The Sweetest Temptation
Chapter 230: Stay with me

Chapter 230: Stay with me

The bullet found its target, but to her sudden horror and relief, it wasn’t him that took the hit.

The expression on Matteo’s face was a glare, a glare filled with – sadness. Why was he sad? He was the one in danger. Her gaze faltered, and then she felt it, the sudden disconnection as her concentration wavered. Not in the way of someone who was in love and needed to save his or her lover, but in the way that – prepared someone for death.

Her steps slowed as she came to the realization – how did it happen? She lifted her hand to the side where it begun to hurt – that was when she felt it.

The excruciating pain seared through her as she stumbled forward in small steps, clutching her wound. She lifted her hand to her line of sight and observed

the blood as it trickled down her digits, an undeniable evidence of her slowly creeping departure. She turned her gaze back at Matteo who was already charging towards her, he was not standing very far, and he seemed fast too. So why did it take him so long to get close?

And then her legs grew numb, giving way to the entirety of her form.

Somehow, Matteo made it just in time to prevent her from reaching the ground. Was it Matteo? She strained to open her eyes slightly, just to confirm. It was him.

And he looked disturbed – angry even. He was yelling and looking away. Who was he yelling at? She didn’t care to figure it out. Matteo held her while she took her last breath and that was all that mattered.

The smile was surprisingly easy to form as her eyes drifted shut, shifting her consciousness to a world of darkness.

"No, no, no, no, Stella, open your eyes goddamn it," Matteo yelled the words as he hurled her up in his arms and ran to the car with all the strength he could muster.

His heart rang an unsteady rhythm as he pondered the reason behind her unthinkable move. His gaze shifted back to the riot that went on behind him.

A third car that had been in hiding charged forward from a space underneath the structure, he recognized it to be his, but at this point there was no use.

His gaze fazed back to the car that they had been in. In spite of the commotion outside, he managed to ease her injured form with as much care as his shaky hands could allow him. For the mere seconds of moments he could spare, he stared hard at them – he was shaking, furiously.

He was enraged. He was sure to get himself into whatever it’d take him to deal with the bastard that let that foul shot, because it was intended for him, he was certain about that.

He turned his gaze back to the spot where the vibration of the shot had come from. A figure was scuttling through the rubbles, seeking safety from the spray of bullets that rang aimlessly in the direction, alerting the rest of the world to their location.

He reached toward the carpet for the gun that was meant to serve as a protection for Stella and was about to take an aim at the figure that was already taking off. But just as he made his aim, a guard yanked him forward, hurling him back into the car with as much dignity as he could summon.

Through the resistance of a mind filled with hunger for revenge, Matteo complied. He adjusted himself in the seat and yelled at the top of his voice, "Drive!" He leaned back in his seat and began to caress her hair, wishing somehow that the gesture would ease her pain and prevent her from meeting her demise.

Death!

"Drive faster!" He yelled again, this time, his voice held all the pain it struggled to keep buried. How much of this feeling he’d kept stored up in him, he could not imagine. But he wasn’t about to figure it all out based on the event of her death.

As gently as he could, he placed his forehead against hers, and to his utmost shock, tears trickled from his eyes, trailing its way down his nose, and dropping on her face.

*****

The car drove toward the entrance of Matteo’s mansion. His heart raced with a potent mix of urgency and chronic fear that shook his will. With resolute focus, he slid his arms beneath Stella’s form, bracing himself for movement.

Finally, the car came to a halt, restraint was a luxury he could no longer afford. He seized the door handle with an unyielding grip and pushed with an unusual surge of energy. He propelled himself out of the car in a swift motion, evoking the mannerism of an eagle taking flight.

The world around him blurred as his devotion and impatience intertwined urged him forward. His actions spoke volumes, testament to the depths of the emotions that she had managed to rouse from him. His desire to see to her wellbeing was more than he ever imagined.

"Diego! Diego! Where the hell is he?!" He bellowed, his voice reverberating through the air as he stormed past the already open doors. Three guards instinctively moved towards him, offering to assist him, but he brushed them aside without a second glance.

"Someone find me Diego, for fuck’s sake!" His voice quivered with a disconcerting blend of fear and frustration, a mixture unfamiliar to his unusual demeanor. However, introspection had no place in this situation. He went up the stairs with steady strides. Just as he reached the terrace, a middle-aged man, approximately fifty to fifty-five years old, emerged from the final room along the corridor.

"Master Quinn," he began, but Matteo cut him off abruptly, his retort laced with fiery intensity and devoid of any remorse.

"Bring in the medics and follow me," he ordered as he grappled with the stubborn door handle. In a swift motion, Diego stepped forward, finally nudging the door open. He settled her already motionless form into the plush mattress of his bed and began to fumble with the fastenings of her dress.

"Stella, Stella, stay with me, goddamn it!" he pleaded, the quiver in his voice hinted his desperation as he cupped her face in his trembling hands. Her complexion was not pale, but her stillness alone was enough to unnerve him.