Stolen Queen (Dynasty of Deception #4)

20. Matteo

20

MATTEO

I clench my fists, my anger boiling over as I stare at Ava. Her words cut deep, comparing me to her father. Doesn't she understand I'm trying to protect her? To give her the freedom she craves while keeping her safe?

"Fine," I spit out, my voice low and dangerous. "You want freedom? You've got it. I won't lock you in your room."

Her eyes widen in surprise, nearly in triumph, but I'm not finished.

"But remember this, Princess. When I turn up dead or missing because you've left and outed me to your father or my enemies, my blood will be on your hands."

The color drains from her face, and a part of me feels guilty for scaring her. But I push that feeling aside. She needs to understand the gravity of our situation.

"I've got to go." I stalk away, unable to lose the feeling that I’m signing my death warrant by not locking her in her room.

As I ride the elevator down, my mind races. I'm burning with anger, guilt, and a cocktail of other emotions I can't even begin to untangle. It's messing with my head, making it hard to think straight. And that's dangerous in my line of work.

I need to get it together before I see Elio. He's too perceptive, and if he catches on that I'm hiding something, it could spell disaster for both me and Ava.

As the elevator nears the lobby level, I consider stopping and asking the doorman to call me if Ava leaves the building. But ultimately, I don’t. The fewer people know about Ava being here, the better, so I ride the elevator down to the garage.

I climb into my car, gripping the steering wheel tightly. The urge to turn back, to make sure Ava will stay, is almost overwhelming. But I’m not a monster. I’m not her father.

I pull into traffic, forcing myself to compartmentalize, to push thoughts of Ava to the back of my mind and focus on my job. I can’t afford to let my personal life interfere with business.

I spend the day in a foul mood, snapping at everyone who crosses my path from street bosses to associates. During a meeting with some of our suppliers, I nearly lost it when one of them dared to push back on price. It took every ounce of self-control not to put my fist through his face. Fucking hell, I’m turning into Lazaro.

As the day wears on, my anxiety grows. What if Ava has left? What if Rinella's men have found her? I’m in the midst of a mental breakdown, and the day’s only half over.

My phone rings and Elio's name flashes on the screen. It’s not unusual for him to call me, but I have a sinking feeling that word has gotten back to him that I’m becoming unhinged.

"We need to meet Rinella at the docks," Elio says without preamble.

I curse under my breath. Of all the fucking times for this to happen. "I'll be there.” I shake my head, wondering when Lazaro will be back. He’s a master at motivating men through fear.

When I arrive, Elio is already there with a few of our men. Rinella and his goons are there as well.

"What's this about?" I mutter to Elio.

He shakes his head slightly. "Just a show of force. There've been some issues with shipments, and Rinella's getting antsy. We need to present a united front."

"What's the matter, Rinella? Lose another shipment? Or just your daughter?" The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, dripping with venom.

The reaction is instantaneous. Rinella's second in command, a burly man with a scar across his cheek, pulls out his gun and points it straight at my head. I don't flinch, staring down the barrel with a smirk on my face.

Of course, our men respond in kind. I’ve created a shitshow.

Elio steps forward, his voice calm but firm. "Rinella, call off your man. This isn't how we do business."

Rinella's eyes narrow, his gaze flicking between me and Elio. "Your boy needs to learn some respect, D'Amato. Maybe you should teach him a lesson before I do."

Elio’s demeanor almost seems bored, unless you know it well enough to see the menace in his eyes. "I'd argue that I should be dealing with you and your man for showing such disrespect," Elio says coolly. "Especially considering how I'm helping you out."

I roll my eyes. Why can’t we kill these motherfuckers? It would solve all sorts of problems. My anger and frustration continue to simmer, and Rinella's attitude is pushing me over the edge.

"You're a fucking pussy, Rinella," I spit out, ignoring the warning glare Elio shoots my way. "Can't handle your own business, can't even keep tabs on your own family. What kind of leader are you supposed to be?"

Rinella's face turns an ugly shade of red, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. His second still has his gun trained on me, but I couldn't care less right now. I’m a dead man walking, anyway.

Elio's glare intensifies, a clear message that I've gone too far. He takes a breath, clearly trying to maintain his composure in the face of my outburst.

He turns back to Rinella, his voice steady and diplomatic. "Let's not let emotions get the better of us here.”

Rinella's face is still flushed with anger. "Caruso will hear about this, D'Amato. He doesn't take kindly to disrespect."

I can't help but laugh, the sound harsh and mocking. "Oh, running to tattle to the big boss? Real mature, Rinella."

Elio whips around to face me, his expression a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "Matteo, that's enough. Go wait in the car."

I open my mouth to argue, but the look in Elio's eyes stops me cold. I've pushed too far, and I know it. Without another word, I turn on my heel and stalk back to the car, my fists clenched at my sides.

As I slide into the driver's seat, I can see Elio and Rinella still talking in the rearview mirror. All guns are down now, so disaster averted.

I grip the steering wheel as Elio slides into the passenger seat. “I told Tony you’d bring me home.”

I nod and put the car in gear. As we drive, Elio is quiet, and his silence is more deafening than any shouting match.

Finally, Elio breaks the silence. "What the fuck is going on with you, Matteo?"

I keep my eyes fixed on the road, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance. "Nothing's going on. I'm just fed up with Rinella's bullshit."

Elio doesn't respond immediately, and I can feel his eyes boring into me. When he speaks again, his voice is low and measured. "Bullshit. I've known you too long to buy that. You've been off for days now. Distracted, irritable. And now this stunt at the docks? This isn't like you."

My jaw clenches as I fight the urge to confess everything. The guilt of keeping secrets from Elio, my best friend and practically my brother, is killing me. But I can't risk Ava's safety, not even for him.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened back there," I say, trying to deflect. "I let my temper get the best of me. It won't happen again."

Elio sighs. "That's not what I'm asking. I want to know what's really going on with you."

"I'm just stressed," I lie, hating myself for every word. "With everything that's been going on lately, I guess it's finally getting to me. I'll get it together, I promise."

“Do you need a break? Vacation?”

I consider his question. With some time away from the family business, I could focus on getting Ava out of this mess. I could set her up with a new identity, give her enough cash to start fresh somewhere far away from Chicago. It's what she wants, isn't it? Freedom, a chance to live her own life?

The thought of never seeing her again makes my chest tighten, but I push that feeling aside. This isn't about what I want. It's about keeping her safe and giving her the life she deserves.

But I also know that could put eyes on me. I realize too late that my insults toward Rinella mean he’ll likely pay more attention to me. “I don't need time off."

Elio looks at me skeptically. "Are you sure? There's no shame in taking a break if you need it. I know when I took that week with Piper, it helped."

I roll my eyes. “That was your honeymoon.”

“So maybe you need to get laid.”

Maybe. But the only woman I want despises me. “I’m fine. I just don’t like Rinella. He’s a fucking weasel trying to take advantage of you…” I suck in a breath to stop myself from going on another tirade. “I’ll pull it together.”

He studies me for a moment, then nods. "Alright, if you say so. But take the rest of the day off and get your shit together. We can't afford another scene like that."

As we pull up to Elio's place, I feel grateful that he’s not being harsher with me. I definitely deserve it.

"Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow,” Elio says as he exits the car.

I nod, watching him walk away. As soon as he's inside, I let out a long breath. Now, I just need to get back to Ava and figure out our next move.

I step out of the elevator and open the door. The penthouse is quiet, and for a moment, I'm terrified that Ava's gone. I rush to her room. Relief washes over me as I see her sitting on the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. She's here. She stayed.

Ava looks up at me, her eyes guarded. She doesn't say a word, just watches me with a mixture of hurt and defiance.

I open my mouth to speak, but the words catch in my throat. What can I say? How do I explain that I’m terrified for her safety? That the thought of losing her made me lash out?

The silence stretches between us. I know I messed up. I promised her freedom, then I threatened to lock her away. I suppose in that respect, I am like her father.

I take a step into the room, and Ava tenses. It's a small movement, but it feels like a knife to my gut. She's afraid of me now. Or worse, she hates me.

"Ava—”

She cuts me off with a sharp look. What right do I have to apologize, to expect her forgiveness?

I stand there, feeling lost and helpless. I want to make this right, but I don't know how. Maybe I can't. Maybe I've ruined whatever fragile trust we had built.

I step back from Ava's room, closing the door softly behind me. I lean against the wall, running a hand through my hair. I've fucked up, big time.

But she’s still here. I have the opportunity to make it up to her. If she’ll let me.

As it turns out, she isn’t interested in anything from me. For the next five days, I dedicate myself to taking care of Ava. I cook her favorite meals, but she won’t come eat with me. She chooses to spend all her time in her room.

I bring her books and magazines, even more craft supplies, hoping to coax her out of her self-imposed isolation. But she refuses to speak to me. She doesn’t even look at me anymore. It’s gutting me.

I try to give her space, to be patient. But it's not in my nature. I'm a man of action, used to taking what I want. And what I want is for Ava to trust me again, to look at me the way she did before I fucked everything up.

By the fifth day, I've had enough. I need a new plan. When I arrive home after work, I storm into Ava's room, my frustration boiling over. She's sitting on the bed, her eyes fixed on the wall, refusing to acknowledge my presence.

"Ava, look at me," I demand, my voice strained. She doesn't move, doesn't even blink. It occurs to me that my attitude isn’t doing anything to help my cause. I suck in a breath, pulling my frayed emotions together. “I wish I could make you understand how dangerous things are for us now."

She turns her head slightly, fixing me with a cold glare. It's the most reaction I've gotten from her in days, but it's not enough. I need her to understand.

"Don't you get it?" I burst out, my voice rising. "It would gut me if something happened to you!"

The words hang in the air between us, raw and honest. For the first time in days, Ava looks up at me with something other than contempt. Her eyes widen, surprise replacing the anger.

I hold my breath, waiting for her reaction. The vulnerability in my admission terrifies me, but I can't take it back now. I've exposed a part of myself and now I wait to see what she does with it.

While her expression softens slightly, she still doesn’t speak.

Fucking hell. How can I reach her? "Look, I know I've been going about this all wrong. I just want to keep you safe, not control you."

I reach into my pocket and pull out a sleek new phone no one will be able to trace to her. "Here. You can use it to call me whenever you need to."

Ava hesitates for a moment before taking the phone from my hand. Her fingers brush against mine, and yearning fills my chest.

"And this," I continue, pulling out a credit card, "is for you to order whatever you need. Have it delivered here under my name. I don't want you to feel like you're lacking anything."

I place the card on the bedside table, watching Ava's face carefully. She looks down at the phone in her hand, then back up at me.

"I'm not trying to buy your forgiveness," I clarify quickly. "I just… I want you to feel safe… at home here."

Ava's silent for a long moment, and I hold my breath, waiting for her response. Still, she says nothing.

“I know you want to be free. If you want, I can get you a new identity. Help you leave Chicago and live your own life."

The words feel like sandpaper in my throat, but I force them out. I watch her face carefully, trying to gauge her reaction.

Ava's eyes widen, a mix of surprise and suspicion crossing her features. "You'd let me go?" I hate that the only response she gives is to my agreement to help her escape.

I nod, my chest tightening at the thought of her leaving. "Yeah, I would. If that's what you want."

She studies me, her gaze searching.

I should leave it at that, but I can’t. "But I don't want to. I'm a selfish asshole, Ava. I want you to stay, but I can't stand to see you so miserable."

I can't bear to look at her, afraid of what I might see in her eyes. Without another word, I turn and leave the room, giving her the space she needs to make her decision.

As I close the door behind me, I feel like I can't breathe. I've never handed over control like this before. Sure, Elio and Lana can boss me around, but that's different. They're my bosses. This… this is me giving Ava the power to shatter me completely.