HELENA'S POV
"It's complicated" I heard him say and contrary to what I might have expected, I felt eerily calm and then I nodded my head and I took a step back from him.
"I guess I should go" I whispered but my eyes weren't meeting his and I preferred it that way because I didn't think I'd be able to stand the intensity of his gaze.
"Helena you just said – " I knew what he was going to say so I stopped him before he had the chance to complete his statement.
"I know what I just said, and it doesn't matter what I just said. I can't keep giving myself to you and letting you fuck her through me" the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them and Dante's eyes widened. Immediately, I turned around to walk out of the room but Dante was on his feet and blocking my path in the next second.
His hands cupped my face, pushing stray strands of hair behind my ears. I wondered if he knew the prickly feeling his touch gave me, the overwhelming feeling of warmth spreading through my veins and collecting in my stomach, I wonder if he knew and he decided to torture me with it.
"I think you should stop thinking about Gianna" he said, and I recoiled at the sound of her name in his mouth. I could still smell the alcohol on his breath.
"I don't – I just – "
"And now – you got me all riled up for no reason" my eyes flicked down his torso and I could see his length still bulging against his briefs, and struggling to be set free and I wanted to give them the relief they desperately sought but my hands remained transfixed at my side.
I took my eyes back to his face, and being this close to him altered my decision making process by a whole lot. I had some thinking to do and I needed to separate my feelings from anything physical that went on between us.
"I need to go" I pushed away from, heading towards to the door.
"Helena, if you step out that door – "
"What are you going to do" I cut him short and I walked, slamming the door behind. It wasn't until I had gone back to my own room that I released a shaky breath I didn't realize I was holding. I had been challenging Dante a lot lately and I knew it wouldn't be long before he blew up in my face and maybe, just a little maybe, I wanted to see it – what an enraged Dante would look like.
My eyes flicked back to the diamond necklace on my bed and I picked it up, placing it on my dress table – I didn't want to deal with it that night.
I went to bed.
MATTEO'S POV
My reflection stared back at me the next morning, the bruises were still fresh on my face and while it quite gave me the badass look I wanted, it annoyed me. A small cut on my upper lip, and a purplish coloration forming around my left eye. Dante had never hit me before, even when I did the most stupidest thing like shooting a member of a rival gang during a peace treaty, he had only given me a hard look and later that evening we were bonding in the club over a bottle of overpriced a whiskey. It felt quite different when he hit me over a woman.
I splashed some more water on my face to drive the drowsiness that embraced me, and I walked out heading to the kitchen, shirtless and my hair still a mess. I found Dante at the table, wearing a suit and drinking a cup of coffee while scrolling on his phone, his eyes flicked to me when he heard my footsteps approaching.
"Where are you off to so early" I said to him, helping myself to a scalding cup and adding some milk. I could shoot a man without thinking, I could draw out the most conniving plot to carry a heist just for my own entertainment but I would never drink my coffee black – my life and mind was dark enough.
"My company's not going to run itself, would it?"
I chuckled, assessing the crispness of his suit, taking a sip from my cup "One would think you have zero affiliations with the mafia – but you run this end, too bad you're softening up for a woman"
Dante looked at me, but he didn't say anything instead he shifted his attention back to his phone, he wasn't in the mood to deal with my offhanded comments and honestly I couldn't fault him, I wouldn't take any man serious if he had bruises on his face that were inflicted by me.
"So I'm guessing you guys made up" I said instead, stirring my cup.
"No" his tone was brisk and I could tell that he was still annoyed.
"So I got beat up for nothing?"
"She thinks for some reason that I still think about Gianna"
I took a long sip to annoy him specifically because he hated slurp sounds, but he wasn't paying me any mind
"I mean don't you?" I asked him
"Not the way she thinks" he said and I expected him to explain further but his mouth stayed shut and then he stood up abruptly and looked at me
"You're not letting her out of your sight today"
I groaned "I'm tired of being a bodyguard, come on cuz" but Dante was already walking out the door leaving the ghost of my words behind and alongside his half finished cup of coffee.
It was barely up to ten minutes when I heard Helena's footsteps coming down the long flight of stairs, soon enough slight smell of vanilla filled the room suddenly attacking and the next thing she was in my line of vision. Her long hair swept past her shoulders and collecting at her waist, her looked sleepy still and she poured herself a cup, barely registering my presence and then she flicked her eyes to me.
"Why do you have to be the first thing I see every morning now" she eyed me suspiciously, I slight hint of disdain in her eyes that I seemed to meticulously enjoy.
She brought the cup to her lips, her diamond ring glistening in the light.
"If you were hoping to meet your husband, I'm afraid you just lost him but if you're fast enough you might catch him about drive out"
She rolled her eyes "Well, I was hoping I wouldn't meet him"
My curiosity peaked immediately, and I focused all my attention on her and somehow noticing a perfect lushness to her lips, I forced my eyes away immediately "He bought the ring back, what's all the fuss about still?"
She regarded me for a moment, contemplating whether to confide in me or not and honestly I was not surprised by her decision.
"Do you think he still thinks about her?" she asked and I knew that question came from the most vulnerable part within her and I had two options, tell her the truth about what Dante said or better still, stir the pot for my own entertainment and of course I chose the latter.
"He's a man Helena, of course he thinks about her"
I saw her face falter for the fraction of a second but she took the cup to her lips and by the time she set the cup down, her expression was neutral.
"I need to cleanse my mind, I'm going to the studio" she turned to leave.
"I'm coming with you" I said and she stopped in her tracks, turning to look at me, her eyes darkening a bit.
"No you're not"
"As a matter of fact, I am"