Page 63 of His to Break

“What about her?” Matteo’s tone is wary. “What did you do to her?”

“I…” What did I do? Fucked her like a whore? Treated her as if she meant nothing to me? “I messed up.”

“What did you do? Is she okay?” He sounds worried I’ve done something awful to my wife. It’s hypocritical since he’d have been quite happy to torture her for information.

“I… She’s at the warehouse. I need you to go get her. Tell her she’s free. She can go wherever she wants. I’ll not come after her.”

“Fuck, Leo.”

I don’t give him a chance to give an opinion. “Promise you’ll help her, Matteo.”

“Yeah, okay, but where are…”

I cut the call, and down the last glass of scotch I poured, before refilling my glass. My phone rings again, but I switch it off. Gulping down the whisky, I curse myself for fucking things up so badly. I should have believed my wife was innocent. I should have realized Gino would lash out over losing the job he’d dedicated most of his life to.

Lifting the bottle of scotch, I drink what’s left and then hurl it across the room. The shattering of glass as it smashes off the bar doesn’t satisfy my urge to destroy something. I need to do some serious damage. I need to burn this fucking place to the ground.

CHAPTER 25

Vinnie

When the door to my dank, horrible cell opens again, I’m glad I put my dress back on. It isn’t Leo who stands in the doorway, but Matteo. He takes a step into the room and stops dead. I’d be worried he was here to kill me if he didn’t have an expression of concern on his face. As I scramble off the bed, his eyes run up and down the length of my entire body. His shoulders relax as he breathes a sigh of relief. I guess he wasn’t sure if he’d find me still breathing.

“Matteo.” I acknowledge his presence since he hasn’t yet found his voice. “Just dropping in for a visit, are you?”

“I came to…” His brow furrows. “You’re okay?”

I hold my hands out to my sides and do a twirl. “As you can see.”

“He didn’t hurt you?”

I sigh. Yes, he hurt me. Physically, it was in a way that I ultimately enjoyed. Emotionally, well, that’s a different matter. He made me feel like shit, thinking I could ever betray him. I shed tears over it. But, in the time since Leo walked out and left me here, I’ve started to come to terms with his lack of trust in me. I don’t like it, but I understand. A man like Leo spends his life waiting to be stabbed in the back, and I can see why I came under suspicion. The timing of Gio’s shooting was unfortunate considering I’d just been talking to a man who’s been a lifelong enemy of the Volantes.

“Only my feelings,” I tell him. Matteo doesn’t seem to know what to do with that response. “Why are you here?”

“He told me to set you free.”

“Great, you can give me a ride home.”

I need a shower more than I need my next breath after a night in this shithole. It’s amazing there aren’t rats in here.

Matteo shakes his head. “You don’t understand, Vinnie. He told me to set you free. You don’t have to go back to the apartment. I can take you wherever you want to go.”

What the fuck? “Does Leo want me gone?”

“I don’t think so. He sounded kind of out of it, like he’d been drinking. He thinks he did something terrible to you and needs to let you go.”

I roll my eyes. This is un-fucking-believable. I’m the one who should be nursing a grievance for the way Leo acted, but it sounds like he’s throwing himself a pity party.

“Just take me home, please, Matteo.”

“Okay.”

As we walk out of the warehouse, I’m aware of several sets of eyes on me. It might be my imagination, but it feels as if the hostility has lessened.

“Is there any news on Gio?”

“He hasn’t woken up, but he will. Turns out he was shot by a pissed-off employee we had to let go.”

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