Kate
I wake up with Matteo sitting in a chair next to my bed reading some documents of some sort. He puts the papers down and kneels at my side. His face is ridden with worry. His tan forehead is furrowed with deep lines. “How are you feeling?”
I attempt to stretch my arms and legs, but find that I’m tied up again although very loose compared to the other times. I glance back at him. The look on my face must say exactly what I’m thinking.
“I just needed to be sure that you weren’t going to bolt out of bed.” He plants a soft kiss on my forehead.
He’s worried I’m going to leave? I could barely move earlier. Obviously, he still doesn’t trust me despite the fact I’ve done everything he’s asked and stayed true to my word. I can’t stop the words that come out any more than I could make the vomit disappear. “Did you poison me?”
Matteo’s eyes narrow, and I wish that I could tuck the words back into my throat. No such luck.
“Why would you think that? Have I given you any indication that I would try to kill you?” He cocks his head to the side and his brows crunch up just a bit more as he waits for my response.
“You didn’t eat your breakfast, and I became violently ill after eating mine.” I’m afraid to look at him. I don’t want to see his expression, so I stare at the blank television instead.
“If I were going to kill you, I would’ve done it already. Besides, I’m not a big fan of poisoning. I much prefer suffering and gore.”
My stomach twists just a bit and vomit burns the back of my throat. Sometimes it escapes me how he can be so evil one minute, and then the next, the most charming man I’ve ever met. He rubs my cheek lovingly, and I have to force myself not to flinch away. If I do, I may lose all of his trust, and I can’t have that. Things have been going so well. “Do you think I could have some more water? I’m pretty thirsty.”
“Sure, or if you want, there’s ginger ale. I had someone pick some up for you. I thought the carbonation might help your stomach.”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
Matteo gets up from the chair and leaves the room. I take a closer look at the knots. They are tied rather loosely and I think with a free hand, I could untie them in a matter of a minute or two. My fear is that he would come in while I was untying them and then all hell would break loose. At least now, I do get some privileges and can get out of bed. For now, I’m comfortable where I am. There’s no need to rock the boat.
Matteo returns only a few minutes later. He unties one of my wrists and hands over the glass of ginger ale. I take a sip of the cool liquid. It washes down the bile that was lodged in the back of my throat and helps my stomach not be so upset. I savor the sweetness and the bubbles. It’s been so long since I’ve had any kind of soda that I forget how refreshing it can be.
I hand the glass back to him and am surprised when he gives me the television remote. I look at him, questioning. He’s never given me the remote or the power to select what I want to watch.
“I have to make some calls in the other room and take care of some business. Go ahead and watch what you want. If you need anything, holler and I’ll come running.” He smiles and leaves the room.
There’s something different about his behavior. This morning he was so loving and full of life. Now, there’s a bit of an edge about him. It’s almost like he could snap at any second. I certainly don’t want to get in his line of fire when he finally explodes.
I turn on the television and begin flipping through the channels. I come to the news station and think about watching it. Inside a war wages, going back and forth on whether or not I should keep the channel here. Before, I was not allowed to watch the news. A couple of minutes ago, Matteo said I could watch anything. I’m still afraid to do anything wrong that might upset him. On the other hand, I’d love to see how much time has gone by and what’s going on in the world. I make the decision to keep the news on.
I start with a local station, but there’s mindless dribble and for the most part just a bunch of filler. I find Fox News Channel and immediately notice the date and time. I gasp when I realize I’ve been held captive for over a month. My hands begin to shake. I’ve lost a month of my life. I’ll never be able to get it back. What’s happened to Tony? Is he still looking for me? I’ve lost my life to a man who has forced me into a life I don’t want. He’s torn me away from my family and friends. An empty hole burrows its way through my heart. My dreams and aspirations slip away into the darkness and the unknown. I’ve seen enough. I turn off the television and stare at the wall in front of me.
I’m startled out of the pity party I was throwing by a loud thud hitting the wall with what sounds like glass shattering only seconds later. Matteo yells something in Italian, but I don’t know what it is. I’ve picked up quite a bit of Italian from Tony, but I’m still not fluent. If ever there was a time, it would be now.
I sit completely still trying to hear anything I can to find out what’s put Matteo in this mood. I need to know how to calm him or this could end up badly for me.
“I want him out of my hair. I want him dead!” It’s been awhile since I’ve seen this side of Matteo and I’ve got to admit, I don’t like it. My heart is racing, and I look for someplace to hide even though I’m tied up. I know I’ve been trained to handle the beating I’m sure to receive, but I’ve also grown quite a bit weaker and I’m worried about my ability to handle it.
Before I can regain my bearings, Matteo is at the bedside standing over me. I meet his hard stare. He wants and needs me. My reflex is to comfort him as I reach up to touch the man standing before me. He leans down, takes my hand, kisses it, and then places it against his as though I’m his life line.
“What’s wrong?” Maybe if he talks about it, I can calm him down.
“Nothing you need to worry about. How are you feeling?”
I assess my body both internally and externally. Overall, I feel pretty good. It’s my nerves that are shot. The constant thumping of my heart and the panicky feeling that surges through my body and soul are what’s about to tip me over the edge. I’ve got to get control of it. “I’m doing okay. The nausea has passed.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear that.” He gets a hungry look in his eyes. There’s only one thing it can mean and I need to give it to him. I scoop my free hand around his neck and pull him close enough that I can kiss his soft lips. The smell of aftershave permeates the air, and makes me wanton. Who would’ve thought a simple smell could drive me crazy?
Before I know it, he’s on top of me and untying my restraints. He’s never untied all of my limbs while he made love to me. This is the first. I can touch and wrap my arms and legs around the man who makes me feel so damn good.
He cups my breast and uses his tongue to peak my nipple. My body responds and it’s instantly ready for what he has to offer. His intensity is overwhelming and I know this is going to be good. I’m eager and lift my head to bite his neck. He pulls back and connects eyes with me. “You want me.”
I’m not sure if it’s a question or a statement. I pull him to me and our bodies unite as one as my mouth connects with him performing a waltz in sync. It’s like we’ve been partners for years. There’s something that works here. I can’t get enough, but at the same time, all I want is Tony. My heart belongs to Tony, but I have to find a way to move on to this new life I have. I can learn to live with this. I have no other choice.