9
Matteo
Her full-body shiver transmits through my fingers.
Her eyes are dark pools of disbelief and slowly growing terror. “H-how…how do you know m-my name?” she stammers.
I whirl away and drag my fingers through my hair. Here goes nothing. I take a deep breath.
Before I’ve opened my mouth, the front door bursts open.
Aria screams as Giovanni strolls in like he owns the place, followed by six of my trusted men, now technicallyhismen.
My own guards crowd in a nanosecond later, stark terror on their faces.
“What the fuck is this?”
Everyone, except for my brother, cowers at my enraged roar.
My head of security steps forward. “Boss, we didn’t see them. They came in fast—”
“Silenzioso!” Gio shouts, holding up a hand and they shut up.
I turn my gaze on him while his swings from me to Aria, lingers, then grows chilly before it returns to mine.
“Frati.” He sighs. “Frati, frati, frati. I was told, but I didn’t believe. I said Matteo wouldn’t do this. Not to his own brother. Not to his ownfamigghia.”
Miedda.
Miedda.
Miedda!
Aria, already pale from my fuck-up, goes as white as a sheet and starts trembling, her gaze zipping from Gio to the sinister-looking men, and then back to me.
Her pupils dilate into pools of anguish and terror.
With Gio and I in the same room together, our resemblance is unmistakable.
Her mouth drops open. “Matteo?You’re M-Matteo…F-Frenelli? The New York mafia k-kingpin? Oh, G-God, and h-he’s your brother?” The words tremble from her lips.
Am I completely fucked up that hearing the wordsMatteoandkingpinfalling from her lips makes me hard?
Hell, yes.
Do I care?
Right now I have worse things to worry about. Like making sure my angel doesn’t pass out from the fear mounting in her body.
My expression must give me away because she sways on her feet.
“Stronzo,” I curse harshly under my breath as I lunge for her, catching her before she falls and pinning her against me.
She struggles but she knows she’s not going to win and gives up after a minute, her haunted eyes darting between me and Gio.
I tuck her head against my shoulder as my stupid brother speaks.
“Indeed, brother. Indeed.”