Page 116 of Ruined By Protection
"Like me," I whisper. "My problems became yours."
He nods. "The moment Evelyn brought you here you became our concern. Not just because you're her cousin but because that’s what we do. We protect our own."
"Even when it puts you all at risk?"
"Especially then." His hard fingers stroke mine. "That's the point, Hazel. Out there—" he gestures toward the window, toward the normal world beyond the mansion’s walls "—people talk about loyalty but they evaporate when things get tough. Here, we run toward the danger."
I think about how quickly the Ferettis mobilized when Elliott threatened Evelyn, how they never questioned whether helping me was worth the risk.
"It's seductive," Matteo admits. "Knowing you have this power behind you. Knowing you belong somewhere that won't abandon you when you need it most."
"But at what cost?" I ask.
His eyes hold mine, unflinching. "Everything. Your freedom. Your innocence. Parts of your soul you didn't know you could lose."
A chill runs through me, hearing the resignation in his voice.
"Is it worth it?" I whisper.
Matteo is quiet for a long moment. "For me it was. My father lived his last years in comfort. Lucia got an education, her chance at a different life." He shrugs. "I made my choice knowing what it would cost."
I hear what he isn't saying—that once you're in there's no getting out. That he's accepted this life and all its darkness as his permanent reality
CHAPTER 36
Matteo
Ihead back downstairs to finalize plans with Damiano.
I find him in the study, behind the desk with Zoe perched on the arm of his chair. They're looking at something on his laptop, their heads bent close together. Even after having a baby and now pregnant again, Zoe still manages to look like she could damage a man with nothing but her smile. Damiano's hand rests possessively on her hip.
They look up as I enter and catch the tail end of whatever intimate moment I've interrupted.
"Matteo," Damiano acknowledges me with a nod. “Plan set in motion?”
"We're going to need a private flight to Texas as soon as we can convince Montgomery to meet Hazel at his country house."
Damiano raises an eyebrow. "You think he'll fall for that?"
"If we play it right." I lean my back against the wall. "Hazel's going to text him, make him think she's considering coming back. We'll string him along just enough to get him where we want him."
"And where exactly is that?" Zoe asks.
"Somewhere isolated. Hazel told me he has a place outside Austin. Some fancy estate where they planted a tree on their wedding day." My jaw tightens at the thought. "It's remote enough that we can handle things quietly."
Damiano considers this, tapping his fingers against the polished wood of his desk. After a moment he nods. "I'll have the jet ready. Just give me a day's notice."
I shift uncomfortably under Zoe's scrutinizing gaze. Her lips curl into that knowing smile that always makes me want to leave the room.
"What?" I ask, already regretting it.
"Nothing," she says, but her expression says everything. "It's just... I never thought I'd see the day."
"See what day?"
"The day Matteo Caruso falls in love." She leans into Damiano, eyes gleaming with amusement. "You—the man who has women falling into his bed on demand—actually falling for someone."
I scoff, trying to brush it off. "I'm not?—"
