Page 246 of Breaking Rosalind

Nino lowers his gun. “Sorry, Mr. Galliano.”

Matty gives me what he thinks is a reassuring smile.

I’m too preoccupied with Rosalind to curl my lip at his attempt to create a familial bond. She’s getting stronger. I can tell that much from the way she wraps her arms around my neck and how her muscles tense in preparation to attack.

She’s triggered by his voice, but I can’t let her react. They may not know she’s an assassin, but they know she’s dangerous. The only reason she isn’t shackled or restrained is because they think she’s reacting badly to the tampered benzo.

“The sooner we get moving, the sooner we’ll save the girl,” I say.

Matty’s eyes soften, and the corners of his lips lift at the prospect of getting his gloved hands on a child.

He looks like a specter in the moonlight, a parasitical human clinging to existence, feeding on the lives and souls of innocent women. I’ll make sure he dies before he gets the chance to lay those beady eyes on Miranda.

At the sound of tires rolling over gravel, Matty’s attention switches to a black limo approaching from further down the driveway. It stops in front of us, and the driver hurries out to open the back passenger door.

“Lay her on the back seat,” Matty says.

Nino steps forward to take her out of my hands, but I sidestep. “Do I have to repeat myself? No one touches her but me.”

He pauses, his beady eyes flickering with annoyance, but backs off to let me place her on the seat. I sit beside her, arranging her head on my lap, but another door swings open, and Gio presses a gun into the back of my head.

“You’re driving,” he sneers.

NINETY-NINE

ROSALIND

Cesare balks at the suggestion of leaving me alone in the back seat with Matteo, but I give his hand a gentle squeeze. When he continues to argue with the guards, I crush his fingers to demonstrate my strength.

I was weak because of the drugs. The antidote, combined with my banked fury, has only made me stronger. Any shock at seeing Matteo again has faded into seething resentment. The last thing I plan on doing is fall apart.

He needs to trust that I can handle my former abuser and his henchmen.

“Fine,” he growls, and I know he’s talking to me, rather than them. “I’ll drive.”

He slides his hand out from beneath my head, easing it on the leather seat, and steps out of the vehicle. Silence extends as his heavy footsteps crunch on the gravel before he yanks open the driver’s door and flings himself on the seat.

I peek through my lashes at the bulky figure entering the back of the limo, followed by Matteo and another goon. The trio settle onto the back seat opposite where I’m lying without a taunting word. By the time the front passenger side door opens and shuts, I’ve already taken stock of the situation.

Nino’s gun is in a chest holster, while Gio’s is tucked into the back of his waistband. Matteo appears unarmed, but that safari suit of his has multiple pockets. There’s a divider separating the driver’s compartment from the back seats, with an open slider window. I can only assume it’s soundproof.

My heart pounds as the limo pulls out and sweat breaks out across my brow. The thought of Miranda getting hurt supersedes the terror of being trapped with Matteo and two men, but that doesn’t stop my stomach from roiling.

I focus on my breathing, slow and steady, pretending to still be under the influence of drugs. Whatever happens, I need to stay alert. At least until we’re far from where the men can call for backup.

“Give us some privacy,” Matteo says.

Every drop of blood in my veins turns to ice. Years of training and the burning desire to protect Miranda keeps me from freezing.

Nino rises off his seat to slide the divider closed. My fingers itch to grab the gun off his chest, but I hold them still.

Not yet.

We’re too close to the mansion and reinforcements.

The only sounds that follow are the rumble of the engine and the muted crunch of tires over gravel. Forcing back thoughts of what Gunther could be doing to Miranda, I focus on staying calm.

Matteo’s phone rings, and he has a lengthy conversation with Tommaso, assuring his older brother that he’s resting in his room. The two men talk business as the limousine navigates uneven roads before merging into the highway.