Page 36 of Dare To Free Us

“I’m fine,” I croaked, barely able to get words out.

“Ok. Are you sure?” Matteo placed his hands on my arms and stroked them lightly.

I nodded and bit my tongue. Why did his touch have to feel so soft and caring?

I’m wrong. I have to be.

“Let’s get you home.” I’d arrived at the doctor’s office with Maria but she mentioned wanting to go shopping after. Matteo said he would take me home so we could celebrate the first look at our baby in private for a bit. I was too stunned to even attempt changing my mind and go with Maria.

We hugged Maria goodbye as she explained that she wouldn’t be coming back to the house until she filled her car with baby stuff. Her bodyguard had rolled his eyes and sighed. I really did feel for the guy. I thought I was a shopaholic, but Maria blew me out of the water.

After that Matteo and I got in our vehicle to head home.

I stared out the window trying to land on the right way to start. My ears turned hot, wanting to yell and use my claws to tear his eyes out if it were true. The same outcome also submerged me under freezing water with the knowledge that if Matteo was cheating, it would destroy me.

Snakes invaded my stomach and were doing a marvelous job at making me want to vomit in my lap.

Before I could get my lips moving Matteo spoke. “I’m sorry Arianna, I know I told you that I’d stay with you all night but something has come up. So don’t…”

“Let me guess, wait up?” I snapped, with venom forming on my tongue.

Matteo went silent. I turned to see confused brown eyes staring back at me. I rarely gave him a hard time about his emergency situations but this was not one of those days.

I glared at him with fire in my eyes.

“Arianna what’s wrong?” He shifted in his seat to face me more directly.

“This something? What is it?” I asked, trying to burn his eyes out with mine.

“It’s work. I can’t tell you.”

Bastard!Fury made my nostrils flare. In the past I took that answer without question because he’d never given me a reason to mistrust him. But if I ever directly asked him, he didn’t deny me.

I stared straight into his concerned eyes and ground my teeth. “So it has nothing to do with a woman that you want to keep secret form me? That you are going to see tonight. One you just can’t let go of?”

Shock had his head jerking back as fear made his chiseled features go pale. Seeing fear in Matteo was as rare as seeing Bigfoot. “You heard that?”

It was a dumb question. Of course I fucking heard it or I wouldn’t have been quoting it, but his reaction did confirm one thing. Matteo was cheating on me.

That fear, what kind of man would be so terrified if he wasn’t guilty? None. And that was on top of the fact he didn’t deny it.

I saw red. “YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” I roared and launched across the seat at him.

Hurt like I’d never known stung my body. Rage embraced the feeling of betrayal and used it to take over every corner of my mind. My heart burst into tiny jagged pieces, shredding me apart form the inside out.

My fists rained down on him with little damage as he scrambled to get ahold of me. The car jerked as our driver was caught off guard by the commotion. A horn hocked angrily at us.

“Who is she? Why Matteo? How could you?” I cried.

“Arianna stop!” All too quick he restrained my hands by taking ahold of my wrists. “It’s not what you think.”

“Fuck you!” I spat.

With quick movements Matteo spun me so my back was to his front, pinned me in his lap and used his legs to trap my flailing ones.

“Let me go!” I screamed, as I thrashed in his arms.

“Arianna, I’m not cheating on you!”

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