CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Run With Me42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNAjyNWABJ
(Matteo’s POV)
His hands were shaking.
Not from the blood.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn13j6aiZUZ
Not from the pain.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bNXWpqdbr
But from the fear that she’d look at him differently now.
He was no longer the man in her fantasies.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBWYzQMiLv
He was the man who broke bones for her.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6altDpyoeY
The man who nearly pulled the trigger.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYBcx6dIpA
The man who chose violence just to keep her breathing.
She sat on the counter.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoa8Uf9Hxwi
Wrapped in his hoodie.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8128IKZepL
Silent.
Watching him clean his knuckles with trembling fingers.
Neither of them had spoken since the cops left.
No one got arrested.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwb8Q1m4qN
No questions were asked.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRpKaUiytJ
Matteo had connections.
But he also had scars.
Too many.
“You’re not safe here,” he finally said.
Her lips parted, but she didn’t argue.
Because she knew.
He turned toward her.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavsUblTjMT
Eyes dark, vulnerable.
“If you stay, they’ll find you again.”
“If I go, they’ll find you instead.”
“I don’t care,” he snapped. “I’ll burn the world for you.”
She slid off the counter.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA04ZqD9QT0
Stood in front of him.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuoFbbNGzx
Reached for his hand.
“Then don’t burn it,” she whispered.
“Just leave it.”
Matteo’s breath hitched.
“What?”
“Let’s go,” she said. “Let’s leave everything.”
He stared at her.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4ez9dgisA
Like she’d just said the sun would follow them wherever they went.
“You’d really do that? Leave your life? Your job? Your friends—”
“You’re my life now.”
His throat tightened.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEAc8dPl79
He looked away.
But she cupped his cheek.
“Don’t ask me to choose you,” she said softly.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TEUAiU6Lk
“Choose me too.”
He nodded.
Once.
Then kissed her.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVfH0qBunC
Not because of lust.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjECgEz410U
Not because of desperation.
But because they’d made a decision.
And tomorrow, they wouldn’t be in this city.
They wouldn’t be hunted by ghosts or haunted by pasts.
They’d be on the road.
With nothing but clothes, cash, and each other.
“Where will we go?” she whispered.
He smiled.
“Anywhere I can make you moan loud enough for the stars to remember our names.”
She laughed.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUIaRoWhGr
Then kissed him again.
