13. Jones' Fury

Matteo’s POV

I hurried down the hall, ignoring her screams. As I reached my study, I pushed the door open, grateful for the relative silence that greeted me. My study was my sanctuary, the one place where I could be alone with my thoughts. But as I paced the floor, I could still hear her screams ringing in my ears.

I tried to focus on my work, but her voice kept echoing through my mind. Finally, the door burst open, and Jones stormed into the room, a scowl on his face. I glanced over at Ben, who was standing by the door with his arms crossed.

I couldn't stand him and had never liked him, even as a child. I saw him as nothing more than a spoiled rich boy, completely unlike his brother, Jones. Ben's face was blank, giving nothing away. I glared at him for a moment, trying to unnerve him, but he stood his ground, his expression unreadable. Jones stood next to him, his face flushed with anger. I could tell he was furious, but he said nothing.

“Why did you do it?”. He asked finally. His designer clothes shimmering in the fancy light present in my study.

“She needed to learn!”. I said, my voice so thick it brought chills down my spine.

“Oh, cut the crap Matteo. You know you don’t hate her!”. His voice was a tad bit higher than before. He moved a lot closer to me. His face was close to mine, but I was a foot taller towering over him. “You care about her”. He said, his voice low and precise.

I smiled at him. A genuine smile. His face hardened, and if eyes could kill, I would have been dead.

“I don’t give a fuck about her and you know”. I said, my hands on my waist and my excitement building up.

“May I remind you that you were sober when you kissed her?. How is that any fault of hers?”. He asked. Jones had already turned a light shade of red. He looked more angry than I’d ever seen him.

With my hands deep in my pockets, I looked over at Jones then at Carter but never at Ben. I couldn't bring myself to look at Ben, his smug expression setting my teeth on edge. I felt my fists clench, and my jaw tightened as I struggled to contain my anger. Instead, I focused on Jones and Carter, who both stood before me, silent and expectant. I could feel the tension in the room, like a coiled spring waiting to be released.

“She’s to get no food or water till I say so”. I heard myself say, surprising me in the process. Why did I say that?

“What the fuck, Matteo!”. Carter exclaimed.

“Have you no heart?”. He said, his anger now matching Jones.

“He has always been a son of a bitch! What more could we expect”. Jones said, watching me with eager eyes waiting for me to lose control. I clenched my teeth and smirked at him.

“You’re my favorite cousin. That’s the only reason your head isn’t smashed to a wall right now”. I said, still holding unto my smirk.

In the stillness of the room, Jones' footsteps sounded like thunder as he moved closer to me. I could feel my heart racing, my pulse quickening as he drew near. He stopped just in front of me, and I could feel the heat of his body radiating off of him. He said nothing, but his eyes bore into mine, searching for something I couldn't name. I held my ground, refusing to let him see how unnerved I was.

“You’re not going to get away with this”. He said, and I watched him walk out of my study, and Ben followed, closing the door behind them. Carter turned to me. His face was a light shade of red, and his hair disheveled.

“I could never understand what you want, Matteo. What is it you want?”. He asked, seated on the sofa in my study. “You don’t miss Jones, then why invite him over and that too on your honeymoon?”. He paused, his eyes searching my face, but I gave him nothing to work with. “You know how jovial Jones is. That was why you invited him so she could have someone to talk with. You did that because you cared about her, then why do this?”. He asked with his eyes solely on me, daring me to say otherwise.

“I do not need to explain my actions to you”. I said. My anger suddenly rose.

“You did all you did to make her feel happy in this madhouse! You called Jones over so she could have a companion. A friend”. He smiled at me. “Maybe you aren’t so difficult to understand Matteo”. He said, but this time, he was two feet away. His eyes were open, challenging me. I maintained eye contact with Jones, my expression impassive, and my hands firmly in my pockets. I let out a quiet exhale, letting my breath defuse some of the tension in the room. Then, I broke into a slow, sly grin, watching with satisfaction as Jones' eyes widened in surprise. I could feel the moment shift, the air growing lighter as I deflected the power struggle.

“You sick fuck!”. He exclaimed.

“Get out”. I whispered only to his hearing, but he stood his ground before me, ready to come at me, but I still held on to my smirk.

Just about when he was about to speak, my door busted open, and Alonzo walked in. His face is unreadable, and his eyes never meet mine. It never did. None of my men ever dared look me in the eye except Carter cause for some reason he knew how much I needed him to function. Alonzo’s eyes remained staring at his feet, making me even more furious than I was.

“Speak”. I spat.

“Your father is on his way to the mansion”. Alonzo said in his thick Italian accent.

Carter smiled. A genuine smile from the depths of his heart. He was enjoying this. But then, I smiled back at him, and he froze in his spot. His eyes dilated, and his nose took in slow, deep breaths.

“You lose, Matteo”. He murmured.