Page 53 of Hostile Love
She sets her hand on top of Dré’s and thumbs it slowly.
“The man you’re going to meet says he knows who tried to kill my husband. And whoever that fucker is…they’ll die. I’ll make sure of it.”
16
DANIELA
I pull up at the closed gates and climb off the motorcycle I’d rented at the airport. Traveling economy didn't have the same perks as flying on a private jet with Matheus. However, this way, no one knows I’m here.
Not even Blanco.
My father’s not stupid, though. I suspect he knew I’d head straight to Sicily.
I tug my helmet off, ruffle my fingers through my hair to fix it, and wander over to the armed guard.
“I’m reporting back to base,” I announce, staring through the cast iron bars, my pulse thrumming.
He digs a phone out of his jacket pocket, taps the screen, and holds it in front of my face. The subtle noise it makes tells me he’s taken a picture.
I frown. “What the fuck?”
“Pre-approval is mandatory,signora,” he says in a no-nonsense Italian accent.
We stand off in silence for what feels like an eternity, and then his phone beeps. After reading the message, he shouts over to the second guy, telling him to open the gates.
Exhaling quietly, I put my helmet on again and return to the motorcycle. It doesn't take long to speed through the grounds and park beside the villa.
Now I’m at the Souza mansion, my chest isn’t as tight as it had been these past twenty-four hours. Probably because it’s so peaceful by the coast, or maybe knowing Matheus is nearby makes me feel better.
He’s here. I know he is.
I glance over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of the huge mansion through the trees. In the darkness, lights twinkle from within the thick stone walls and a moonlit rooftop cuts through the navy sky with sharp lines.
I have happy memories attached to this place, which is rare for me. Me and happiness don't go hand in hand. Yet the sensation of warmth I get when the wall mounted screen recognizes my handprint and the door unlocks lights me up inside.
If I could stab the bright bubble I’m floating in and throw myself back into darkness, I would. But there’s too much at stake for silly heart flutters and daydreams.
Moving further inside, a blanket of silence follows my light footfall. I’m guessing The Covenant are hard at work executing the people responsible for shooting André.
Methodically, I move from the living space to each of the bedrooms in turn, doing a full sweep to confirm my hunch.
I’m all alone.
When I end up in the room I’d shared with Matheus, I drop my backpack on his already made bed and sit, feeling silence blanket me like a shroud.
For some reason, rather than enjoying the solace I’m used to, it’s suffocating and lonely. Deep down, I know it's because he’s not here with me.
I let myself fall backward and turn my nose toward the fresh bed sheets. Any trace of his cologne is gone as if he hadn’t been here at all.
I’m used to being on my own. After all, that’s how I work best. Trust no one. Zero distractions. Get the job done and leave.
It’s how my life used to be long before Matheus Souza.
But rolling onto my back again, staring up at the ceiling, welcomes flashbacks of his heart-stopping smile and those strong hands of his that were never too far away.
Getting up, I start to unpack a few things, decide to sleep in his bed, and slide my handgun under the pillow like clockwork.
I kick off my boots, strip naked, enter the bathroom, and dip under the running shower, groaning when the hot jets batter my tense shoulders.
