I know I have."

Matteo stood beside her, his gun hanging loosely at his side, but his presence loomed like a shadow. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t put a bullet between your eyes."

Leonardo exhaled through his nose, then smirked. "Because you know me, DeLuca. You know there’s always another game being played."

Isla clenched her fists. "You’ve lost this game, Father."

His smirk remained, but there was something else in his eyes. He knew. This was the end.

She turned to Matteo. "I want this to be over. I want him to be over."

Matteo’s gaze flickered toward her, something unreadable crossing his features. Then, without hesitation, he handed her the gun.

Leonardo let out a low chuckle. "So, it comes down to this? You, my daughter, choosing a man who will never truly be able to love you over your own blood?"

Leonardo let out a low chuckle, his smirk unfaltering despite the gun pointed at his chest. “You really think this is over, my dear?”

Isla’s grip tightened. “It is.”

“No, sweetheart. It’s just beginning.” He leaned forward, voice smooth, insidious. “Do you really think Matteo loves you? That he won’t discard you the moment you become a liability?”

Isla didn’t blink.

“I know Matteo better than you ever will,” her father continued. “And he didn’t keep you because he loves you. He kept you because he needs you. There’s a difference.”

Isla felt the flicker of doubt, the whisper of something ugly curling inside her chest. But she didn’t let it take root.

---