His arms tightened around me. "What about what I want?"
"You'll find someone better for you." He stiffened, pulling away. His eyes darted over my shoulder, and he nodded silently with a huff of laughter before turning on his heel and disappearing into the crowd.
My spine tingled, something like apprehension sliding up it suddenly and pooling in my chest. The press of a body against my back came out of nowhere, making me stumble forward. A massive hand wrapped around my throat, trapping me, and panic flooded through me. My hands stretched up to claw at that hand, as Patrick stepped forward.
"Hey man, let her go!" he protested.
"It's quite fortunate that I think having his heart crushed is punishment enough. Otherwise, Duke would be a dead man. Get rid of the extra, naughty angel," Matteo's voice growled in my ear. I sighed in relief, my panic abating with the feeling of safety that came from Matteo. As pissed as he might be, and I imagined he really, really was, he wouldn't hurt me.
Not really.
"Let go of me, Teo," I whispered, giving Patrick a reassuring smile where he eyed us in a mix of fury and concern. "It's okay. I know him," I yelled.
"I suggest that you get the fuck out of my club while you still have all your limbs," Matteo grunted at him. His voice might have remained quiet, had we not been in a club. But with the music thudding overhead, he had no choice but to shout the command. Heads turned our way, watching the exchange. Patrick's eyes widened, but he nodded before abandoning me to Matteo.
I sighed, frustration mounting. I hated feeling owned, like property that belonged to Matteo and couldn't think or act for myself. "Did you forget about something?" he asked.
"Hmm, nope," I whispered, trying to ignore the way Matteo skimmed his free hand over my hip.
"You are spoken for, my love. Very much in a committed relationship. It is very fortunate for your date that he didn't touch you. Otherwise, it would have been the last thing he did."
I froze, feeling Matteo's grip on my throat tighten in warning. "Things are about to change. It's time for you to accept what is happening with us."
"There is no us! There will never be an us!" I yelled back at him, not even caring about the people watching.
"Ah, but you're wrong, Cara mia. There very much is an us. There has always been an us, and there always will be an us. You will never let another man touch you," he barked the order, releasing my throat in favor of taking my hand and yanking me toward the exit.
"Wait, I don't want to go anywhere with you!" I snarled, attempting to pry his fingers off my hand as I stumbled after him.
"That's most unfortunate for you. No one here will stop us."
"Matteo!" I shrieked, glaring at Scar where he took up his place behind us. The night air was cold as it hit my skin, the wind ripping through the street. The valet raced to get the car as Matteo draped his suit jacket over my shoulders. "My jacket is inside. At least let me get it before you cart me off like an animal."
Matteo nodded to Scar, who turned and stalked back into the club. When the Aston pulled up in front of the club, Matteo didn't wait for him. Instead, he shoved me into my seat and slammed the door closed before taking his own seat and stealing me away into the night.
✽✽✽
Matteo drove too fast.
He always drove too fucking fast, but nothing could compare to when he was full blown, pissed off.
"I cannot believe you were so stupid to go out without Scar. Do you care nothing for your safety?" he growled, turning blocks to head for the highway.
"I was fine!" I protested, shaking my head at his ridiculous behavior. I wasn't a reckless child, if I wanted to go to a club for once, then that was what I would do.
"And what would you have done if Adrian showed up?" Matteo asked, and I pursed my lips. I'd been confident no one could follow me since Scar hadn't even noticed me sneaking out, but there had been risk involved on that front.
It was just worth it, to have a single night of freedom from the confines of my life with Matteo.
"I can't have someone following me all the time, Teo," I whispered. "I need space, room to just be and the ability to do what I want."
"Yeah? Well, you can kiss that goodbye," he laughed, a dark, hollow sound that grated on my nerves.
"What does that mean?" He was silent for a moment, and I began to wonder if he would bother answering me or if I'd just wake up to some surprise restriction without asking my consent. He shoved the sleeves of his shirt up one by one, frustration written in every feature of his face. His bone structure was unique, sculpted, and radiated strength with his chiseled square jaw, and that always made him look intimidating to some extent, but the way he pursed his lips in that moment only aggravated it.
"Things are changing. You'll see what I mean once I make the arrangements." I considered asking but decided against it. If Matteo didn't want to tell me something, give me preparation, then he wouldn't. I could beat my head against a wall, or just accept that we would argue whenever he made those arrangements.
My eyes went to the tattoo on his forearm opposite me, watching the way the muscles corded as he gripped the wheel. "Why do you have that tattoo?" I asked.
His eyes darted down to it, and he veered off the road to pull into an empty parking lot of one of the many businesses lining the streets as we made our way out of The Loop.
"What are you—?" I stopped when he threw the car into park. He stripped off his seat belt, his body turning to face me ominously.
He took my hand in his, touching my fingers to the tattooed flesh of his forearm. I traced the lion's face with my fingers, circling the clock face that hid the face of a lamb in its intricate details. "I got it the day I broke up with you," he admitted, shocking me. "As a reminder."
"A reminder of what?" I whispered. I suddenly knew that I didn't want to have this conversation. My apprehension over it had made me procrastinate in asking, because why would I want to know why Matteo had immortalized the worst moment of my life on his skin.
"That the lion should never get involved with the lamb, because it's only a matter of time before the lamb is hurt." I huffed a laugh, pulling my fingers away suddenly. If I'd expected a sweet answer, something to hint that everything had been a lie, that had been anything but. "Not because I broke your heart, Angel. My life is complicated. It's dangerous, and it always has been. Walking away was the best way to protect you from the consequences of it. Every time I thought about going to you, about taking you back, that tattoo reminded me why I had to stay away."
Tears pooled in my eyes, and I shook my head. I wouldn't let him in again, and I worked to rebuild those walls between us, the shaky ones that seemed to fail every day. "Don't."
"It was always you, Ivory. Always," he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine. "You're the only thing that could hurt me. The only thing they could use to break me. That is why you need to do what I tell you. You must stay with Scar. It's the only way I can keep you safe."
I nodded, numbness flooding my system as I fortified my walls. Matteo sighed, aggravated. He'd always known when I worked to build up my walls, always sensed them the second they went up.