Chapter 13

Was sneaking out of her father’s house juvenile? Of course. She hadn’t done that since... her last year of high school? And that was a strong maybe. She had snuck out to sit on the roof and drink her father’s wine on her mother’s birthday. The last time she had done this and gone somewhere had been...

Never. Amazing. Some independent woman she was, never really stepping a toe out of line.

No wonder her father claimed he no longer recognized her. For once in her life, she was truly rebelling. Before this, she had always given him the silent treatment until they fixed their issues... Although, apparently, they never really had. All along the way, her father had lied and made empty promises.

Well, then. She could have certainly picked worse ways to rebel. In fact, this was almost tame in comparison to what she genuinely wanted.

Yet this would serve all of her current needs and problems, while also helping her establish her path forward. So, sneaking out was her only option.

Particularly after the phone call to her Uncle Toto.

Talk to your father , he had said, as though that ever went anywhere. Sit down and listen to him .

Right. Yeah. Listen to him tell her that she was inferior due to her gender? Absurd. Unacceptable. Not in this century.

There are things you need to know, Gabriella. Things I cannot be the one to tell you, although I should have a long time ago.

Yes, her uncle should have told her a lot of things in the past, but he was refusing to speak further, and honestly, Gabriella didn’t have the patience for the old man. She loved him, knew he struggled with his loyalty to her father but refused to break his connection with her. The time for honesty was years earlier, when Gabriella was struggling during her undergrad years to accept the truth about her father and his position.

How the hell had she gone through two decades of life, and no one bothered to inform her that her father wasn’t just a part of the mob, but he was the mob. Of course, her father was an important man, given their last name, but she had older relatives in the family. There was a real difference between thinking your father was obeying commands and realizing that your father was the one giving them. She had begged Uncle Toto to tell her more about him and the family, given how he was from her mother’s side, but he had insisted then what he did now—that she talk to him.

She was done with that. Having a conversation with her father was impossible when he wanted to be the only one speaking.

If Uncle Toto was going to refuse to expand further on why she should do certain things, then she was done with him as well. Until he wanted to drop the bullshit and have an honest conversation with her about other secrets people were keeping from her “for her own good,” of course. Then she would forgive him. Immediately.

She understood that standing up to Renaldo Santorini was nearly impossible and could get a man killed. She wouldn’t hold that against him. Particularly not when she didn’t have enough status to protect him.

But how was she supposed to take a seat at the table when her father was still refusing her into the room?

Damn him. Damn her father for his entire speech about obeying and listening and doing as told and finding a useless fucking husband for her to crown in her father’s chair. Fuck all of that.

The only useful thing to come out of their conversation, other than confirmation that her father was lying to her, was his confirming he had no plans to allow other women to sit at the table. The first night had been his attempt to appease her, but in doing so, he had given her the exact key to moving forward.

Did she have a chance to exchange phone numbers that first evening with any of them? No, of course not, and her father had never bothered to pass along any of their numbers either. In fact, her father had filled her contact list with information of every unmarried, unmated male within the family. She could text probably half of them and request their sister’s contact details, even without their names, but that would lead back to her father and would be a waste of time.

Because it was a weekend, and she didn’t need to get contact information to ask where they would be and if she could meet up. She already knew.

So, she began her work to solve her first problem.

Somehow, after she was done with that, it would flow into her second problem. And third. And fourth.

Fucking Alphas...

How they were sixty percent of her current problems, she had no idea, but she was ready to kill multiple birds with one stone after building her slingshot.

And until all the other problems were solved, she would casually ignore the giant red flashing sign of her fifth and final problem...

It should’ve concerned her that she had adrenaline and rage pumping in her blood, a fifth problem she currently had to ignore. She would find a doctor after at least two of her problems were solved. Or, more accurately, the second and fourth. Really just the fourth.

Fucking Matthew being a stupid Alpha...

Fucking Matthew would solve all her problems.

Literally.

She just had to make him come crawling first. Putting herself in a situation where he would have to show up was the perfect way to do it.

Only, as she sat in a taxi, she started to regret everything. Perhaps her plan was too elaborate. Maybe she was taking on too much at once. What if a different set of enforcers was sent to come collect her? What if the guy at the door wouldn’t let her in? It was a popular place, particularly because nothing criminal was happening, as it was one of the legal business ventures her father used, but that popularity meant a long line outside. And when she reached the front, what if they recognized her and refused entry, calling her father instead? Or worse, what if they wouldn’t recognize her and not let her in at all, leaving her with no path forward?

It was too late to turn back now. Crawling out of the window at the end of the long hall, shifting to the edge of the veranda roof, then sliding down a front banister had been difficult enough, particularly given her evening attire. Climbing back up? Not even with a ladder and a pair of tennis shoes on. Not fucking happening.

She had to push forward.

Otherwise, she would be stuck sitting at home, waiting for her father to make a selection for a future husband and then...

No. Not happening. It would set a precedent. It would confirm to the rest of the family what they already suspected—that she was weak. She had to take charge of her own life, of her future.

Hopefully, somewhere along her path, she would confirm and establish herself as the next head of the family, forcing her father to fall in line and accept the inevitable. Otherwise...

She wasn’t planning to actually overthrow her father—at least not publicly—but if he didn’t start making real changes for the better and deliver on his old promises, she would have no choice other than to act.

She wasn’t marrying some fucking idiot, nor would she obey men for the rest of her life.

She was taking a stand.

And that stand started in a dark night club, with every powerful man’s daughters surrounding her, as she prayed Matthew would show up and collect her.

To be safe, she was going to start the groundwork on that one.

Gabriella’s instinct was to send a text, as that was normally how she communicated with Alessandro, whether it be a date and time to pick her up or a shopping list for him to have fulfilled, but her father could probably access her text messages. So, she called him—a first—and hoped Matthew wasn’t nearby to overhear or to answer the call.

Clearly, she wasn’t the only one weirded out from her calling instead of texting because, when he answered the phone after two rings, he didn’t greet her.

She hoped it was Alessandro.

“I need to meet up with you. Somewhere private, where we won’t be overheard.”

“Uhh...”

It wasn’t much, but it was definitely Alessandro.

“Can you meet me somewhere in a few hours?”

“Uhh... it’s already pretty late.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, did you have somewhere else to be this evening?” she taunted, allowing her sarcasm to spill out.

“No,” Alessandro fumbled. “Can I ask why you need to talk to me? And, also, how are you going to get there if I don’t drive you?”

He was clearly very confused. Good. It meant he would end up talking to Matthew about her strange phone call sooner.

“You are aware that I have lived by myself for a few years, right?”

“Please don’t tell me you’re driving.”

“What is that supposed to—no. I can use a taxi just like everyone else.”

“Miss Santorini, you know that isn’t safe.”

“For the love of... Can you meet me? Yes or no?”

“Why?”

Honestly, if she could have written the script herself, he was playing his part perfectly. It was amazing how some men in her life could actually behave the way she needed. If only her father would get in line...

“Because I need someone to sit down with me and be honest. Give me answers with no bullshit. And I need it with no one overlooking me or listening in.”

“Uhh...”

“And I can’t do that over the phone or expand upon this further because I can almost guarantee that my father can track my phone and probably accesses my records. If I had to place a bet, I would say he looks at my texts as well, which is why I called. Wouldn’t surprise me if he can access my phone conversations as well but, the call needed to be made.”

“Uhh... I’ll talk to Tommy and Ricky about the likelihood of that. See what they say.”

“Mmm...”

She wouldn’t say anything more, on the off chance her father could hear her conversations. Was wiretapping and phone recording and all that illegal? Yes, but her father was the head of the Santorini Crime Family. He didn’t care about shit like that.

And he had made it abundantly clear that she no longer had a right to privacy. Honestly, if he wasn’t listening in, she would be disappointed that he hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“So, listen, it’s going to be a few hours but—”

“You should call Matthew.”

Gabriella sat up straighter, forcing her seatbelt to cut into her shoulder.

She had expected him to mention Matthew, of course, but not until the very end. That was when she was supposed to tease and say that Matthew didn’t need to know about their conversation. Then, he was guaranteed to show up at the club as soon as it was discovered she was missing and they tracked her phone. He would demand to know why she wanted to talk to Alessandro and not him and then...

This wasn’t the plan in her head. She couldn’t just hang up until after he had agreed to meet her, then ask her where she was going before meeting him. This was... Shit.

“Why?”

“You say you want me to be honest with you? Give you no bullshit? Then you give me no bullshit. I know what happened.”

Of course he knew what happened. She appreciated that he hadn’t said it, however, given how she didn’t need her father to know about that encounter. Not yet, at least.

“Obviously you know what happened,” she scoffed and rolled her eyes, even if he couldn’t see. “I’m sure you know more than I do. Which is why I’m asking why I should be the one to call. If Matthew wanted to speak to me, then he could reach out to me. Until then, as far as I am aware, Matthew doesn’t want to talk to me or see me so—”

Good. Stay sassy. Stay sarcastic. That would protect her.

“Gabriella, he was at your house first thing the next morning, carrying flowers and an apology and a plan to... uh... continue what he ran away from. The guards who were there said you were angry and never wanted to see him again.”

“ What ?”

It was all she could say. All she could answer.

“Yeah. They said the boss said he should stay away for a few days. He was planning to come knocking tomorrow, hoping to grovel back into your good graces.”

“But—”

“Apparently, when you got home, you said something about never wanting to see him again? Because he ruined your date?”

Gabriella let out a long sigh as she tried to recall that night. It felt like ages ago, when she was in Matthew’s lap, nearly kissing him, him climbing out of the car and yelling at her to go inside.

But from there...

It was a blur. It was all a blur. She had taken a shower, and her father wasn’t home when she returned, as far as she could remember. In fact, she hadn’t spoken to her father until the next day around lunch, when he had come to investigate her absence at breakfast.

So, why would her father say she had said that? Unless...

“And the enforcers, they mentioned you were yelling at everyone, so they were afraid of you.”

Yelling? No, she had slept in, which was why her father had come to check on her. That was when she had started feeling terrible...

“No...”

“Miss—Gabriella. Are you saying that you never demanded Matthew be kept from you? Because, if you are, then that means your father probably suspects something, in which case—”

“In which case, it’s a good thing I’m not home right now,” she informed him, wanting to get the conversation back on track. “And I highly doubt it has anything to do with Matthew. No, this was entirely about keeping me isolated. It has always been about keeping me isolated.”

She would deal with her father lying or whatever had happened that night later. Her father didn’t know, nor did he suspect it. Of that, she was certain. Because if he knew she had tried to fuck one of his favorite enforcers... she would already be married to whatever idiot he selected. Matthew would be six feet under, feeding the worms. After she had solved her problems, he could plead his case and explain the lies he had told her and ones he had spread on her behalf.

“I guess... Wait, what do you mean you’re not home? If you’re not there, then where the hell are you?”

Perfect.

“Out. Solving my problems. I’m sure my father will send someone to collect me sooner rather than later so you should probably make certain it’s someone from your team who gets to me first.”

Alessandro groaned, seemingly understanding what she was saying.

“And be sure to let him know that a little groveling would go a long way...”

Gabriella had known all along sneaking out and making her way across town would be the easy part of her plan. What she hadn’t expected was getting inside to be just as easy, and finding the exact women she was looking for. It had all been easy. Like fate was working with her, agreeing that it was time she take control of her own future.

Only, as she paused at the bar to get a drink before heading toward the women, the hard part finally kicked in, apparently long overdue. Pain stabbed her neck so fierce she thought she might have been shot . No, it was something throbbing in her neck. Maybe her blood pressure was acting up? She was a little woozy but not in a way that screamed her heart rate was—no, there it was. Her heart was racing, head spinning, and her throat was killing her.

Fuck, she couldn’t put her health off for too long, but she had to make this connection without anyone interfering.

Why was it so bright in the club and so loud? Right, yes, nightclub, but this was somehow even louder and brighter than she remembered from her college days. The music was thrumming so hard it made her teeth ache and the pain in the side of her neck spread up into her temples.

For a space not even half full, it was suddenly very hot. Very, very hot. Like, the need-to-strip-out-of-her-dress-and-douse-herself-in-ice sort of hot.

“Gabriella?” a familiar voice asked. “I’m sorry, Miss—”

“Don’t say the name,” Gabriella rushed to say as she lifted her hand.

Thus far, no one had called her by name, nor had anyone checked her identification when she entered the door. She had to hope—assume or something—that they either didn’t recognize her or were under orders to not mention it. There was a good chance the doormen or bartenders knew what she looked like, as she had yet to venture out behind her father’s back or her enforcer’s watchful gaze. Yet something about her father’s need for control made her wary he might have shown her picture to his men with instructions to keep an eye out for her.

“Yes, of course. What are you doing here?”

Gabriella smiled at the blonde, ignoring the pain in her temple as she leaned against the bar counter.

She needed to keep this quick. Very quick. This wasn’t a social call, despite the location. In and out. Connection made. Confirmation of their involvement and desires. And then, by the time their conversation wrapped up, hopefully Matthew would be there.

“Looking for you and your friends.”

“Us?” Addison asked, gazing toward her other two companions, who were watching with curiosity. “Really? After your first night, when we didn’t hear anything, we assumed—”

“You should know the truth. My father lied to me about allowing other females to take a seat at the table. He lied about a lot of things. This isn’t a social call but a business one. I must apologize for intruding on your evening, of course but my father did not pass me your contact information and I knew if I reached out through any of my contacts, he would find out.”

“My father says he always knows everything,” Addison whispered, then curled her fingers toward her friends, Sybil and Teresa, beckoning them over. “Yes. We’re still interested. Let’s talk.”

Part of the reason why her new friends enjoyed this particular night club was because it was managed by Sybil’s father. The man apparently failed at all technology, so when he needed help that the boss wouldn’t find out about, he had asked his daughter to help figure out things like the sound system, lighting, and everything else. And because of that, she had guaranteed the VIP booth had no cameras or recording devices. The girls could all speak honestly... which was exactly what Gabriella needed.

Because her first problem was a lack of support, thanks to her father keeping her so well isolated. When she had mentioned it to Alessandro on the phone, it had been a throwaway thought. The longer she sat with it, the more it made sense. She couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without either her father or his top enforcers following her. They were only allowed to take her to specific places on dates with men he had selected.

She was isolated, unable to form her own connections and bonds. It was time to change that and to prove him wrong.

Because if she was going to sit at the table and have a voice, then she needed people supporting her.

And these women were the key.

“You know, when we didn’t get an invitation to tea, we assumed you weren’t really interested in actually meeting us.”

“I would have invited you to tea if I thought you were interested in tea,” Gabriella snorted and lifted her wine glass toward Teresa, who was leaning against the wall. “But I have not been throwing tea parties the past few weeks. Instead, my father has been keeping me busy. Very busy.”

“You are the heir,” Addison pointed out, beaming. “Of course you’ve been busy!”

“Mmm,” Gabriella agreed as she rolled her eyes. “Busy with busywork. He’s been trying to keep me from doing anything useful and keeping me on dates with idiots.”

“I’m pretty sure my half-brothers are on that list somewhere,” Teresa muttered, shaking her head. “My father wouldn’t shut up about it for days.”

“Why would your father be keeping you busy with dates?” Sybil asked, sitting up straighter. “If he means for you to take over the family, I would think making connections with people and following him around in the day to day would be more important. And besides, if you have a husband, then they would be looked to as the next head of the family because...”

Gabriella smiled as she stared at Sybil, amused.

It was very obvious Sybil’s question was not really one. More like a gauge. Good.

“Because my father doesn’t mean for me to actually take over,” Gabriella confirmed. “He wants me to choose a husband so that I can busy myself as a little wife, smiling and stupid.”

All three women were staring at her, and Gabriella pulled on some of her courage from deep within, ignoring her throbbing headache and how cold she was.

It was time to solve her first problem. She needed high-ranking members of the family on her side, giving her their support. They could be heirs themselves if their fathers didn’t fall in line. She needed connections.

“You don’t know me. Not really. I mean, what do you know beyond the fact that I am my father’s daughter, and he has named me the heir to his organization. An organization that keeps men in charge and women sitting at home. My father scoffed at the idea of me attending college but graduate school for a degree which would only benefit the family? That was a fight, for years. And now, here I am returned, being told that I am the next head of the Santorini Syndicate in one breath and being told to pick a husband and be quiet and obey in the next. You don’t know me, not yet, but you should know that I don’t sit quietly in a corner and I don’t obey.”

“Hear, hear,” Teresa teased as she raised her glass toward her. “So, what, a coup? A hostile takeover? It doesn’t work like that, Gabriella. Your father has the power, has the men, has the family. And, he has those enforcers. There’s no standing up against them.”

“You’re right,” Gabriella confirmed, lifting her glass toward Teresa. “There’s no standing up against the Alphas. The person they throw their support behind? That’s the person with real power. My father made it so. Changed it all so that he was the only one truly making decisions. And, given what I’ve been able to access, I can tell you right now, they aren’t very good ones. Money is sinking into places it shouldn’t be, everyone is taking a cut off the top, sides, and bottom. For some odd reason, my father isn’t holding people accountable for betraying us. Not really. Not like he should be.”

“So, what, you’re going to claim the old man is losing it?” Sybil asked. “Again, he has the enforcers. If he holds the key to controlling the Alphas, then—”

“But what if he doesn’t?” Gabriella asked, smirking. “What if the Alpha enforcers want a change? What if they want to take control of their own lives?”

Teresa stared her down as Gabriella sipped her drink. It was just a tease because nothing was set in stone, not yet...

“You’re telling us an awful lot about your plans,” Addison pointed out as she played with the hem of her skirt. “What’s to say one of us won’t go tell our fathers about this?”

The truth was, they wouldn’t have time. Not if she acted quickly. Not if her father was listening in on her phone conversations and had any inkling about what she was doing. But they didn’t need to know that, nor did they need to know that she hadn’t taken care of the second problem yet.

But soon. Soon, after Matthew had retrieved her, she would be able to speak with the Alpha enforcers, all of them. That would solve her second problem—needing the true power of the family behind her.

Matthew had told her more than once that the Alphas would stand behind her . She needed confirmation they would turn on her father. At least behind the scenes. But if her father knew she had the Alphas behind her, she could... Something.

It wasn’t like her to act without a plan, but something just felt off. Maybe her father did know about Matthew. Maybe it was all about to come crashing down. Maybe she would end up in a wedding dress before the weekend was over if she wasn’t careful.

Something in her told her she had to act. That she had to make this connection before her next move.

“You won’t,” Gabriella announced as she set her glass down on the table. Her headache was throbbing, and her eyes were tired. “Because you want what I want. You want control of your own futures. Control of your own lives. Power to make decisions for yourselves before they’re made for you. You don’t want to sit and listen and obey. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been there that first night. You wouldn’t meet up weekly to chat honestly in a space where no one can listen in. And you wouldn’t still be here, listening to me. So, answer me. Tell me the truth. Do you want control of your own life or do you want to sit around and wait for a husband to be chosen for you so you can sit at home and do nothing, like our mothers before us?”

Absolute silence lingered as the women all exchanged glances.

Teresa pushed off of the wall and sat on the chair across from Gabriella. “Fuck it. I’m in. If for no other reason than getting to avoid a husband when your choice is finally made.”

“Agreed,” Sybil murmured as she stared at her drink. “I’ll be glad to know the clock is no longer ticking on that.”

“This will be fun,” Addison confirmed as she clasped her hands.

“Wait, what do you mean, to avoid a husband once I’ve made a decision,” Gabriella asked, her brows furrowing. “Why would you—”

“No one wants their son to get married to one of us while there’s a possibility of them marrying the boss’s daughter but as soon as your choice is made, the rest of us are being paired off, immediately,” Sybil explained, shaking her head. “Something about the natural order of things and setting everything right. But if you’re in control and not getting married, then—”

Well then. This was going to be a little awkward.

“Ahh. You should know that I do plan on getting married but the man will be of my choosing. Someone who my father can say publicly that he agrees with and fits the original criteria of my search. Someone who will support me, rather than try to supersede me. That stated, none of you will have any time for husbands, as I intend on all of you taking a seat at the table. You’ll be far too busy for things like finding a partner, unless you want to make time for one, of course.”

“You’re still going to get married?” Addison leaned forward. “Your father’s approval?”

“He did announce to most of his inner circle that I will be finding a husband. Someone from within the family. This is all about making alliances. It’s one thing to shake on a deal but it’s another entirely to form a bond through marriage. That’s how my father began his reign, with marrying my mother. I intend to do the same, however, this one will be about reminding everyone where the power lies within this family.”

If her father wanted her to marry an Alpha, then she would. Of course, the last time she spoke to her chosen Alpha, he had thrown himself out of the car and run away but...

His jealousy had been so thick in the room during her date with Conrad Elliot that he would destroy any Alpha. She just had to convince him it was the only solution first but... Third problem? Finding an Alpha husband? She could do that. An easy one to cross off the list.

“So, what exactly is your plan?” Sybil asked, cocking her head. “You want to take over but behind the scenes only?”

“Well, she can’t exactly kill her father,” Addison scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I mean, right?”

“No, of course not,” Gabriella insisted, flicking her hand to wave away the idea. She took a deep breath, lifted her wine glass to her lips, and sipped. “And in truth, I wouldn’t be making a move this soon, but he has made it abundantly clear that the time to act is now or else sit silently and suffer. If I refuse, what’s he going to do, kill me? But if I already have a husband, as he directed, and that husband helps me control the enforcers, who back his control and the rest of the family is forced to make space for my own people, meaning you, then...”

“So, you’re going to move first. Pick a husband before he has a chance to do it. Make it known, so he can’t overturn it without turning on his daughter, which means his seat will no longer be secure.” Teresa was interested, leaning forward with a smirk on her lips. “It’s all about reminding him where the real power is, while also forcing him to act on your desires in order to save face.”

“Now you’ve got it.” Gabriella smirked and nodded. “So, what do you say?”

By the time Gabriella was secure in her new connections, certain they would soon become true friendships and had exchanged numbers with the girls, including giving them Alessandro’s number, she was exhausted. Drained. Over wrung.

Somehow, her day kept going and going and going, never ending. She needed a break, a pause, something more than a quick breath. Yes, she had to act fast before her father could send for his doctors or one of the idiots he wanted her to marry or could announce something she couldn’t overturn, but this was...

It was just going on and on and on.

What had been a headache was now a migraine, even to the point that the wine she had been sipping made her teeth ache. Walking down the stairs from the private room had her ankles swollen, and she was pretty sure her shoes were melting under her feet. Every fiber in her was either hot or cold in random places.

She was definitely sick, but she wouldn’t fall apart in front of her new inner circle. They had all tried to follow her to the bathroom, which was kind, but she had insisted she would be leaving through a side door. They had all looked wary as she said her goodbyes, but she didn’t need them to see her awkward interactions with Matthew if he were to show up.

No, he would. She was sure of it. He was coming for her. She could sense it in her bones.

But when he reached her, he would find a mess.

When she stepped into the bathroom, she had to rush forward to a stall, puking out what she had been drinking. Something smelled atrocious, and it wasn’t the bathroom itself but something in the hallway. It sent shivers up her spine—whatever it was—and she wished for mouthwash as she stared at herself in the mirror. Water would have to do, but she was going to need a mint or something before she saw Matthew.

Speaking of...

Gabriella pulled her phone from her purse, which she had turned off before entering the club. She hadn’t wanted any distractions or any chance of her being overheard through some sort of listening thing. She really did need to talk to the Alphas about phone security and how that all worked.

As she turned it on, she expected messages to pop up. Less than a dozen. One or two from Alessandro and another few from her father, if he had realized or been informed she was gone. Definitely at least two from Matthew.

A few.

Not a few dozen.

Alessandro, Ricky, Tommy, her uncle, they had all texted her. Her uncle’s messages all said he needed to speak with her immediately, that he needed her to come and meet him. She would deal with that later. Alessandro was demanding to know where she was. Tommy was telling her that Alessandro and Matthew were looking for her. Ricky’s messages were the most useful, informing her that he was looking into what in all trackers were on her phone. Until she turned it back on, he wouldn’t know much of anything.

And then there was Matthew, whose messages read...

Where are you?

Call me immediately.

It’s not safe for you to be out alone.

At least let me send someone.

I’m coming to get you myself if you don’t answer.

Why is your phone off.

Gabriella, please.

Call me as soon as you see this.

Then the voicemails... they started rolling in. If her phone needed to be turned on for her to be tracked—well, then, she was ready for it. Ready to be found. Ready to be saved.

She was just about to call Matthew when his name appeared on her phone, displaying the incoming call. Well, then.

It seemed she was about to solve her fourth problem, which she had almost forgotten about, given how much her head was hurting. After puking, however, she felt much better. The prospect of finally meeting her growing needs as well also helped with the issue.

What was it they said? That an orgasm could cure a headache?

She was about to put that to the test because her fourth problem was how absurdly horny she had been for days, unable to get herself off, for some odd reason. She needed to be fucked. Immediately. And Matthew would deliver said fucking .

“Hi,” Gabriella sang as she answered the phone, smiling in the mirror.

“Where are you?” Matthew demanded, his voice gruff. “I’m coming to get you.”

“Hurry up,” she teased, trying to keep her giggling to herself.

Her reflection was practically glowing, and she knew she was about to get fucked.

“A location, Gabriella.”

“You haven’t found me yet? I’m disappointed.”

“I know the general location in the city but not exact,” he confirmed. Ahh. Close. “Location, now. What have you been doing?”

“I don’t want to talk about that right now,” she teased and giggled loud enough she knew he would hear. Oh, God, why was she giggling? “What I want to know is whether or not you plan to apologize. I mean, you did sort of... throw yourself out of the car to get away from me. That hurts a girl’s ego, Matthew.”

“I’m sorry,” he huffed. “I know I left you confused but—”

“Yes, you did,” she reminded him, huffing herself. “Very confused. And I want answers. In as short of a paragraph as you can manage. But now that you have confirmed you fucked up, let’s talk about whether or not you plan to change that.”

“Uhh—”

“Do you want me?” she asked, straight on. She liked how she looked in the mirror. Dangerous. Wild. There was a gleam on her skin, likely from sweat, and her pupils were blown. She looked fuckable. She wanted to be fuckable. For him. “Answer the question. Do you want me?”

“Yes,” he groaned. “Fuck, it’s a good thing no one is with me. Yes, I fucking want you. Wanted you that night too.”

“You want me,” she confirmed, smirking at herself. “You want me and yet, you still haven’t come to me.”

“Been wanting to,” he grumbled. “Been fighting it.”

“Why? Why have you been fighting your desire to come to me?”

“Because you said you didn’t want to see me again or at least, I thought so,” he huffed, followed by a low sound. That sound had her core aching, and her thighs rubbing together. “Should have forced my way in all the same.”

“Yes, you should have,” she taunted. “If you really wanted me, you would have let nothing stop you from reaching me.”

“I nearly did all the same. Was planning to come in the morning, whether you liked it or not.” He groaned, and she could almost imagine him shaking his head, in the odd way he did it. “Being away from you... it fucking hurts, Gabriella.”

“I know,” she gasped, wondering why... why it hurt. Was that why she hurt even now? “I’ve been... aching. I can’t seem to be able to get myself off. I’ve been miserable. I feel so empty and I want something only you can give me.”

“Where are you,” he groaned. “Just, fuck, I can do it for you. I can give you what you need. I can take care of you.”

“Can you?” she questioned.

Her reflection no longer even looked like herself. She was breathless, her face red, and she ached all over. Her breasts felt too heavy in her chest, her thighs were clenching together, and she felt ill. She needed an orgasm, to be bent and fucked. She needed—

“You need all of that?”

Fuck, was she saying that out loud?

“I’m a woman who takes care of myself, Matthew, with all of the toys and necessities to give myself pleasure. But what I want right now? I want an Alpha. An Alpha to pin me down and make me scream. Make me shudder. Make me beg for things they’re already giving me because I’m so out of it, I don’t know what else to do but beg and—”

“An Alpha?” he questioned. “ Any Alpha?”

She knew, if she was near him, the pheromones rolling off of him would knock her down.

“You. I want you. I want those things with you.”

Matthew’s shuddered breath cut into the call, and she smiled to herself in the mirror again. The amount of relief flooding through her was overwhelming, and she wanted to sink to the ground and cry. He wanted her, and he wanted to be with her.

Soon. She would have relief soon. She would have him inside of her soon.

“Now stop being a coward and come find me,” she whispered, noting how breathless her voice sounded. “Come and do all those things to me. Take me. Break me. Bend me. Fuck me like an Omega. Please .”

A low whine escaped her with the please sounding more animalistic than human, and he growled.

There it was, her Alpha, ready to come to her. Ready to satiate her. To worship her.

“Fuck, one second,” he groaned, rustling and sighing. “Fuck. I have your location. I’m right around the corner. Stay right there.”

“You’re that close?” she breathed out, realizing just how near her relief was. “I’m coming out. See you in a minute.”

“Wait, no, just wait for me.”

“I can’t wait anymore,” she gasped and pushed herself off from the counter. “If I wait anymore, I’m going to fall apart. I can’t wait any longer.”

She hung up before anything else could dissuade her and rushed to the bathroom door. He was close, coming for her, and soon, she would, too.

The hallway outside of the bathroom was dark, and she looked for any exits. A door propped was open around one corner, probably for staff stepping out, and she rushed toward it, knowing Matthew would be waiting.

As soon as she was with him and had a few orgasms in her, she would really need to work on her fifth problem, which was throwing her off entirely. Her health shouldn’t have been at the bottom of her list of problems, but she was going to sound crazy when she finally sat with a doctor. Sensitivity to light and sound and temperature? Oh, and scent. Every scent was somehow stronger.

The stench which had been subtle before slammed into her, reeking of death. It was her only warning before a hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her from continuing forward. There was a pinch in her upper arm as something stabbed into her and then—

Nothing.