CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Run With Me43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFJ17AqOb3
(Matteo’s POV)
His hands were shaking.
Not from the blood.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx6ZqCZVin
Not from the pain.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1v0S4y8PI
But from the fear that she’d look at him differently now.
He was no longer the man in her fantasies.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjyWM8Ypx7
He was the man who broke bones for her.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKF9SwaSA1U
The man who nearly pulled the trigger.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0LqKU4NTH
The man who chose violence just to keep her breathing.
She sat on the counter.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfBikPTogw
Wrapped in his hoodie.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJiLxV0G3z
Silent.
Watching him clean his knuckles with trembling fingers.
Neither of them had spoken since the cops left.
No one got arrested.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQx1UcJhvF
No questions were asked.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtowdxpufJk
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrgITV4mlv
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWS8ItZp6x6
Stood in front of him.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeB9eqzNU9a
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURSL7NZRT6
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGvF50YSgI
He looked away.
But she cupped his cheek.
“Don’t ask me to choose you,” she said softly.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMcQdFqSeI
“Choose me too.”
He nodded.
Once.
Then kissed her.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaDUk0qEza
Not because of lust.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8445LAX96
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.43Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85zll09BiD
Then kissed him again.
