"Oh, for fuck's sake," Sadie groaned, smacking my shoulder. I winced, turning a glare her way.
"I—what?" the girl asked.
"I live with Matteo, girlfriend by force, I guess. Anywayyyy," I noted her shocked expression and realized I needed to save this conversation from crazy town. Stat. "He's a cheater. Already cheated once, but says he's changed. Blah blah you know the spiel."
"And you want to prove he'll cheat again?" she asked.
I nodded, opening up just enough to admit that Matteo had gotten to me before everything went to shit. "I want it done, before it hurts more, you know?"
"Oh honey, I mean. If he's as good looking as I've heard, then it's not exactly a hardship, is it? Are you sure you can handle knowing—?"
I nodded, though I knew there was a grimace on my face. "I want to know if he gives you any sign of interest. If he takes your number, gives you his. Whatever. I need to know."
She nodded, and I forced Simon to let her up the stairs. He played along, smirking the entire time like he was in on some huge joke.
Sadie took my hand, pulling me from my seat. "Let's go."
"Go where?"
"Dancing." She shoved past two bouncers who just trailed after us in dismay. "They won't touch you. Matteo would cut off their hands if they did. So we will not sit here so you can wait and watch him be seduced."
I swallowed, nodding. As soon as we hit the dance floor, I made it my resolution to not look at Matteo's tower. I didn't want to know. Didn't have any interest in finding out how Matteo liked to fuck the girls he took in his office. He'd admitted he didn't have sex in beds except with me, but the office saw some action.
I hated it by extension.
I threw myself into the action of dancing, trying actively to lose track of time. Song passed after song, and when there was no sign of the gorgeous girl returning to the VIP room from Matteo's tower, I felt something inside me shrivel and die.
There would be no doubt in my mind about what happened in that office, not with the time she'd spent there.
When my eyes slid away from the tower slowly, I met Simon's eyes briefly. Even his gaze was knowing, all traces of amusement gone from his features as he stared down at me. I didn't expect the anger making his face tense; the disappointment making his shoulders drop.
Hands touched my waist from behind, and barely a second passed before Scar stepped into my space and physically separated the guy from me.
I forced my best, most convincing, bullshit smile to my face as I turned to look at whoever had been brave enough to touch me with bouncers and bodyguards all around me. He was cute, if not oblivious to the off-limits aura my guys gave anyone who got too close. "It's okay," I said to Scar, stepping into the stranger’s orbit. I took his hands and placed them back on my hips as I resumed the rhythm of the music.
"Ivory—" Scar started, and I smiled at him. He didn't seem to know what to do with that smile, faltering in whatever he'd been about to say. My eyes darted back up to the Tower, and Scar winced when my eyes found his again.
"It was only a matter of time, Scar," I whispered, and his face twisted with confusion.
Like Matteo had really convinced his guys I mattered—that I was important. He probably had to, if he expected them to risk their lives to protect me.
But the secret was out. I was just another in a long line of forgettable women who would mean nothing to Matteo. His jaw tensed, but he nodded, stepping back and letting me turn my attention to my stranger.
I smiled again, shoving down that broken part of me. I didn't get to be upset.
This was my doing.
The stranger smiled at me, and once we had room to move, he picked up the sway of his body and moved in tune with mine. Sadie found her own dance partner, moving close to me in the crush of bodies so we all enjoyed the music as a group.
A prickle of unease tingled down my back, but I was determined to ignore it. Until people dancing around us froze, and Sadie's hand grasped my arm. Turning to look at her, I saw her face etched with horror. "Ivory," she whispered, grabbing the stranger's hands and shoving them off my body. My eyes met Scar's next, and he smirked at me and crossed his arms over his chest.
My body pivoted slowly, eyes tracking through the crowd where they stared at me.
Matteo stood on the stairs that connected the VIP area to the main dance floor. His hand gripped the railing tightly, so much that it looked painful.
His face was etched in rage.
Those beautiful features looked monstrous in the flashing lights of the club as his darkened gaze found mine. Lino followed behind him, dragging the girl I'd sent down with a tight grip on her arm. Her eyes found mine, wide and full of fear. Her lips mouthed the words, "I'm sorry."
"He didn't take the bait," Sadie whispered in horror. "So, what was he doing up there?"
I glanced over at her, wondering the same thing. When Matteo took the first slow step toward us, it was not the body language of a man who'd fucked up and fallen for a woman's tricks and gotten laid.
It was the movement of a man who'd been wronged.
A man hell-bent on destruction.
I turned, shoving at the stranger. "Go," Sadie whispered, and the poor fool just stared at her. "If you value your life, you'll leave this club right now and never come back." That caught his attention, and he backed away slowly before picking up his pace and fleeing for the door.
I felt Matteo's presence. Felt every step he took until he stood directly behind me. He didn't touch me, didn't speak. But I knew he was there, heard the ragged intake of each breath.
"Matteo," I whispered, glancing to the side to look at Lino and the woman I'd selfishly sent into a situation I'd never had a hope of controlling.
"Do you think this is a game?" he whispered with a dead voice that probably concealed his rage from anyone who didn't know him. I watched with wide eyes when my stranger was stopped at the doors, bouncers ushering him toward a hall at the back of the bar.
"You're taking this too far, Bellandi," Sadie hissed. "This is too much."
"Do you know who I am, Sadie?" Matteo asked her slowly, and I watched as my friend gulped and nodded. "And you knew this when you called to inform me that Ivory had a date, no doubt?"
Pure, unfiltered betrayal rushed through me, and I turned to stare at her. Not only had she kept secrets from me, but she'd been the one to tell Matteo I'd gone on a date?
"Ivory," she whispered, stepping into my space. Matteo blocked her with an arm at her chest, forcing her to keep her distance.
"Ivory does not exist for you. Not until she understands the severity of what is happening here."
"You can't do that!" Sadie shouted.
"How could you?" I whispered to her, and I thought for sure the sound would be lost to the music. By some miracle, the music was nothing but a dull pound in the background, lost to the potent silence and the crush of people staring at us.
"I can, and I will."
"He doesn't have to. I don't even want to look at you," I hissed, flinching when Sadie winced. She nodded as if she'd expected that and turned and walked away. The bouncers didn't stop her and shove her into some back room to wait for their boss' wrath.