Page 231 of Merciless Desires

I barely had myself buckled in before the car bolted forward, pressing me into the seat.

“I hope you don’t mind…but I like things fast.”

Don’t read into that one.

The gate swung open as we neared, and we slipped onto the winding stretch of private road. The car maneuvered perfectly around each twist and turn. It was the car, not the man behind the wheel. Turning onto the freeway, Matteo shifted to the highest gear and then rested his hand against the back of my seat.

He peered over at me with a satisfied grin. “You’re the first person to sit in this car with me.”

“Lucky me,” I muttered. “Watch the road.”

“You are safest with me, amorina.”

“You’re good at lying.” I gripped the armrest on the door tighter as he wove around cars with ease.

“I won’t lie to you unless it is to protect you. That, I can promise.”

“You say a lot of nice things for a man who doesn’t do nice things.” I chanced a glance at Matteo, and he was already watching me. I was going to die in this damn car.

His jaw was set, and he chose not to reply.

Good. I was finished with this conversation. I needed to put all of my energy into reminding myself to breathe as he drove.

Matteo downshifted and guided us toward the exit that led to my home. I didn’t have to prompt him. He knew.

Had he been in my home before? In my room when I wasn’t there?

How long had he known that he was going to own me?

How long had he watched me? Learned my routine to figure out exactly who I was?

If he had…then why would he take me away from where I was needed most?

Matteo punched in the code to our gate, and I knew then that he had been here before. Papà had given him his own code. Cazzo.

A car followed us into the driveway and two of Matteo’s men checked the surroundings before we got out of the car.

“We’re at my home, Matteo. There is nothing to worry about.” I unbuckled my seatbelt, but before I could get out, Matteo pressed his forearm against my chest, holding me against the seat.

“This is to protect you more than me, Marcella. And your family. I can take a bullet. You can’t.”

I wanted to tell him that my family’s home was safe, that I didn’t need his protection, but I kept my lips pressed firmly together. If there was someone hiding here who intended to hurt him, I didn’t want my family caught in the crosshairs.

When the property was cleared and his men motioned us out of the car, Matteo got out and rounded the hood. He stopped my door as I pushed it open and crouched down, glaring in at me.

“You don’t open doors around me, amorina. That’s my job.”

“I’m capable of opening my own doors, Matteo. What else is your job, hmm?”

Shit. That wicked gleam sparkled in his eyes again, but I halted his naughty response with a groan and a hand against his chest, shoving him away.

Matteo placed his hand over mine and drew me out of the car fully, turning me toward the house that would always be my home, whether he liked it or not.

As we walked to the door, his fingers trailed from my hand across my elbow until they rested on my hip.

“You no longer live here,” Matteo reminded me when I reached for the handle to open the front door. “It would be rude to enter without knocking.”

His words made me frown, but he ignored my distaste for his coldness and knocked on the right door.

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