Stolen Queen (Dynasty of Deception #4)

9. Ava

9

AVA

T he clock on the bedside table says just past noon, telling me that I’ve been gone for over twelve hours. No doubt, my parents know I’m gone by now. They’re probably out looking for me. Would they even think to check with the D’Amatos?

I just need to bide my time until I’m found. I try not to think about what happens if Matteo plans to sell me.

I see the plate of food and my stomach grumbles in response. Matteo has brought me a grilled cheese sandwich. I sit to eat, but it’s hard. The gravity of my situation weighs on me, making me feel even more trapped. My life doesn’t belong to me. I cry as I eat, unable to taste the food through my pain and fear.

Eventually, I get myself sorted. I can’t give in to the feelings of powerlessness. I have to find a way out of this situation. I check the door, knowing it’s fruitless, but maybe he left it unlocked. Or maybe I can force it open.

When that doesn’t work, I lie on the bed, trying not to feel hopeless. I need to figure out how to escape. I can’t overpower him. My phone and smartwatch are missing, so I can’t contact anyone. Perhaps I could make signals from the window, but who would see?

The only answer is to outsmart him when he comes into my room. To do that, I need to convince him that I’m a passive captive. Maybe I act grateful that he saved me and tell him I don’t want to go back to my father.

For a moment, I consider what to do if I can escape. Do I go back home or seize the opportunity to escape my family as well? I don’t know how. I have no money, no place to go. And yet… this could be my chance to finally own my own life.

As I sit to wait for Matteo’s reappearance, I wonder what his endgame is. Will he turn me over to Elio? Will I be used as a pawn against my father? I’m having a hard time reconciling the man in the club with the man who is keeping me locked away. I’d felt safe with him that night he'd helped me get home. Since then, I’ve had wild fantasies about him. Including some where he’d take me away from my life. But this, being locked as a prisoner, isn’t what I’d imagined.

The truth is, I don’t know him. I need to remember his reputation as a dangerous man, willing to do whatever it takes to protect his family. Including, apparently, kidnapping me.

I spend the next few hours alternating between moments of fear and despair and determination to get free. Eventually, I get bored and find a book on a single shelf over the dresser. I’m a little surprised by the options, all of which are classics. I choose Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, as it seems apropos for my situation.

I’m several chapters in when I think I hear a door open and close. Is Matteo back?

My heart races as footsteps approach. This is it. It’s time to make my escape. I adjust myself on the bed, hoping I look provocative but not obvious.

Matteo enters, his blue eyes scanning the room before landing on me.

I meet his gaze steadily, forcing a small smile onto my face. "I was wondering when you'd be back. I was starting to get bored here all by myself."

A flicker of surprise crosses his face. Good. He wasn't expecting this reaction. “I brought you dinner.” He sets it on the table and picks up the other tray. He’s going to leave me again. No. I can’t let him.

"I'm sorry about earlier," I blurt out, hoping he’ll stay. "I panicked when I woke up in a strange place. I shouldn't have reacted so strongly."

Matteo's eyes narrow slightly, suspicion evident in his gaze. “I understand. Does that mean you’re ready to talk?” He leaves the lunch tray on the table.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I'm about to do. I think back to that night at the club, how I felt so alive and daring. I need to channel that energy now.

I stand and saunter toward him, swaying my hips slightly. Matteo was drawn to me then, and maybe I can use that to my advantage. Do I look alluring or like a silly girl? My heart is pounding so hard I'm sure he must hear it, but I force myself to maintain eye contact.

When I reach him, I place a hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. "I realize now that you were just trying to help me. It was foolish of me to try sneaking out again. I could have been seriously hurt if you hadn't been there."

"What are you doing, Ava?" he asks warily, looking down at my hand on his chest before returning his gaze to me.

I lean in closer, close enough that I can smell his cologne. It's a heady scent that makes my head spin slightly. I have to remind myself to stay focused on my goal. "I've been thinking. Maybe this isn't such a bad situation after all. At least here, I'm free from my father's control."

“I see.” He’s still suspicious.

"I've been thinking about that night at the club. About our kiss,” I say, attempting to make my voice low and sultry. "Maybe we could… pick up where we left off?" I'm not sure if I'm doing this right. Am I being too forward? Not forward enough?

Inside, my head is exploding at what I’m suggesting. I’m offering myself. My body shimmers with electricity at the idea. It’s not a bad sensation, which is crazy. This guy is my captor. Why am I intrigued by the idea of his touching me?

No. I’m not really offering myself. I’m just trying to put him off-guard so I can escape. I look up at Matteo, trying to appear both innocent and alluring. Men like that, right? Since I came of age, I’ve been told that my value has been in my body, particularly as a virgin.

Matteo's eyes darken, but he shakes his head. "That's not possible, Ava. At least not right now. Our situation is… problematic."

Undeterred, I step closer. I can feel the tension in his muscles, the rapid beating of his heart. His eyes close, and I interpret this as a sign that my seduction is working.

"It doesn't have to be problematic," I whisper, leaning in closer. "We could figure something out, couldn't we?"

I'm trembling inside, both from fear and a strange excitement. I've never been this forward with a man before, and despite the circumstances, I can't deny the thrill it gives me. But I remind myself that this is all an act.

I see fire in his eyes. It’s similar to what I remember when he brought me home and I kissed him on my balcony. For a moment, I think he’s going to give in.

He takes my wrist, pulling it off his chest. "Ava, stop.”

I freeze, caught off guard by his directness. My carefully constructed facade crumbles, and my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

“That’s not what this is about,” he says, his voice low and husky.

“So, what is it about? Are you going to hand me over to traffickers?”

His eyes widen in shock. “What? No.”

“Then what? If it’s to have your way with me, I’ve just offered myself. I’ll do it in exchange for letting me go." I see the open door behind him. I nonchalantly maneuver myself around him so that he’s not blocking my path to the door, a calculated move to position myself for a quick exit if the opportunity arises.

He glares down at me like he’s annoyed. “If I wanted to hurt you, I could have done it that night at the club. I had the perfect opportunity. But instead, I made sure you got home safely."

I bite my lip, recalling how he'd helped me sneak back into my room that night. How gentle he'd been, even when I was drunk and reckless.

"And now?" Matteo continues. "I could have left you there when you fell. Your father's guards would have found you, and who knows what would have happened then. But I chose to help you again."

His words cause my resolve to wane. He's right. He's had multiple chances to take advantage of me, but he never did.

"I know you're scared," Matteo says softly. "But I promise, I'm not your enemy here. I'm trying to protect you."

“Then why am I locked up?”

He leans in close. “Because you don’t seem to understand the difficult situation we’re in. By saving you, I’ve put a bullseye on my back. Is that what you want, Ava? For your father to kill me?”

I shake my head.

“I don’t either. I’ll protect you, but I’m not going to die for you, Princess.”

I feel his words like a slap in the face. “If I’m such a problem, why did you kiss me?”

He leans in closer still, our faces millimeters apart. “You kissed me.”

My ego can’t take any more hits. “Poor you. Well… if you want to know, as first kisses go, it was forgettable.”

His eyes flash with wild heat. “Liar. That kiss has haunted your dreams, just like it has mine.”

It takes a moment for his admission to sink in. “You liked it?”

“Fucking hell.” He runs his fingers through his hair. I feel a rush of anticipation as Matteo's eyes darken with desire.

This is my chance. “Don’t you want to kiss me again?” I press against him, noting the wild energy radiating off him. I lift up on my toes and press my lips to his.

The moment our mouths meet, a jolt of electricity courses through my body. At first, he seems resistant, and then he gives in. His arms encircle my waist, pulling me flush against him. I gasp at the contact, and he takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His tongue teases mine, and I'm lost in a whirlwind of sensations. The hot sweep of his tongue. The hard length of him pressed against my belly.

Warmth spreads through my body, a mix of need and desire.

My fingers tangle in his hair, and I arch into him, craving more contact. The intensity of my reaction startles me. This isn’t supposed to feel so… real. But it’s as real and alive as it gets. For a moment, I forget why I initiated this kiss in the first place. All I can focus on is the way Matteo makes me feel—alive, desired, and strangely safe despite our circumstances.

But reason crashes through my stupor. I'm still his prisoner. This kiss, no matter how intoxicating, doesn't change that fact. I remind myself of my ultimate goal. Escape. But it's hard to focus with Matteo's hands roaming my back, his lips trailing fire along my jaw. The physical attraction is overwhelming, threatening to sweep away my carefully laid plans.

But I can't let that happen. Inwardly, I muster my courage. Then I break the kiss. I whirl around. With freedom in sight, I run for the door.