The Mafia’s Dangerous Love

The predators ship

Matteo’s POV

I shouldn’t have come here.

I was filled with so many thoughts that, standing outside Elena’s door, I did not know what to think of, let alone do next. I was about to pull her into a darker part of my life that she could never comprehend or be a part of. I was an i***t, reckless, believing that I could maintain a certain amount of distance from her. The first time I saw her was at the cafe on the night when I drank with my friends and realized I am in for a ride. Not for me—but for herself.

She had no idea what kind of man I was. I was the hunter and she was the prey, wounded before I got the chance to get closer. But for some unknown reason I could not resist my urge of going back to her again. Even now, shivering in the cold night, the urge to shield her was a physical pain in my chest while my head told me to stay away from her.

I knocked.

And while I stood there I heard a rustling sound from the darkness to my back. My body went on high alert. The alley wasn’t empty. Someone else was watching.

Damn it.

This was not the plan for tonight. I came to tell Elena to keep a distance from me and to warn her of the risk of being with me. But now? I was not alone and whoever was hiding in the dark was not here to share stories. It was as if the entire room was staring at me that moment, waiting for me to make a move, to blink first.

I did not get a chance to respond when the door to the house, squeaked opened.

Elena just stood there, stunned and… afraid? She appeared tiny, delicate by the porch light but her eyes never blinked, she was staring at me.

“Matteo,” she whispered using a barely audible voice. “What are you doing here?”

I should’ve left. I should have turned and gone back to the dark and stay there for always I am not meant to be here. But instead I moved forward, looked around the area behind me, my awareness increased. “Get inside. Now.”

For a moment she looked around, shifted her gaze from something behind me, and then moved aside, opening the door for me. The moment the door shut, I looked at her and said through clenched teeth. “We don’t have time. Pack a bag.”

Elena looked at me, and her face crumpled into a frown. “What? Why?”

I didn’t have time for this. I moved towards her, took her by her shoulders and made her look into my eyes. “You’re not safe here. They’re watching you, Elena. You need to leave. Now.”

Her mouth gaped a little, but she was momentarily speechless. She then closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. “Who’s watching me? What the hell is going on?”

I muttered a string of bad words, my hand clenching. “I can’t explain it all now. But they came to your house earlier, did they? Asked you and your father threats?

Her face went white and I was sure I had gotten my answer. Damn. I should have expected they would go after her. When I knew that he was coming, the hatred that became a fire in my heart seemed to be almost unbearable. She didn’t deserve this. She was innocent—way too innocent for the world I was a part of.

But there was no way of avoiding it now. They had targeted her as the vulnerability which indeed they were. My weakness.

“Matteo…” Her voice was shaking now, she was barely whispering. “Who are you? What are you involved in?”

I looked deep into her eyes and felt deep down the meaning of the question she had just asked me. I couldn’t tell her the truth – not all of it. If she knew, she’d run, and I couldn’t let that happen. Not when she was determined to live or when her life was on the line. No when she was in dangerous and she was expecting me to defend her.

“I’m trying to protect you,” I said instead, my words barely above a whisper, my tone level, my breathing steady. “But you have to trust me.”

Her lips opened to say something but she was interrupted by footsteps coming from outside the window. My neck moved in the direction of the noise. Too late.

A noise like nothing I have ever heard before broke the glass as something, no, a person, flew through the window. Somehow, my senses took over and with the sound of a click, my gun was in my hand and Elena was behind me.

The man who entered did not think twice, he rushed towards me like a man who has been trained to assassinate. I fired. He fell on the floor with a thud but he was not finished.

More were coming.

“Elena, stay down!” I screamed and kept her at the back as I stood close to the window. Outside the street was empty—way too empty. Whoever had sent them was already watching, waiting for my next move.

“Elena,” I spoke out loud once more, this time to her. She was pale, her hands shaking and she was sitting on the floor behind the couch with her eyes opened wide in fear. “We need to go. Now.”

She did not contest this time and instead stood up, picked the first bag she came across. Yet I knew I could read the questions in her eyes, the confusion turning into panic. She was not born for such a life, and yet…now she was pulled into the darkness because of me.

Before we could make a move, the door flew open. Another three men came charging in, holding their guns. It was a fight for my life so I shot at the first one before he could even aim at me. The second attacked me, trying to snatch the gun out of my hand and we fell on the floor fighting vigorously.

“Elena, run!” I barked through clenched teeth as I defended myself from the man on top of me but she looked unsure. Fear had frozen her.

I could hear the third man advancing towards her.

No.

Anger welled up from within me and pushing the man off of me, I head-butted him on the floor. I took my gun at the same time the third man attempted to grab Elena; I pulled her back by the arm. Seeing her so scared—terrified actually, caused a switch in me that I never knew existed.

I fired. He let her go, collapsing on the floor immediately.

Elena stepped backward and began panting heavily. I remained standing, removing the blood from my face, and my breath ragged. There was no one else in the house now, and all that could be heard was her heavy breathing. It wasn’t over. It was never over.

I moved closer and helped her up. I saw recognition in her eyes and she looked at me, her eyes big and round with fear. The girl she used to be, that happy, playful girl was no more alive now, if one went by what she had heard about her. I had taken her into the darkness with me as a part of her life.

“We have to go,” I repeated equally quietly.

“Matteo… what just happened?” she asked herself out loud, she could hardly believe and talk firmly. “Who were those men?”

“They’re after me,” I said, my voice getting rough. “And now they’re after you.”

She started to cry and just shook her head in disbelief of the things she just heard. “Why? Why are they after me?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. I just pulled her closer, grabbing her arms, to make her look straight into my eyes. “Listen to me, Elena. We don’t have time. More are coming. You must leave this place, I told him. I need you to trust me.”

Her eyes welled up suddenly and she choked on her breath, looking at me with quivering lips. Then, slowly, she nodded.

I released a breath I hadn’t been aware of taking.

“Let’s go,” I said, grabbing her hand and starting for the door.

As we came out of the building, the chill of the night brushing against our skin, a sound of car tires breaking the silence filled the night. Suddenly a black SUV rushed in front of us, eyes on the road, glaring in the darkness of the night.

They were here.

I take Elena’s hand and run, dragging her into the back yard of her house. I found myself thinking hard trying to figure out the remaining time we had on our hands. Not enough. We needed a way out—fast.

The SUV skidded to a stop and I heard the doors shut. Voices. Footsteps. They were closing in.

“Elena,” I said quietly and took her to the nearest shelter, which was a dumpster. “Stay quiet. Don’t move until I tell you.”

She nodded, sweat drenched her face and the rise and fall of her chest showed how hard she had been breathing.

I quickly looked around the corner to see the men start to spread out, trying to find us. We couldn’t outpacing them, not in this place. We needed a distraction. Something to—

All of a sudden, I heard the sound of a c****d pistol pointing at the back of my head.

I stopped and began to turn around very slowly.

There was a man there, holding a gun on me and grinning in a very unpleasant sort of way. “Nice try, De Luca.”

The man smiled even more broadly and squeezed the trigger of his gun and in my mind, I realized that there was no way of escaping from the situation.