Page 129 of Matteo
“Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” Arianna’s off-the-wall question pulled our attention to her pale, tear-stricken face. She stared at us with huge eyes, her pupils blown so wide her usual coral blues were swallowed by black.
Nikola raised his brow, shooting me a look that clearly told me he thought Arianna had lost it.
“Dollface, it’s not like you’re fully dressed yourself,” he pointed out, and it was only then that I realized she was still only wearing my suit jacket. Glimpses of her smooth skin and breasts played peekaboo with each breath she took and I yanked her to me, quickly buttoning up the jacket.
Satisfied that she was covered adequately, I turned to Nikola with a glowering gaze.
“Where is she?”
“Don’t know. She was running like a maniac. I ran after her but lost her in the woods, and then I saw the fire and came back.” Nikola pushed his hand through his hair. “And now we have an audience.”
Fire engines pulled up at the side of the building. People ran toward us. Some I recognized, others I didn’t.
“I’ll take her to her dorm,” I told Nikola as I wrapped my arm around Arianna’s waist. “I’ll be right back.”
But just as I turned, I came face-to-face with Agent Llyod. And, judging by the way Arianna stiffened next to me, she was also acquainted with the man.
“So, Mr. Vitale, first you eliminate the Yale shooter… supposedly,” he drawled. “And now you’re starting fires atthiscampus?”
“What the fuck is the FBI doing here?” I asked, narrowing my eyes on him. I really didn’t like this prick. “I didn’t realize your agency dealt with such trivial matters?”
He wasn’t fazed. “When it’s a matter of security… Besides, I was in the neighborhood.”
“You just happen to be on our campus in the middle of the night?” I said, letting sarcasm seep into my tone. “Maybeyouare the security issue here.”
His eyes narrowed, then flicked to the raging fire. “It seems to me your concern should be on the burning building, not me.”
I made a mental note to send an inquiry to Alexei Nikolaev’s wife. She used to work for the FBI and could offer more insight, because it made zero sense that this guy would be here.
“Well, I’m not worried. It’s a matter of?—”
“It was an accident,” Arianna breathed, cutting me off. “It was a romantic date and… we must have knocked a candle over.”
“A candle,” he repeated incredulously as he looked over his shoulder and flagged some people over. “And the gunshot wound on your arm, Mr. Vitale?”
“It’s barely a graze,” I gritted, the cold tenor in my voice matching his expression. “I would think they would have taught you better at the agency, Agent Lloyd.”
“Have it your way, then.” A coy smile tugged at his lips and his eyes found Arianna.
I pushed her behind me, hating how he was looking at her. “My girlfriend is going back to her dorm to get dressed.”
Silence for one, two, three seconds…
“Very well. She can go, but you two will remain.”
“And if we don’t?” Nikola challenged as more men appeared behind the smug agent.
“Then we’ll arrest all three of you.”
“But—”
“We’ll stay and help you doyourjob,” I said, cutting Nikola off before he could make this worse. I turned to Arianna. “Wait for me in your dorm.”
“O-okay.”
My chest squeezed watching her walk away from me barefoot, and I fought the urge to go after her. It was my job to protect her, even though she’d shot me. Even though she’d screamed that she hated me.
None of it mattered.
