CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Run With Me14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyjy4P6mNg
(Matteo’s POV)
His hands were shaking.
Not from the blood.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqg4hbHF4q
Not from the pain.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLFfStXUQU
But from the fear that she’d look at him differently now.
He was no longer the man in her fantasies.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdU8hd7VnmM
He was the man who broke bones for her.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7hdYlVmA6
The man who nearly pulled the trigger.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxGj5ZBbZ1
The man who chose violence just to keep her breathing.
She sat on the counter.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08pJEt2gLI
Wrapped in his hoodie.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5y4evR0l8C
Silent.
Watching him clean his knuckles with trembling fingers.
Neither of them had spoken since the cops left.
No one got arrested.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHegefozAT
No questions were asked.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0sPysuzqE
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD46vZReZns
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxF93atd00C
Stood in front of him.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAWEbQm93L
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jbFZR6egh
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDUdOe8Bm5
He looked away.
But she cupped his cheek.
“Don’t ask me to choose you,” she said softly.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxotVbf4Fyd
“Choose me too.”
He nodded.
Once.
Then kissed her.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIxbbaCWw1
Not because of lust.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAFGxo5tBz
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.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTha2JSj7Ip
Then kissed him again.
