“Caitlin?” Arianne called, and my head snapped up.
“Coming.” I followed them to the cabin. It was impressive on the outside, but the inside was something to behold. There was a large, open plan living space with a kitchen in the back, divided by a gorgeous, soft sectional. The open fire was filled with chopped wood just begging to be lit, and the furniture was all rustic to match the open beams.
It was beautiful.
“There’s a heating system,” Luis said, stoking the fire. “Though nothing beats an open fire.”
“Living room and kitchen,” Arianne said. “Then the hall leads to the main bathroom, one master suite, and three guest bedrooms.
“You can have your pick of any of the three, but my favorite is the first door on the left.” A warm smile graced her face. “Come on.”
She led me down the hall and into the first bedroom.
“Wow, this is… stunning.” It rivalled the guest room at their apartment. Decadent décor and ornate, hand-carved furniture. It was rustic and welcoming and everything I’d never had before.
“It’s yours,” she said. “For as long as you need it.”
Emotion welled inside my chest, and I glanced away, trying to hide the moisture clinging to my lashes.
But when Arianne said, “I’ll give you a minute.” I knew I’d failed.
Silence enveloped me. Thick, oppressive silence. I surveyed the room, my gaze snagging on my reflection in the dresser mirror.
The woman staring back at me looked exhausted, dark circles ringing her dull, lifeless green eyes. Bruises mottled her skin, angry red welts lining her jaw.
She was a mess.
I was a mess.
The tears I’d fought so hard to contain began spilling down my cheeks.
“How did you end up here again? How?” I gripped the edge of the dresser, my eyes shuttering with anguish.
I was a fighter, a survivor, had been since I was just a kid. But over and over, I found myself in these desperate situations. Like a magnet for the broken and bad.
I could hear my mom’s raspy voice as clear as day. “You’re nothing but a worthless whore, Cait. That’s all you’ll ever be.”
But I wasn’t that girl. I never had been. She was just too bitter, too angry and high to see it.
“Cait?” Arianne’s voice startled me.
“Just a minute.” I swiped the tears from my eyes, wincing when I caught the bruising on my cheek. It still hurt, but not nearly as much as my heart.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m coming,” I called, forcing myself to take a calming breath.
Checking my reflection one last time, I slipped back into the hall.
“Are you hungry?” she asked. “I thought we could eat before Nicco gets here.”
He was picking Arianne up to take her back to Romany Square. Luis would remain here with me as agreed.
I still didn’t know how to feel about being here with a man I hardly knew, but I did know it was preferable to being out in the middle of nowhere alone.
My eyes flicked over to where Luis was tending the fire. As if she heard my thoughts, Arianne said, “Luis is practically family. I wouldn’t leave him here with you if I didn’t trust him.”
“We’ve got company,” he announced, peering out of the window.
“It’s just Nicco.” Arianne moved toward him, frowning at whatever she saw beyond the window.
“I’ll be back,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at me. With a silent look at Luis, she slipped out of the cabin and a trickle of fear went through me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing. I’m sure it’s—”
But I was already moving toward the window, gasping when I saw the figure step out of the car.
“What is he doing here?” My voice quivered as I clutched my throat.
“I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation,” Luis said.
Yeah, like he couldn’t stay the hell away.
Anger unfurled in my stomach, heating my blood and without thinking, I yanked open the door, stepped outside, and hissed, “What the hell are you doing here?”
Chapter 8
Matteo
Arianne let out a soft sigh as Caitlin glared at me, her anger like a storm raging between us.
“Nicco couldn’t come, he—”
“How convenient,” she spat the words. “So you figured, what? You’d come and try to force me to talk to you?”
“Caitlin, that isn’t what’s happening here.” Arianne stepped forward, but Caitlin jerked back.
“I trusted you.” Hurt flashed over her features. “I trusted you and—”
“Antonio was rushed to the hospital,” I blurted out. “Nicco couldn’t come because his family needed him.”
“Oh.” Her expression slipped, some of the anger melting away, replaced with guilt. “I… I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay,” Arianne said. “Why don’t you go inside, and I’ll be right there.”
“Yeah, sorry.” Caitlin’s cool gaze swept over me, leaving me chilled to the bone.
She all but ran back into the cabin.
I let out a frustrated breath. “That went well.”
“She needs time, Matt.” Sympathy shone in Ari’s eyes. “She’s… confused and hurting.”
“I’m not the enemy,” I grumbled, feeling totally out of my depth.
“No, but you are a guy she’s been intimate with. It’s a lot to confront after everything she’s been through.”
I glanced up at the cabin and dragged a hand down my face. “I guess I’ll wait out here.”
“Thank you.” Ari squeezed my hand. “I’ll just say goodbye and then we can go.”
Nicco and Alessia, his sister, were already at the hospital with Enzo and Nora. I’d offered to come get Ari and take her straight there.
I’d almost jumped at the chance to come out here with a valid excuse to see her. Probably not my brightest idea ever, but I’d underestimated just how much Caitlin didn’t want to see me.
Way to go, Matt.
Luis stepped out onto the porch. “How’s Toni?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Fuck, if anything happened to him, I didn’t want to think about the domino effect that would have.
“Tell Nicco I’ll be praying.”
I nodded, my eyes flicking beyond him to the door. “How is she?”
“Arianne?”
“No, Caitlin.”
He frowned. “She’s as well as can be expected given the circumstances.”
“You’ll watch out for her?”
“Of course. Is she… someone to you?” Luis’s brow lifted.
“She’s…”
The door opened and Arianne appeared. “I’m going to be a few minutes. Come and wait inside.”
“I’m not sure—”
“It’s fine.”
“I’m going to check the perimeter.” Luis took off toward the tree line.
“Come on,” Ari beckoned me inside.