Because he was right.
Caitlin had captured my heart. It had taken precisely one intense night with her for me to fall. And not a single day had gone by where my thoughts hadn’t drifted to the redheaded angel who had stolen a piece of me.
I couldn’t let her vanish, not again.
But it wasn’t my choice to make.
Chapter 13
Caitlin
Luis was at the door talking to someone.
Not just anyone.
Matteo.
“Cait,” he said, keeping the door half-closed preventing Matteo’s access. “There’s someone here to see you.”
I could have kissed him for giving me the chance to speak up for myself. For giving me the choice. It wasn’t something I was used to which only made me appreciate it all the more.
“It’s okay,” I replied. “You can let him in.”
I wanted to hear what he had to say for himself after his stellar performance this morning.
But when Matteo stepped inside, I knew immediately that something was wrong.
“What happened?” I clutched my throat, frozen to the spot.
“Can you give us a minute?” he asked Luis, who glanced at me.
“It’s okay.” I nodded.
“I’m going for a walk. I won’t be far.”
“She’s safe with me,” Matteo said.
Luis gave him a curt nod, but I didn’t miss the silent warning in his eyes. It was strange to have someone standing up for me, protecting me. But I liked Luis, I liked him a whole lot. He was easy to be around, if not a little aloof. He didn’t probe or push, and he didn’t feel the need to fill the silence. It made a change to be around such a centered male.
He left and the air in the cabin turned thick with tension.
“We should sit,” Matteo suggested.
“I’d prefer to stand.” I folded my arms around myself, bracing myself for whatever he was about to say.
“The bartender… Shaun…”
“Oh God.” Bile rushed up my throat, a wave of nausea battering my insides as I reached out for the counter to steady myself. “He’s… dead?”
“I’m so sorry,” he started approaching, “I’m so fucking—”
“Don’t.” I held up my hand. “Just don’t.”
Shaun.
Kind, funny, big-hearted Shaun. He’d gotten me out of Providence and delivered me to safety… and this was the thanks he got.
“D-did … did he suffer?”
“Cait,” Matteo choked out.
“Please. I need to know.”
“It would have happened quickly.” His expression hardened and I knew he was only pacifying me. But it was probably for the best. I didn’t really want to think about what DiMarco and his men had done to Shaun.
Poor Shaun, he didn’t deserve this.
It was all my fault.
I should never have let him talk me into running.
“What will happen to him?”
“His family have been notified already.”
“And the police?”
Matteo’s eyes flared. “As far as the police are concerned, it was an accident. There will be no further investigation.”
“But… he was murdered. He was killed by Zander and his…” Tears rolled down my cheeks as reality slammed into me. Zander had done this because of me—to find me.
“Oh no! What if Shaun talked? What if—”
“He didn’t know anything past telling you to run. Even if he did talk, he wouldn’t have given DiMarco anything more than he already knows.”
“He’s really gone?” My voice cracked as I stared at Matteo, silently willing him to fix this. To lie and tell me everything was fine.
But everything wasn’t fine. And it wouldn’t be, so long as Zander was still out there.
An idea popped into my head, and I blurted out, “You can kill him, right? Hire someone to take him out, make it look like an accident or something?”
“It’s not that simple—”
“Yes, yes, it is. It solves all our problems.”
“Tink.” He came closer still, close enough to curve his hand around my arm and gently brace me. “There is nothing more I want than to put a bullet between his eyes, but I can’t. Not yet. Not until—”
“Until what?” I shrieked, a tidal wave of emotion crashing over me. “Until he finds me and points a gun at my head? You said you cared about me. You said you wouldn’t let anything happen to me. You said—”
“Shh.” He pulled me into his chest, holding me tight. My fingers clawed at his sweater as I sobbed violently against him.
“I never asked for any of this… I never wanted it.”
“Shh, Tink. I’ve got you. I’m here.” He nuzzled my hair, breathing me in.
My heart stuttered in my chest, overwhelmed by all the emotions flowing through me.
“He won’t stop,” I breathed. “He won’t stop until he finds me, Matteo. And when he does—”
“No.” He held me at arm’s length, forcing me to look at him. “You do not belong to Zander DiMarco, do you hear me? If he wants you, then he’ll have to come through me to get you.”
My heart swelled but it didn’t last. How could I possibly stand here, swooning, while Shaun lay dead on a steel trolley in the morgue.
Slowly, the tears subsided as I grew numb. This was my fault.
My fault.
“You hungry?” Matteo asked, guiding me over to one of the stools.
“Not really.”
“Understandable, but you’ve got to eat something. How about something light?”
“Fine.” I stared off into space.
Food was the last thing on my mind, but it had been an intense few days.
Matteo went to the refrigerator and started collecting up ingredients. “I call this, eggs à la Bellatoni.”
“If this is your attempt at making me laugh, you might need to try harder.” I sucked in a ragged breath, trying not to succumb to the tears again.
“Shit, Tink, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here.” He blanched, running a hand through his messy, dark-blond hair. Without another word, he rounded the breakfast counter and ran his thumb along the line of my jaw before burying his hand deep into my curls. “I wish I could make this all go away. I wish I could fix it.”
“Matt,” I breathed, fisting his sweater.
We stayed like that, wrapped up in one another until Luis came back into the cabin and cleared his throat.
“A word,” he said to Matteo.
Matteo glanced down at me, and I nodded. “Go. I’m okay.”
For a second, I thought he might kiss me, but then he pulled away, following Luis back outside.
I waited, wondering what could possibly be happening now. But I was too distracted to worry. My heart, too broken to care.
Shaun was a good guy. He was my friend. And Zander had hurt him because he’d helped me. I still couldn’t believe it. But there was no doubt in my mind now that I could never return to Providence, to my friends there.
I wondered what Zander had told them, how he’d covered my disappearance.