Page 90 of Beautiful Sinner

The security guard eyes Matteo over. “Ma’am, are you in danger?”

“No. I’m not. This is my husband.” My head rushes at the word. Husband. Matteo is actually finally mine and yet we’re not technically together yet. We never had our wedding night. We’ve been denied the chance to be happy because of what Connor has done. My arm screams in pain now that my medicine is starting to wear off.

“Why don’t you set her down until the nurse can retrieve the discharge papers?” he suggest.

Matteo tightens his hold onto me. “We’re good. Now if you could move out of the way. We’d like to go.”

The guard plants his feet firmly onto the ground, making it clear that he’s not going anywhere.

“It’s ok,” I murmur to Matteo. “I’ll just sign the paper and then we can leave. And don’t turn around. Connor might not recognize you from the back.” I keep sneaking glances over Matteo’s shoulder. Connor nods at the nurse and starts to walk away from the station.

Towards us.

I quickly turn my head. “Matteo, get behind that wall.” I nod to the closest wall to us. “Connor is heading in our direction.”

Matteo tries moving but the guard, once again, doesn’t let him. “Please. Can I set her down?” He nods to a row of chairs against the wall. “At least let me do that.”

The guard slowly relents and Matteo is able to hide us behind the wall. But Connor is heading this way which means it won’t take long before he turns the corner and finds us.

“Is there anyone I can call for you?” the guards asks me.

“She’s not in danger from me,” Matteo growls. “I’m the only one who can keep her safe.”

“Ma’am?”

“I’m fine,” I snap. I know this officer is just trying to do his job but he’s getting on my nerves. I can hear footsteps heading in our direction. Is it Connor?

“You don’t seem fine. Let me help you.”

“Matteo is my husband. I’m safe.”

The security guard frowns. “You said you wanted to set her down on a chair.”

Matteo doesn’t let me go. “I did say that.”

The guard and Matteo stare each other down. This is not going how I expected our wedding night to go. Me getting shot in the arm. Emergency surgery. On the run from Connor.

And my own brother.

If Connor catches us, he’ll bring me right back to my brother and I’m not sure I can handle Viktor’s judgement of me. His betrayal. It might just kill me.

Matteo and I were supposed to be enjoying our time together. We were supposed to finally make love. I was supposed to be happy. But Viktor has made that impossible.

“Set her down,” the guard says.

“Why don’t you stop telling me what to do?”

“Your wife came in with a gunshot wound. Who’s to say you didn’t do that?”

“I spoke with the police.” Matteo’s jaw is wired tight. “I told them about the shooter. In fact, I saw the man who shot my wife. He’s here. That’s why we’re trying to leave.”

The guard turns white. “The shooter is here?”

“Yes.”

I look at Matteo, confused. What is he doing? I thought he didn’t want to involve anyone in Mafia business.

At that very moment, Connor turns the corner and sees us. His smile deepens like he knows he’s won.

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