MATTEO (book 2)

14. MATTEO

I like to insert myself in places I have no business being. Like Xena's bed.

She's in the shower, her mom told me where to find her. She hasn't called in a while so I'm wondering what to do.

She can sing.

She's singing very loudly to some Brazilian song and I can only imagine her shaking her ass in the shower as she does so.

The water stops and ten minutes later she walks out, screams and jumps when she sees me, her towel falling down.

What a beautiful woman.

She scurried to pick it up quickly and then just throws a hairbrush at me.

"Rude." I pick it up.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"You haven't called." I cross my ankles.

"Get the fuck out!"

"No." I hold my hands behind my head, looking at the dirty, old rucksack laying on the floor. "So, who's the guy?"

"Matteo, I don't find you funny." She walks to her closet, picking out her usual black yoga pants and black tee.

"You'd be the first." I smile.

She stares at me, face as straight as ever. "Go."

"Why? Your little boyfriend gonna be home soon?"

"Why? Jealous?"

I snort, "please, Xena. I'm not the one making this awkward between us."

She closes her eyes. "Can you please leave?"

"Why are you so awkward anyway?" I stand up, noticing a couple of used condoms in the trashcan. "Damn, y'all are at it like rabbits-"

"Not funny again, Matteo. Leave." She grabs my arm, attempting to pull me.

"When's the next thing? I'm bored out of my mind."

"Don't you have a whole mafia to run?"

"No, I'm on probation for 6 months until I've helped you."

"Only 4 to go!" She says sarcastically, "Now get out."

"So demanding." I narrow my eyes, "just how I like them." I walk away, but wait outside of her little mobile home. It's adorable, decorated in flowers and sunshine to distract her from the evil world she sees every day.

She walks out and groans when she sees me. "Hamada's team are undercover as electricians to see if there's girls being kept in a warehouse downtown."

"What warehouse?"

"It's an old animal shelter. There was suspicious activity outside of it a while ago and we finally got one of our undercovers to get noticed."

"How do they get noticed?" I follow her into the house.

"They act like normal humans, but put themselves in danger. A man needs help with his dog, help. A child's saying they lost their mom, help." She looks at Trixie sitting at the dining table alone. "She still hasn't spoke, she's not really eating either."

I sigh, grabbing a granola bar from the cupboard and sitting opposite her, opening it. I hand it to her and she smiles softly.

I watch her eat.

I don't trust this girl. Not at all. Call it a weird hunch. "Hey, wanna go for a walk?"

"Matteo." Xena warns me. "Don't."

"Shut up, Mendes." I say under my breath. "Just around the house?"

Trixie nods her head. "I will change first."