Chapter 9: THE PAST

ISABELLA’S P.O.V. I relaxed when I realized who it was and once he was sure I wasn’t going to fight him anymore, Lorenzo released me. I turned to him with wide eyes but before I could say anything, he snapped his fingers and Matteo appeared. “Get her to the house. If even a hair on her head is harmed, there will be hell to pay.” I was so confused as to what was happening especially when Matteo simply nodded and dragged me out of the house and into a black SUV. I should have refused to be dragged away by someone I had only known for a week but when the only other alternative was a lunatic with a gun, I found that I was very agreeable. Matteo didn’t say a single word to me as he drove further away from my house. I didn’t know where he was taking me but I just sat in the back seat in complete silence. I knew I was in shock and he must have to because he offered me a bottle of water. I didn’t even notice when I downed it completely. He drove towards a part of town that I had never been to before. It was where the filthy rich lived. Every house on the street was a mansion and I wasn’t surprised that was where Lorenzo lived considering how rich and powerful his family was. They drove down the end of the street towards another that I didn’t even know existed. “If you’re going to kill me then you might as well have let the man with the gun do it,” I drawled when I realized that all I could see were trees. Matteo didn’t look away from the road as he spoke. “Believe me when I say that I would much rather kill you and be done with it but for some reason, Lorenzo finds you interesting.” “That better have been a joke.” He glanced at me through the mirror and from his expression, I knew he was dead serious. “Of course it was.” I didn’t get the chance to respond because the next thing I knew, we were in front of a massive palace. It was at least three floors high with more space than I had ever seen in my life. The gate was remote controlled and I could see at least eight cars in the garage. There were guards everywhere and they were all holding guns. If I had any doubts that the DeLucias were not normal, they were squashed at that moment. Matteo turned off the car and turned to me. “I hope you’re not waiting for me to open the door for you.” “I’m not getting into a house with a stranger.” “Your only other option is to sit out here alone,” he told me and I shrugged. I expected him to walk off and leave me but instead, he muttered something under his breath and leaned back in the seat. “At least you have some form of self-preservation. You may survive us just yet.” “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked but he didn’t respond and that infuriated me. I grabbed the nearest thing to me which was a magazine and slapped him with it hard. “If you were someone else, you would live to regret that.” “I don’t give a shit,” I spat. “I was attacked in my home by a stranger and your friend suddenly appeared out of nowhere and brought me to this palace in the middle of nowhere. I need answers and someone better start giving them to me before I call the police.” “If you think the police can help you then go ahead,” he handed his phone over to me but I couldn’t take it. “If you want answers then you are better off waiting for Lorenzo but the way I see it, it might take a while. He enjoys taking his time.” “Taking his time with what?” He smirked. “You’ll see.” I did see. In an hour, Lorenzo returned in another black SUV and there was blood all over his pristine white shirt. I didn’t notice it until I had rushed out of the car to him and when I did, I stumbled back. He muttered a curse under his breath when he saw me and turned to Matteo. “I thought I asked you to take her inside.” “She is stubborn, she wouldn’t go in. She claimed I was trying to kill her,” Matteo yelled in exasperation. “Esto es lo que obtienes por tartar de casarte con una extrana.” I blinked when I realized he had spoken another language. Lorenzo seemed to understand because he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Leave us,” he ordered and Matteo wasted no time in storming off leaving Lorenzo and I alone. I tried to take a discreet step back hoping he wouldn’t notice. “You can’t leave here tonight so don’t even try.” “You’re covered in blood,” I said dumbly and he shrugged. “I don’t know what the hell is going on but I want no part of it. I have no idea why that man was in my house or what you were doing there.” “I have people watching you and they informed me that you were in danger,” he said it so casually as if he hadn’t just admitted to stalking me. “Look, we can sit here and argue but the truth is that you are in danger and you can’t return home.” “Why am I in danger though? I am a nobody. Why would anyone want to hurt me?” “Because you’re mine.” “Excuse me? If this is some tactic for you to scare me into marrying you then you have another thing coming.” Lorenzo stepped closer to me and my back hit the wall. I realized there was nowhere left for me to go. “You may not have agreed to marry me but make no mistake about it, Isabella, you are mine. My enemies are now yours. That man wanted revenge on me and he thought you were unprotected. He wanted to use you to get to me.” “Stop!” I pushed him back. Everything was too much. “What are you on about? Why would anyone want to hurt you? Why would anyone care about using me to hurt you? What is going on, Lorenzo? If my life is in danger then I want an answer, not some bullshit excuse. If you can’t give me that then I’m leaving.” He was silent for a minute as if he were debating my question. After a while, he sighed. “My family-I- control the largest mob in New York. I am the head of the Spanish mafia.”