Descent - Mattheo Riddle

Chapter twenty-eight

Lucia

June 4th, 4:10 a.m., Enzo's Hideout

The first light of dawn filtered softly through the grimy windows of Enzo's hideout, casting a muted glow over the room. I stirred from my restless sleep and blinked against the dim light. My gaze fell on Mattheo, who was seated beside me, his posture tense and rigid. He was awake, his eyes dark and tired, the shadows beneath them more pronounced than ever.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" I asked, my voice still thick with sleep, noting the exhaustion etched into his features.

"I'm fine, go back to sleep," he muttered, his voice rough and strained. But it was clear from the way his eyelids drooped that he had been fighting off sleep for far too long.

"Haven't you slept at all?" I ignored his dismissive tone, pushing myself up on my elbows, my concern growing.

"Does it matter?" he hissed, a flicker of irritation in his voice. His frustration didn't deter me; instead, it confirmed what I already suspected.

"How long have you been keeping watch alone? How long has Enzo been asleep?" I pressed on, now fully sitting up, trying in vain to rub the sleep from my eyes. The fatigue was still there, but so was my resolve.

Mattheo turned to face me, annoyance flashing in his eyes. "I told you to sleep," he growled, his tone almost a command. I couldn't blame him for his short temper—he was clearly beyond exhausted.

Gently, I placed my hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension in his muscles. He stiffened under my touch but then slowly relaxed, the rigidity easing from his frame. I opened my mouth to speak, to offer some reassurance, but before I could utter a word, Mattheo moved.

In a swift, fluid motion, he pushed me back down onto the mattress, his hands pinning mine beside my head. His breath was warm against my face, his lips mere millimeters from mine. The intensity in his gaze sent a rush of heat through me, my heart pounding in my chest. His body pressed against mine, a delicious weight that left me breathless.

"I said..." he began, his voice a low, dangerous murmur, his eyes flicking down to my lips and lingering there. He was so close, so dangerously close that I could feel the electricity crackling in the air between us, the pull that was drawing us together against all logic and reason. His lips brushed against mine, just a ghost of a touch, but it was enough to send a shiver down my spine.

And then, a loud knock on the door shattered the moment. We both jerked away from each other, the tension between us snapping like a taut string.

Damn.

It was as if fate itself was warning us, telling us that this—whatever it was, was a bad idea. Mattheo let out a frustrated grunt, pushing himself off me, and settled back onto the mattress beside me. "Yes?" he called out, his voice rough, still laced with the intensity of the moment we had just shared.

I sat up as well, trying to steady my racing heart. The door creaked open, and Enzo stepped in. He looked weary, but there was a mischievous glint in his eye that told me he had a pretty good idea of what he had just interrupted. The dirty grin on his lips made it all too clear.

"Are you two all right?" Enzo asked, his tone innocent enough, though his eyes danced with barely contained amusement as he glanced between us. "Anyway," he continued before either of us could respond, "we need to get moving soon. Prepare yourselves."

"Where are we going?" I asked, not entirely sure we had discussed our next destination.

"We're going to meet with some members of the Order who are nearby. If you can gain their trust, they might lead you to the higher-ups," Enzo explained, casting a quick, knowing glance at Mattheo, who remained silent, his expression dark.