Page 94 of Beautiful Sinner

I shiver. Viktor won’t hurt me but will he shoot Matteo on sight? Will he force me to marry Connor when that’s the last thing I want on this earth? Will my brother understand my feelings? I doubt it. He’s never understood how I’ve felt. His mission in life was just to protect me; not worry about my feelings.

“We have to leave,” I say.

“I know. But all the exits are closed off. They don’t want the shooter escaping.”

“Can Dante help?”

A light enters Matteo’s eyes. “Yes, he can.” He calls Dante. “I need you to cause a distraction. We have to get out of here.” He pauses, listening to Dante. “Whatever you can think of. Just get the guards by the front door to leave sowecan leave. Thanks.”

“What did he say?” I ask after Matteo hangs up.

“He says I owe him for this.”

A few seconds later, gunshots can be heard outside. It causes the guards to run out into the night, giving me and Matteo the chance to escape, along with the other people in the lobby. We all rush out into the night. The guards try telling people to stay inside but no one listens and there’s too many people for them to control.

Matteo never lets go of my hand, silently telling me that he’s got me. Never have I felt more safe with anyone than him.

We round the corner, away from the hospital, and take a moment to breathe. We made it out. We did that.

I laugh and wrap my arms around Matteo’s neck. It doesn’t even bother me that my one arm screams in pain. None of that matters right now.

“I have to text Dante. Tell him where we are.” He pulls back to do that and that’s when I see a familiar car coming down the street. Viktor’s car.

He must have been alerted to the commotion at the hospital and is hoping to find me. I watch him park the car down the street and get out, his eyes searching all around him.

I know I should hide but I can’t seem to. My brother is right there. The sight of him fills me with warmth and ice at the same time. He was the one to comfort me my entire life and yet, he’s also the one hurting me without him even realizing it.

Viktor’s eyes catch mine across the road. I know this is a mistake. I know I’m being naïve.

But if I could justexplainto him then…

His eyes widen before they narrow and he starts to cross the street.

Crap.

I turn to Matteo. “Viktor is here and he’s coming right for us.”

“Dante should be here any second.”

“You need to get behind me. If you are, Viktor won’t shoot.”

“I don’t want to hide behind you forever, Julia. It’s my job to protect you now.”

“And as your wife, it’s also my job to protect you. So get behind me. Please.”

He looks like he wants to object before he nods. “Ok.”

I stand in front of Matteo as Viktor approaches us. “Don’t shoot.”

Viktor stops. “Why would I shoot you? You’re my sister. Even though you have betrayed me.”

I flinch. So, Viktor feels exactly how I worried he’d feel.

Matteo wraps his hands around my arms. “She didn’t betray you.”

“You stay out of this,” he growls. “This is between me and my sister. Who you kidnapped, by the fucking way.”

There’s so much I want to say to Viktor. How I never meant to hurt him. How I just wanted to be happy. And most importantly, how I love Matteo.

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