He's Mine - How to 'illegally' tell people HE's MINE in 99 ways

Chapter 13

"Calmness is delusional sister of destruction."

~~~

"So, the girls took you shopping?" Matteo asks as I wash the dishes. I mumble an affirmative and hand him a plate to dry. "You sure you don't want Alessandro or Luca or any of the girls to accompany you undercover?" he presses, and I shake my head.

"Why?" he groans in frustration.

"Because it's my business," I reply honestly. "Usually, it's you and me at these things, but Dad has to go because he's still the head, and I need to go because I'm the successor. No offense, but I'd be more comfortable knowing that you and Maa are safe among people I trust. Dad and I can handle ourselves."

He considers this for a moment before looking at me. "But galas were our thing, hellion. I enjoyed them," he mutters. I chuckle softly.

"I know, nerd, but you need to understand that in some battles, not all warriors get to fight." I nudge him with my shoulder to lighten the mood, but he still pouts.

His phone rings, and we both glance at it before exchanging a look. "Chiara is here, our parents never call, and Jared doesn't even know what a phone is," Matteo jokes, and I shake my head. He checks the call and sighs. "It's Raze."

"Talk to him, Matteo. He's still your friend," I encourage. Matteo answers the call and puts it on speaker, placing the phone on the counter while continuing to dry the dishes.

"Hey, Raze," Matteo greets.

"Hey, Matt. I need a favor," Raze's voice comes through, calm but clearly stressed.

"How can I help?" Matteo asks in his posh tone.

"My dad's dragging me to a gala. I'm guessing you know about it?" Raze says.

"Uh, yeah. What about it?" Matteo responds.

"What should I wear? What usually happens there? Is it too dangerous? Do I need some kind of weapon? Are you coming?" Raze fires off a barrage of questions, and Matteo bursts out laughing while I just smile. I realize I missed Raze more than I thought.

"Calm down, man! Tuxedo or something similar. I can send you some inspo photos, and if you're still lost, we can do a quick shopping trip tomorrow. It's a gathering of powerful people showing off who's more powerful. You'll be mostly forgotten, but if you do get noticed, it could be tense. No weapons necessary—are you crazy? And no, I'm not coming," Matteo answers all of Raze's questions.

"Why aren't you coming? I heard my dad say to my mom that your dad would be there," Raze asks, looking at me. I shrug.

Matteo can tell him the truth for all I care. I'm focused on keeping my dad safe and dealing with Darius.

"Because Maia has to," Matteo says. Raze sighs, sounding frustrated. Why is he so annoyed? He's the one who wanted to stay away.

"Everything okay, man?" Matteo asks.

"Does she really have to go? Can't you come instead? I just need a friendly face at this gala where I'll be just fodder," Raze admits.

My heart aches at his honest confession. He doesn't want me there. He still can't accept the fact that... fuck this.

Matteo looks at me and mouths 'sorry'. I just shake my head and smile. "Not your fault," I whisper.

"If you really need a friendly face at that power-dominance gala, trust me when I say Maia is the best person for the job. She's been in these situations more than I have. She doesn't like them either, but she has responsibilities. I enjoy these galas because it's interesting to see people squirm in front of us. But it's Maia they truly fear. She has to go to this one after that explosion..." Matteo trails off, and I look away, feeling the weight of his words.