Page 89 of Dare To Free Us

I shook my head. I wasn’t going to agree to that. It was total bullshit. I couldn’t leave without having a way to know if Matteo lived or died.

“This wasn’t just my idea Arianna. Matteo and I discussed these things in length before. I know… I know it will be hard.” His face slackened with his own fear of not knowing. “But I’m asking you to trust me like you always did.”

I nodded. I did trust Luca and knew that he hated the idea just as much as me, but it was a necessary torture that we would both have to endure. I also couldn’t overlook the fact that he had his own wife and child to think about, and asking him to put their safety as risk for my comfort felt selfish.

“Ok.” I turned to Steven and hugged him. “Please, take care of him.”

He knew I meant Matteo.

Steven hugged me tight. “I will. Take care, Arianna. I hope to see you again soon.”

The side of my face scraped against his shirt as I nodded, unable to form words as my throat closed up. Then I made sure to lower my voice so Luca couldn’t hear. “Thank you for last night.” I hadn’t thanked him that morning, and he hadn’t mentioned it, but it had meant a lot to me and couldn’t walk away without saying so.

He squeezed me tighter. “Your welcome,” he whispered.

“Thank you for everything.” By all the laws of nature Steven should be standing dead on his feet. He’d had very few hours of sleep, and I worried about him driving back. “Get some sleep before you head back.”

“I will.”

“Promise me.”

He smiled for the first time since we left Boston, and I took a moment to truly appreciate what a warm, handsome smile he had. It could be the last time I ever saw him. “I promise.”

Luca took my shoulders and pulled me back to him. “It’s time to go. I have all the IDs you need and our plane is waiting.” Luca’s hand reached for Steven’s. “Thank you for taking care of her.”

“Of course. Tell Becka hello for me.”

“Will do. Be safe. Take care of my brother for me.” The pain in Luca’s voice made me wan to cry.

“With my life,” Steven promised. There was no doubt in my mind he would.

Luca and I turned for the doors, heading into the airport. When I looked back, Steven was already pulling away. Now it would be a merciless waiting game. As the SUV disappeared behind the doors and people, the last string connecting Matteo and I was cut.

Matteo, please come for us. I love you.

22

MATTEO

The rhythmic beeping woke me from my sleep, persistent and never ending. Darkness was all I could feel. My body felt somehow far away and no matter how hard I tried, my eyes wouldn’t open.

There was a funny smell in the air, cleaners or sterilizers, but also the faint hint of sage.

Concentrating harder, I commanded my eyes to open. They fluttered and the first streak of light broke through the darkness. I pushed harder and soon the light was pouring in enough it hurt and I was trying to keep it out. The lights were burning my eyes like someone dumped pure alcohol in them.

“He’s waking up?” someone asked. I thought I recognized their voice.

“Yes. He will be very weak for a few days.”

“Where, where am I?” I rasped, grimacing at the feeling of razor blades in my throat. My mouth was so dry it felt like I’d been chewing on sand, and holy shit my voice. I sounded worse than a forty-year smoker that survived lung cancer.

“Matteo. It’s Vinny. You’re still at the medical safe-house. You’ve been out for a week.”

Arianna.“Arianna?”

“She’s safe. Steven said she called Luca.” Vinny spoke hesitantly. “He took her away.”

I nodded, unable to bare the pain of speaking again. But my eyes were finally focusing and could make out objects and people in the room.

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