Blood Always

32

“If you’ll recall,” he said dryly. “It’s technically not my house. Angelo’s wife redecorated when they first bought it.” I levelled a hard gaze in his direction at the mention of his boss. “I told you, it won’t be an issue. He lives on the second floor and uses an exterior entry. You just stay down here, and you’ll never know he’s there. He won’t even be coming to the wedding.” “He’s not?” I was stunned. How could the boss not attend such an important event as the strategic alliance of his family with its past enemy? “He has business out of state. Plus, he’s not exactly the sentimental type.” That was putting it mildly. Well, I would take the news as the gift it was. Angelo Sartori’s presence would not be missed. “Have a look around,” Matteo said. “The room is yours now, too. I’ll go make sure those idiots get things put in the proper place.” He wrapped his knuckles on the door and disappeared. Relieved to settle in without an audience, I took a deep cleansing breath and walked to the ensuite master bathroom. Decorated in the same monochromatic style, it could have graced the cover of the most elite home design magazine. The attached his and hers closets were each as big as my entire Manhattan bedroom. I walked along Matteo’s rows of clothes hung neatly by category and peeked into the top drawers of the built-in dresser. Undershirts, socks, and workout shorts—nothing terribly exciting. Heading back to the main bedroom, I glanced at the vacant doorway to the rest of the house before meandering closer to the bedside nightstand with an alarm clock. The bed was made, so it was hard to say which side he slept on, but I was guessing the alarm clock was a good indicator. Checking the doorway one more time, I reached for the shiny silver handle and opened the drawer. Tissues, a few random cough drops, a pen with a notepad containing unintelligible scribbles, and a small stack of folded stationary papers. Curious, I took the top paper and opened it to find the neat script of a woman’s handwriting. Matteo, I know this has been a whirlwind few months, but they’ve been some of the best of my life. You make the sun shine brighter every day we’re together, and I worry that life without you would be black as a moonless night. I’ll miss seeing you this week while you’re in the city, but knowing I get to spend the weekend with you on our trip makes it bearable. All my love, Laura It was a love note. My heart clenched and seized at the sight of a romantic correspondence between Matteo and another woman. I quickly folded the note and grabbed the rest of the stack, scanning through to find they were all similarly penned. I didn’t want to get caught snooping, so there wasn’t time to read them all, but a quick perusal told me there were no dates on them. I set the love letters back in his drawer and closed it, wishing I could do the same for my heart—close it safely inside a sealed box and try to forget it existed. Unfortunately, my heart wasn’t protected nearly enough where Matteo was concerned, and what I’d discovered couldn’t be unseen or forgotten. Why did he still have the letters in his nightstand? Had he been in love with the woman? A stab of white-hot jealously lanced my chest. Was he still in a relationship with her? He’d said there was no one else, but maybe he was only trying to appease me for the sake of our alliance. My father hadn’t allowed me to investigate Matteo, so I didn’t even know if he’d been married before. I suddenly felt like I didn’t know anything about the man I was soon to marry. My shields had lowered as I became familiar with his personality, but my knowledge had only grazed the surface. I knew nothing of his past. Of his darkest sins or deepest desires. Nothing to substantiate a foundation of trust. My throat tightened as I made my way out of the bedroom and back toward the kitchen where I’d left my purse. I hated that seeing the notes had affected me. I hated that I couldn’t keep myself better protected. But even worse, I hated myself for running because it reeked of weakness. Writing a quick note explaining my need to get back to the city, I scurried out the front and disappeared. OceanofPDF.com Chapter 11 Maria Matteo texted later that evening saying he would be in the city and suggested I stay with him. I politely declined, making excuses for myself, and he didn’t push the matter. Once I’d had some time to think, I realized that my gut instinct told me Matteo wasn’t a liar. If he’d told me there was no one else, then there wasn’t. But I couldn’t shake the ominous dark cloud that rained down on my mood each time the stack of notes popped into the forefront of my mind. It was like that damn Whac-A-Mole game. Every time I’d push away the image of the woman’s elegant script, another question or thought would surface, bringing my mind back to the subject. I couldn’t escape it no matter how hard I tried. When Friday rolled around, there was no more hiding. Matteo was hosting a rehearsal dinner, which he and my mother decided to have in the city for the convenience of everyone invited. The evening went beautifully on a superficial level. I was welcoming to our guests, affectionate toward Matteo, and ensured a smile graced my lips at all times. Twice, I caught Matteo studying me. I had no doubt he knew something was up, but he likely couldn’t decipher if it was general nerves about the wedding or something more substantial. I wished he’d figure it out and let me know, because I was at a loss myself. I was swimming in emotion, too concentrated on breathing to say much of anything. For the first time in my life, I teetered on the cusp of being called demure. I sipped my wine, politely answered questions directed at me, and tried desperately not to vomit. When it came time to call it a night, I stayed glued to my mother’s side, using her as a buffer between me and Matteo. I had arranged to stay with my parents that night, using hair and makeup for the wedding as an excuse. Mom had paid for a team of stylists to come to their house and get us ready for the big day. I could have driven over that morning, but I didn’t want to be at my apartment alone.