Page 75 of Curse

“FUCK! Pop, no!” Tommy yells, realizing what Aurelio is doing, and Matti turns his head to see what they’re talking about and locks eyes with me.

“Nice big ass,” Aurelio grunts into my ear, his semi-hard dick pushing against my ass cheeks. He turns his head to look in the same direction I am. Towards Matti. “I like her, Matti. Your woman is—”

Before he can finish, I slam the side of my head into his as hard as I can. Pain explodes through my skull, but Aurelio’s guttural yell tells me I hit my mark.

He reels, and I seize the moment, driving my head back and into him again. This time, the impact sends shockwaves through both of us. My ears ring, but he’s loosened his hold just enough for me to twist my body to face him.

Desperation fuels me. I lunge forward and sink my teeth into his cheek, biting down with all the strength I have left. His high-pitched scream pierces the air, and I taste blood—hot, metallic, revolting.

He’s shrieking in Italian, his fists pounding at me as he tries to break free. Using all my strength, I hang on, unable to see anything around his fat face, my jaws locked like a pit bull. Forcing my hands between my body and the desk, I try hard to push back against him, but he’s too heavy. I can’t move him.

I can feel the fire draining out of me rapidly, like someone pulled a plug out of the drain. Keeping my jaws locked, I begin to lose feeling in my legs first and then the numbness creeps up my body.

Before I know what’s happening, Aurelio’s face is wrenched out of my mouth and high-pitched shrieks fill the air. I collapse onto my back on the desk, my jaws aching, clamped down on a hunk of flesh. Gasping, I spit it out and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, smearing Aurelio’s blood across my face, a blur of bodies in front of me.

Matti is on top of Aurelio, his fists relentlessly crashing into him. Tommy and Vin are trying to pull them apart. All of them keep knocking into my legs, but I don’t have the energy to move and I wouldn’t know where to go if I did. They’re all blocking the path to the door, and the floor is littered with broken glass and splinters of wood.

I clutch the lapels of Matti’s jacket, pulling it closed over my exposed body. My hands tremble as I try to edge away from the chaos. Just when I feel like I’ve created some distance, a hand clamps around my ankle. I grit my teeth as pain shoots through the raw, broken skin where the ropes cut me. It’s Aurelio. He yanks hard, pulling me down onto Matti’s back.

Unfazed, Matti shrugs me off, tossing me onto the floor, and grabs Aurelio around the throat with both hands, his grip like iron. I lay on my back, chest heaving, blinded by pain.

As I watch Aurelio’s face next to me on the floor, he turns a sickly shade of blue, his movements slowing. I look up into Matti’s face, and his expression is terrifying: eyes almost black with rage, flat and lifeless, his mouth set in a grim line. He’s scared me before, but in this moment, I see just how terrifying Matti can be. My monster.

Before I can move, Vin’s strong hands grab me under my arms. Terrified, I claw my hands on the carpet, trying to grab hold of something. My hand falls on the poker from the fireplace and I hold tight, but before I can use it, Vin hoistsme up and tosses me onto the couch behind him.

“Don’t fucking move!” he barks at me, his voice a sharp command.

Tommy trains his gun on Matti’s head and shouts, “MATTI!”

If Matti heard, he doesn’t let on.

I just want this to be over. Leaning forward, I summon what little energy I have left to try to slide off the couch and maybe crawl out the door. But Vin shoves me back, his arm a barrier as he turns his attention back to the fight.

“MATTI!” Tommy yells again. The room reverberates with a deafening gunshot. I flinch, covering my ears as my heart slams against my rib cage.

The shot jolts Matti out of his rage-induced stupor. He releases Aurelio, who collapses to the floor and lies still, and darts his gaze around the room until he finds me.

The disgusted glare on his face sends a chill through me. He’s no longer the man who kissed me goodbye this morning, like I was the only woman in his world.

I suddenly feel vulnerable and small, and I yank the jacket tight across me, pulling its hem as far down my thighs as I can. Thankfully, the jacket is huge and covers me better than some of my own clothes, but it also makes me feel even smaller as I try to push the long sleeves up over my hands.

Matti rises, his expression hardening as he steps toward Tommy, their noses almost touching. “What the FUCK is your problem?” he yells.

“Giovanna,” Tommy snaps, his tone icy.

I don’t know what that means, but for a fleeting moment, something shifts in Matti’s face, a crack in his anger. It’s gone as quickly as it appears.

He narrows his eyes at Tommy. “You fucking pull a gun onme again, and I will end you.”

Tommy, resolute, holds his gaze but doesn’t respond. Tension pours off Matti.

Turning to Vin, Matti pauses, stone cold. He says nothing and neither does Vin as the two of them square off. I try to read what is happening between them. They’re both angry, but there’s something else, something like an understanding between the two of them.

Vin’s voice is tight. “Take care of her. Keep her here as long as she needs. We’ll keep him away from both of you.”

Without taking his eyes off Vin, Matti snaps his fingers at me. “Get up.”

Seriously? Like I’m a dog? Like that’s even possible?

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