Tangled paths
717 Words
The morning after the attack—or whatever that had been—Chirina arrived at Club Nova with a mixture of fear and determination.
Mateo was already there, leaning against the bar, arms crossed, eyes dark under the early glow of the neon signs. He didn’t move when she entered, as if expecting her.
“You came,” he said simply.
“I’m not leaving,” she snapped. “Not until I know what happened to my sister.”
He studied her for a long moment. Then he straightened, voice calm but dangerous. “Fine. But we do this together. My rules. Or you don’t do it at all.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like your rules.”
“I don’t care,” he replied. “You’re too valuable to lose.”
Her pulse quickened, not from fear, but from the tingling awareness of him so close. She hated it. Hated how it made her skin prick, how her heart betrayed her.
The back office had become their base of operations. Mateo pulled a small, battered folder from the top shelf and slid it across the desk toward her.
“Your sister found something dangerous,” he said. “I kept it safe. Thought you should see it.”
Chirina’s hands trembled slightly as she opened it. Photos, notes, and documents detailed financial corruption, secret deals, and people who would kill to protect them.
Her stomach churned. “This… this is dangerous.”
“Yes,” Mateo said quietly. “Which is why I didn’t tell you sooner. Some truths… kill.”
Her gaze met his. “Then why show me now?”
“Because,” he said, stepping closer than necessary, “I trust you. More than I should.”
Her breath hitched. Trust from him? Mateo De Luca? The idea made her pulse spike in ways she loathed to admit.
A noise from upstairs made them freeze.
“Someone’s here,” Mateo whispered, grabbing her wrist before she could move.
“Let go!” she hissed, but didn’t resist.
“I said stay close,” he murmured, guiding her behind the desk. His presence pressed into her side—protective, magnetic, infuriating.
Footsteps approached, deliberate, confident. Then a male voice:
“You shouldn’t be meddling.”
Her stomach dropped. The man from the VIP balcony. The one who had warned her earlier.
Mateo’s grip tightened slightly, silent but unyielding. “Stay quiet. Don’t move.”
Her heart raced. Not just from fear. From being this close to him. From the heat radiating off his body.
The man moved past without noticing them. Mateo exhaled, brushing a loose strand of her hair from her face.
“You’re reckless,” he murmured.
“And you’re impossible,” she shot back, her voice catching despite herself.
He didn’t answer, but the tension between them spoke volumes—the hate, the danger, the undeniable attraction that neither wanted to admit.
They returned to the file, scanning every detail.
Mateo leaned over her shoulder, close enough that she could feel the heat of his chest against her back. She swallowed hard, her pulse hammering.
“You trust me?” he asked, voice low.
“I—” She stopped, realizing the truth. She didn’t. Not completely. Not yet.
“I know,” he said, dark eyes piercing hers. “I don’t trust you either.”
Her breath caught. “Then why are we working together?”
“Because,” he murmured, leaning slightly closer, “I can’t let you die chasing this alone.”
Her heart thudded. And for a fleeting moment, she thought she might lean into him, let the danger and attraction collide. But she didn’t. Not yet.
Somewhere above, a shadow moved silently. Watching. Waiting.
Chirina’s stomach twisted. They weren’t just fighting to uncover Maria’s secret anymore—they were in the crosshairs of someone who would kill to keep it hidden.
Mateo’s hand brushed hers as he passed her the folder again, a fleeting touch, but enough to send electricity through her.
“Ready?” he asked.
She swallowed, heart racing. “I’m ready.”
But deep down, she knew the real danger wasn’t just the enemies outside the club. It was the pull between them—and the secrets they both kept.
- Writer
