Chapter 14

14

MONA

" E at." Matteo wraps his arm around me, pulling me into his lap. Under the table, his hand comes between my thighs to cup my sex over my dress.

"Matteo." I elbow him. Not that it does anything. I open my mouth as soon as he delivers a bite of cheesy scrambled eggs to my lips. I've been eating them for breakfast every morning. I can't get enough of them.

My sister glances up at us from her book as she takes a bite of her bagel. Over the past two weeks, we've both really settled in here. Things have slowly started to change. Matteo's men don't go out of their way to be chatty with me, but they're polite. They talk more to Riley, but Matteo doesn't get all growly when they do.

"How long do you think we'll be gone?"

"A few nights."

"I don't need another—" The spoon goes directly into my mouth. Riley snickers from behind her book. I chew it and glare at him. When I see that's not going to work, I give my butt a wiggle. His hand between my thighs tightens.

"Rabbit," he warns, which only turns me on. I wonder if I'm addicted to sex because I love it so much or if my pregnancy plays into it. Matteo took a shower with me when I woke up, where he pressed me against the tile wall and had his filthy way with me. That was less than an hour ago, but here I am, ready for another round.

"What?" I feign innocence.

"The SUV is ready to go when you are, boss," Sal tells Matteo.

"Oh, I'll grab my bag." Riley pushes her chair back to stand.

"I grabbed it," Sal informs her.

Out of all of Matteo's men, I know Sal the best. Sergio always goes with Matteo when he leaves the house, which has happened often. He's come home more than once with blood on him. I don't say anything, but I worry every time he walks out the door.

"Will I finally get to meet Nikolai?" Matteo has talked to me about him often, but he's been staying in the city. I think he looks at him like a little brother.

"Yes, but just know he can be a dick." Matteo places me on my feet before he stands.

"He's eighteen?" I'm curious to meet a boy Matteo has had a hand in raising. Nikolai's life has been a hard one, from what Matteo has told me.

"Barely." Matteo lets out a frustrated breath, and I know it's over raising Nikolai.

We tell Emma our goodbyes before we're off to the city. I'm going to have my first sonogram, and Riley and I might take a peek into planning Matteo's and my wedding. A few months ago, the thought of a wedding dress made me want to vomit.

Now there is only excitement, but I told Matteo I didn't want to get married until things started to settle. He wasn't too pleased about that until I told him it was important to me. A wedding wasn't a dream of mine, but now it is. With a new outlook, it can change what you want. Everything has changed for me.

"This place is fancy," I say as we step onto the elevator from the bottom floor of the parking garage. The condo building reminds me of a castle; it's shiny and new. "If I touch something, it will smudge."

"Smudge away." Matteo pulls me into his side, hitting the button for the top floor. "I haven't done much with the place. I use it for showering and sleeping. It can be easier to crash here some nights rather than make the drive back out to the estate."

"I don't like when you stay out here," I admit. I don't want him to use this as a place to avoid me.

"I haven't done so since you made that clear, rabbit. You only have to tell me." He leans down and drops a kiss on the tip of my nose, making me smile like a giant goofball. Even if his men are around, Matteo is affectionate toward me. I love that he doesn't give a shit who sees.

"I know." I'm getting better at telling him how I feel. I laugh now when I think back to our fight in the kitchen. He couldn't understand why I was so upset. The elevator dings, the doors sliding open right into an entryway.

Sal steps off first before giving a nod that we can follow. "Wow," Riley says. I can hear her audibly swallow.

"Can we close those curtains?" I ask. The whole left wall that opens into a giant living room has glass windows that stretch from floor to ceiling. It's an incredible view, but Riley is terrified of heights. Sal grabs a remote, closing them for us.

"What fucking time is it?" We all turn at the sound of a deep, gruff voice coming down the hallway. It has a hint of a Russian accent, I think.

"It's noon. Were you out again all night?" Matteo asks.

As the figure draws closer, I can see how tall he is. Tattoos run up and down his arms. His hair is black as night and tousled, but when his eyes finally meet mine, they're striking. They're a bright ice blue.

"You!" Nikolai stands up straighter, his attention directed at my sister. Riley lets out a small squeak, and her eyes widen. Sal shifts to stand in front of her. How the hell would they know each other?

"Nikolai." Matteo steps forward.

"Sal, move," Nikolai orders him, drawing closer to him.

"Can't do that." Sal doesn't budge. His job is already to keep an eye on Riley and me.

"What is wrong with you?" Matteo places his hand on Nikolai's shoulder to stop him from doing anything.

"That's her. She was the one who triggered the fire alarm." Oh crap. Nikolai must have been there that night at the club.

Riley had pulled the fire alarm after she witnessed me go into Matteo's office and not come back out. She got worried that something bad was happening to me. She tried to go in, but no one would let her close to his door. In a panic, she pulled the fire alarm. It worked. We both got away.

Matteo leans into Nikolai. "I don't give a shit."

"Tell Sal to fucking move." Nikolai's whole body is rigid. Any sleep that had lingered is gone. I step back to be closer to my sister, taking her hand. She leans into me, a petrified look on her face.

"Nikolai," Luca half-growls.

"Tell him." Nikolai isn't backing down. The two of them are standing toe to toe.

"It's his job to keep her safe."

"I want to see her." It's quiet for a long moment.

"Sal," Matteo says. He steps to the side revealing my sister. "She is Mona's sister. That puts her under my protection. Are we understood?"

"She's staying here?" he asks Matteo, but he's staring at my sister, who is looking anywhere but at him.

"While we're in the city. But yes, she stays where Mona is."

"Fine," Nikolai grunts.

"Go to my office." Matteo drops his hand from off his shoulder. Nikolai looks like he wants to say more but turns and leaves.

"The fuck, boss?" Sal speaks first.

"I don't know, but I'll talk to him."

"I'm sorry I pulled the fire alarm in your club," Riley adds.

"No, you're not." Matteo responds to my sister. "You did what you thought you needed to in order to protect your sister. Never apologize for that."

Riley gives him a soft smile. At least the two of them are coming around to each other. I have no clue what Nikolai's deal is, but I'm guessing my sister might.