23. Matteo

Chapter 23

Matteo

" W here are you taking me?" she asked in a hazy voice.

My girl wasn't a stranger to violence or death, and she was strong as hell. I admired her.

But I noticed how she kept looking at her hands, seeing the drying blood coating them.

She was still so innocent even after living in the cesspool that was Desolation.

"I'm taking you home, Sunshine." I wrapped my arm tightly around her waist and led her to the SUV parked across the street. I was glad she wasn't fighting me for being the stronger one right now. She'd done well, my pretty girl.

That fucker would have died from the cut in his neck, but I'd finished the job. I didn't want that on her hands, and truth be told, I wanted to fucking kill him ten times over just for breathing in her direction.

I'd call Luca and have some of our associates take care of the body before anyone could find it.

I opened the back door, lifted Liliana up, and laid her in the back. She didn't fight me, and when I covered her with my jacket, she curled into a ball so she appeared even smaller.

Something painful tightened in my heart at seeing her so tired, so scared.

"Let's go home, sweetheart." I leaned in and kissed her temple, cupping the back of her head and holding her close for long seconds, just feeling her. Smelling her. "I'm never letting you fucking go. I'll kill every motherfucker who stands in my way of making that my reality."

With one more kiss to her head, I got in the driver's seat and headed home.

Home. That's what it felt like with Liliana as mine.