Mateo Caputo: Unseen Underground Read online

  “I know.” Luna turned in her seat to look at Aida. “But I need to finish my assignment.” She was quick to answer, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

  I heaved in a breath, not sure what the burning feeling in my chest was. “Can’t you do that at home?” I heard myself asking. I should have kept my mouth shut. I should have let her explanation be enough.

  She shook her head. “No. I need to use the computers.”

  Fuck. I ground my teeth together as I remembered what she’d told me. She didn’t have her laptop. Her mom and dad had sold hers to feed their drug habit. It hadn’t occurred to me what she would do without one until that moment. Dammit. I’d been so consumed with making sure Lorenzo knew that what I’d said was the truth that I hadn’t given it a second thought. Given her a second thought.

  Making a mental note, I pulled through the gates of the mansion and stopped in front of the mansion doors. If she and I were doing this, then there was no way she’d be living in the library at the college, reminded at every turn what her parents had done.

  “What’s Lorenzo doing out here?” Aida asked, unclipping her belt. I snapped my head around, trying not to let my confusion show on my face as he strolled over to the SUV. Aida slid across the seat but by the time her hand reached for the door, Lorenzo opened it and pushed inside. “What are you doing?”

  Lorenzo looked at me in the rearview mirror, then to Luna, and finally landed on Aida. “Nice to see you too, baby.”

  Luna’s body locked in place at the sound of his voice. She gripped the door handle, her knuckles turning white with the force, and I was sure she’d try to get out of the confines of the SUV any second. He may have let her go, but that didn’t mean she was home free. Not yet anyway. But she would be after today. We both would be.

  “It’s nice to see you too.” Aida laughed, leaning into him. “But what are you getting in the car for?” She was confused, as was Luna, but I had a feeling I knew why he was here. There wasn’t much you could keep from Lorenzo, so I had no doubt he’d found out what I was planning today.

  “We’ve got somewhere to be,” he said, leaning back in his seat and pulling Aida closer to him. He grinned toward Luna. “I hear wedding bells, right, Mateo?”

  “What?” Aida shot upright, pushing her head between the seats yet again. She was doing that more and more, and every time I wanted to tell her how dangerous it was, but I couldn’t face the idea of taking the smile off her face. Not after everything she’d been through. “What is he talking about?” I opened my mouth to explain not only to Aida, but Luna too. “Are you two getting married?” Her eyes were wide as she squealed right down my ear.

  Luna snapped her head around, her blue eyes turning navy. “Mateo?” Her voice was a whisper, a question she knew she couldn’t voice completely, not when we weren’t alone.

  “That’s right.” I tried to act like none of this was bothering me. I’d planned to do this alone, just the two of us, but now it looked like we had company. “The courthouse is booked for three pm.”

  Both Luna and Aida glanced at the time flashing on the dash. “That’s in two hours!” Luna screeched, her panic loud and clear for all to see and here. “Dammit, Mateo. You could have given me warning.”

  I stared at her, trying to communicate to her that I hadn’t wanted to do it like this, but apparently she’d come to terms with the fact that we would be getting married. She told me she was breaking the chains, and as far as I knew, she’d kept to her word. She just needed to make sure it stayed that way. I’d lived life far too long trapped in mayhem and I refused to do it any longer.

  “Erm…” I stared at the time, calculating the exact minutes. “I’m giving you one hundred and seventeen minutes.”

  She stared at me like I had grown an extra head then burst out laughing, the sound so fuckin’ glorious that nothing would have pulled my attention away from her. I could have had a thousand bullets ricocheting toward me, but it wouldn’t have mattered because…fuckin’ damn. She was beautiful. The most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

  “Fuck, Luna.” I reached my hand out, cupping her cheek with my palm. “You’re goddamn angelic when you laugh.”

  Her laughter waned to chuckles, and when she finally stopped, I missed it like it was one of my limbs. Her cheeks reddened as I stared at her, but I refused to look away. I hadn’t wanted this—not with her or anyone else—but I couldn’t deny that she’d taken root in my mind from the moment I’d touched her bare skin.

  “Oh my God,” Aida whispered. “You two are,” she sighed, “just perfect.” Her voice broke the spell we were under and I pulled my hand back. But I didn’t look away. I needed her to know that there was a reason I’d stepped in. It wasn’t just because she’d been in trouble, it was because I couldn’t bear the thought of her getting hurt.

  “So...we’re getting married today, huh?” Luna whispered, her eyes lighting up. If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of happiness to her clear blue eyes. Or maybe it was relief that I’d stuck to my word. Either way, I was going to soak in every second of her happiness.

  “Not dressed like that, you’re not!” Aida shouted. She scrambled out of the car.

  “Fuckin’ hell,” Lorenzo grunted, and I looked at him just in time to see him drop his head back. “I should have known this was going to happen.”

  Luna’s door flung open and she was helpless to Aida as she pulled her out of the SUV. “We’ll be back in…” She looked up at the sky. “An hour.”

  “An hour?” Lorenzo barked, getting out of the SUV. “What’s gonna take a goddamn hour to get ready?”

  Aida rolled her eyes. “Men. They just don’t understand.” She turned to Luna. “I have the perfect dress you can wear.” She hooked her arm through hers. “Or maybe a few dresses. And heels. What size are you?”

  “Six,” Luna answered, darting her gaze back to me as I pushed out of the SUV too. Looked like we weren’t going anywhere any time soon.

  “Me too!” Aida said, her excitement clear. They walked through the doors, their voices fading as I waited to see what Lorenzo would say. He’d come out here to let me know that he knew what we were doing, but it had backfired on him too.

  We stood several feet apart, both of our gazes focused on the mansion doors.

  “I know she didn’t steal those drugs for herself,” he murmured, turning to face me. “Addicts don’t look like her. In fact…” He tilted his head to the side. “I’m guessing that she’s never touched a drop of alcohol or even smoked a joint.” He paused, and I already knew where this was going. He wanted answers. “Why’d she do it?”

  I sighed, scrubbing my hand down my face. “Her parents.” I explained what Luna had told me had happened that night. “She’s worked for local dealers covering their debts since she was a kid.” I ground my teeth together. “She did what she had to, to survive.”

  “Just like you did,” Lorenzo said, his eyes swirling with understanding. “I get it, but she still stole from me.” I knew it was coming. He’d let her off, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t want something in return. “I want the name of the dealer,” he grunted. “We need to show him what happens when you plot against the Beretta Mafia.”

  I pushed my shoulders back, already figuring out a way I could get the name out of Luna. I could ask her straight up, and if that didn’t work, talk around in circles until she accidentally blurted it out. Either way, someone had to answer for the stolen drugs. And this time, I wouldn’t stop Lorenzo. Instead, I’d join in with him, showing everyone just what happened when you messed with something that was mine.

  “I’ll get it done,” I growled, showing him my commitment.

  “Good.” He turned, pushing his hand in his pocket. “Now let’s go have a damn drink while we wait for them.”

  I walked in line with him into the mansion. “You’re coming with us?” I asked. I thought he’d been trying to give me an unspoken warning when he’d gotten into the SUV.

  “
You think I’m gonna let you get married without your family there?” He raised a brow as he entered his office. “Family don’t let family do shit alone, Mateo. And me and Aida? We’re your family.” My stomach churned for an entirely different reason as I stared at him pouring amber liquid into two crystal tumblers. He handed me one of them, raised his glass, and said, “To family.”

  I swallowed past the lump building in my throat and croaked out, “To family.”

  * * *

  LUNA

  Aida was a whirlwind. That was the only possible way I could describe her. She’d rifled through her walk-in closet, pulling every possible item she thought would work. Everything in here was organized within an inch of its life, not a single item out of place, but now it looked like a bomb had gone off.

  I raised a brow as I spotted her pulling another dress out, shook her head, then put it back again. She was taking this task seriously, and even though we’d only recently started our friendship, I was glad she was helping. Anything to take my mind off the fact that in a couple of hours I’d be a married woman.

  Swallowing, I moved my gaze back to my own face. The blue in my eyes was clear, no murkiness lifting to the surface and muddling the way I was feeling. It felt strange, almost as if I should have felt a certain type of way. But I didn’t. I was calm, accepting the hand that fate had dealt me. And besides, it wasn’t like anything could be worse than what I’d come from, right?

  I’d spent the last thirty minutes braiding my hair and creating a crown that went across the top of my head and weaved around the back. Now I was just pulling at it so that it wasn’t so tight and looked more bohemian. Aida had said I could use her makeup, but the coat of mascara and swipe of lip gloss I was already wearing was enough for me.

  “Wow.” I looked at Aida’s reflection in the mirror. “Holy shit, Luna. Your hair is amazing.” She stroked her hand over the top of her loose curls. “I wish I could do more than just flat iron and curl mine.”

  I laughed awkwardly. “I didn’t have TV as a kid so I practiced braiding a lot.” It was a simple explanation, one that she wouldn’t think too much into, but it was the truth. I would sit for hours braiding my hair because I had nothing else to do. Not if I wasn’t out working my parent’s debt off or going to school.

  She tilted her head to the side, gnawing her bottom lip. I could tell she wanted to ask me more, but she stopped herself, and instead held up two options. “What do you think?”

  I spun on the chair, narrowing my eyes on the two dresses. They were both stunning. One white and one cream. “That one,” I said, pointing to the white one as I stood. It was a floating kind of fabric, sure to come to my ankles. And by the time I was secure in it thanks to Aida doing up the back zip, I knew I’d made the right choice.

  “Here,” Aida said, holding a box out to me.

  Blinking, I opened it, seeing shiny red stilettos with the signature red bottoms. “Wow.” I pulled one out, staring at it like it was the best thing I’d ever seen. “Wait.” I snapped my head around to face her. “These are brand new.”

  “My wedding gift to you.” She shrugged, her face turning serious. “I know what it’s like to get married quickly.” She stared at me knowingly, but I had no intention of telling her just how quick this marriage was happening. “I only had a couple of weeks to prepare when I got married to Lorenzo.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “The wedding was amazing, over the top, everything you would think of for an Italian wedding. But I didn’t care about any of that.” She placed her hand on my shoulder, stepping closer. “All I wanted was a man who cared about me. You have that, Luna. Don’t let it go.”

  “I…” I grasped the heel tighter in my hand. “I won’t.” It was a promise, one that I would keep until my last dying breath. Because I knew she was right. Mateo wouldn’t have done what he did if he didn’t care, I just didn’t know how much he cared. This may have been a marriage of convenience, but I wasn’t going to tell anyone that. It was mine and Mateo’s secret, one I would take to the grave.

  “Good.” She grinned wide, backing away. “Now put those sexy red heels on and let’s go and give Mateo a heart attack.” She winked, twirling around, and leaving me all alone.

  Everything was happening so fast, I felt like I was struggling to keep up. But if one thing was certain, it was that I wouldn’t hesitate to marry Mateo. So I slipped on the shoes, took a look in the ceiling-to-floor mirror, and inhaled a calming breath.

  The thick straps of the white dress crossed over on my chest, lace interweaving with the delicate fabric. It pulled in at my waist then in a gentle A-line flowed down to my ankles, allowing the bright-red shoes to peek from beneath.

  It was reminiscent of a wedding dress, but also not too over the top. It was perfect.

  “Luna?” Aida called from outside the walk-in closet. Her voice had me springing into action, so I took a step, wincing at how high the heels were. I was so used to flat shoes that it took me until I got to the top of the stairs to get used to them. Maybe I should have waited to put them on. “Here she is,” Aida announced, moving to the side.

  My stomach dipped as I spotted Mateo waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Lorenzo was on the opposite side to him, and although all I could see when I looked at him was the memory of his knife close to my wrist, I felt…safe.

  Glancing back at Aida, she made a shooing motion at me, her lips spread into the biggest grin I’d ever seen. I guessed that was my signal.

  Blowing out a breath, I prayed that I wouldn’t fall down the stairs in these skyscraper heels and slowly moved down them. I could feel the burn of Mateo’s eyes on me, and when I was a couple of steps from the bottom, I finally met his stare.

  His eyes were lit on fire, tracking each and every one of my movements. His chest heaved on each breath, his nostrils flaring, and his jaw clenched tight. I wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but whatever it was, it was too much for him to handle by the way his expression was.

  “I’m ready,” I whispered when I made it to the bottom of the stairs, thankful I’d at least looked semi-graceful.

  Mateo’s body snapped forward, his eyes clearing as he sauntered over to me. “Damn, Luna.” He halted right in front of me but didn’t touch me. I both hated and loved when he did that. I wasn’t even sure he was aware of how crazy it drove me when he was this close but still too far away.

  “Is that a good ‘damn’?” I asked.

  “Hell fuckin’ yes, it’s a good damn.” He slid his palm over my shoulder, down my arm, then captured my hand in his. “You look incredible.” He lifted my palm and placed a kiss right in the center. “You ready to get hitched?”

  “I…” I swallowed, wishing the butterflies in my stomach would stop swarming around like they were trapped in a cage. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

  I wished we could have stayed like that forever. His hand wrapped around mine, his eyes only focused on me, his attention not wavering for a single second. But he let my hand go, breaking our connection. It was all a veil of lies. We were doing this for survival.

  “We’ll meet you there,” Lorenzo spoke up. We both turned to see his arms wrapped around Aida from behind, both of their stare’s directed right at us. “We’ve got twenty minutes until your slot.”

  Mateo jerked forward. “Shit. I lost track of time.” He pulled his cell out then gripped my wrist, leading me out of the mansion and to the SUV. He didn’t say another word as he drove us away and toward a town I’d never been to before.

  Everything whizzed by, and then I was in a hallway, waiting for our names to be called by the person who would make this official. It was a blur, one that I felt like I wasn’t present for.

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the man standing between us, holding a book in his hands said. “You may kiss the bride.”

  My hands shook as our eyes met. We hadn’t kissed since that morning in his apartment, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to feel his lips against mine. I flicked my gaz
e down to his mouth, trailed my tongue along my bottom lip, and stepped forward.

  He stood still, his eyes widening as I closed the distance between us. Maybe he hadn’t had any intention of sealing the deal with a kiss, but if this was the last person that my lips would ever touch, then I was going to take what I could when it was required.

  I lifted my hand, placing my palm on his cheek. His muscles twitched at my touch, but I didn’t take notice of it. I simply lifted up a little higher on my tiptoes so that I could be level with him, and slowly connected our lips.

  I was soft. Gentle. Not wanting to push my luck too much. But as I went to pull away, his arm banded around my waist and he held me to him. He deepened the kiss, swiping his tongue against my bottom lip, his control snapping as he took everything he wanted from me.

  His growing erection pressed against me, spurring me on, so I tangled my tongue with his, hoping that what we had wouldn’t end here. There was no denying the chemistry between us, and I was sure he’d give into it now. We wore matching rings, had signed a legal document stating we were now lawful partners, what more had to happen to solidify us being together?

  But as he pulled away, separating every piece of him that was touching me, his eyes were shuttered. He was closing down, but I couldn’t let him. Something good had to come out of this. Right?

  The man who had pronounced us stepped forward, talking in hushed words with Mateo. I lifted my hand, pressing my fingers to my lips, committing the kiss to memory as I waited for Mateo to look back at me.

  He didn’t though. He grasped my hand and walked me outside to the SUV. We said our goodbyes to Aida and Lorenzo then went home. I tried to speak to him several times, but he used Cardo and Chiara as a buffer. We spent hours talking to them about us getting married and explaining that I would be living here permanently.

  I kept everything trapped inside, knowing that as soon as they were asleep, we’d be able to talk properly. We could figure out what we were going to be—if we were going to be anything. Maybe it would all be a front, a real marriage of convenience. A marriage that would serve a purpose but have no depth behind.