CHAPTER 24
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Amara’s POV
“I don’t like this, Amara. Something feels wrong.” Matteo said and there was hesitance and discomfort in his eyes. I had done this many times already before, I even faced him a few times when I was still in The Obsidian, so I knew I could do it.
I glanced at him as I slipped the small pistol into my thigh holster. “You think I can’t handle myself?”
“It’s not that,” he replied quickly, his jaw tightening. “I trust you. It’s everyone else I don‘ t trust.”
The room felt heavier than usual and Matteo stood by the window, his hands. shoved into his pockets and his gaze fixed somewhere far beyond the confines of the Vitale estate. He looked uneasy, but he should have known when he decided to marry me that I would have a role to fulfill
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as well even though this was just an arrangement towards a common goal.
“Relax, Matteo.” I adjusted the sleeves of my blazer, trying to sound casual. “It‘ s just a transaction. In and out. I’ve done this many times already, you know that, right?”
“Yeah, but I still think I should send someone with you,” he muttered, his eyes flicking to me with a look that was more of a command than a suggestion.
“I’ll be fine.” I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “This isn’t my first deal. I’ve done this before.”
Matteo stared at me for a long moment.
“If anything goes wrong-”
“Nothing will.” I cut him off gently. “I promise.”
His jaw tightened, but he did not say anything. For a moment, his walls cracked just enough to show a flicker of worry beneath his composed exterior. He stepped
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closer, shrinking the space between us. His hand brushed against mine, subtle and hesitant, almost like he wanted to grab hold but thought better of it.
“Be careful,” he uttered with the kind of tone that wrapped around my spine and lingered.
I smiled, reassuring him, hoping to ease whatever tension was brewing inside him.
I turned to leave but his sharp intake of breath stopped me mid step.
“Amara.”
The way he said my name made me pause with my heart beating just a little faster. I glanced back, my hand on the doorframe.
“You come back. No matter what.”
Something in his voice an edge of vulnerability, perhaps caught me off
guard. I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could speak, Matteo closed the distance between us in two quick strides.
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and his hand wrapped around my wrist, and in one swift motion, he pulled me back toward him.
“Matteo, what are you-
He silenced me with his lips. His mouth crashed against mine with a desperation that stole my breath. For a split second, I froze, caught off guard by the sudden intimacy. But then I caved.
My free hand found its way to his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt as I leaned into him. And though my mind was questioning my actions, I still felt that it was right. It felt so right to be this close and intimate with him, even though I was still denying myself what I truly felt for him because I was not ready. His other hand slid to the small of my back, anchoring me in place as the kiss deepened, as if he were trying to tell me something words could
not convey.
When we finally pulled apart, I was
breathless and flushed with Matteo’s face
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just inches from mine. And there it was
again
the concern, raw and unguarded.
“I mean it,” he said softly. “You come back. No matter what.”
For a moment, I could not find my voice. The way he looked at me, like I was something more than just an ally or a responsibility, left me shaken in ways I was not ready to admit.
“I will,” I finally managed.
He reluctantly let go, his hand slipping away like he did not want to break the contact. But without another word, I turned and walked out, with my lips still tingling from his kiss and a mix of
emotions I did not know how to process.
