"And where exactly are you headed to? Surely not to pick a fight with whoever hit your brother... right?"
I felt my face heat up from the accurate accusation and shook my head slowly.
"N-No-"
"Your first words to me are lies?" He clicked his tongue...
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Ezra's fist came across Matteo's face and I heard a crunch before Matteo's face started spitting blood in every direction. Before Matteo had time to react, Ezra grabbed his face and slammed his face on his knee at the same time that Matteo pushed Ezra away. Ezra stumbled over his two feet and fell and Matteo started punching Ezra in the face.
I screamed at them to stop repeatedly, but no one listened.
Ezra continued punching back and blocking Matteo's blows. They won't stop. I looked around me, looking for anything to hit Matteo with to get him to stop. Ezra punched Matteo in the face so hard that he fell backward, hitting his head on the marble flooring, knocking him out effectively.
Ezra stood up and grabbed his handkerchief from his pocket, using the clean side to wipe his face from sweat and blood that were both his and Matteo's. He nonchalantly stepped over Matteo's body and walked over to me, grabbing my hands and kissing my knuckles whilst he whispered, "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry."
"It's okay," I breathed out, leaning against the wall as he bent down to lean his head on my chest. I stroked his hair with my fingertips, calming him down quickly.
"I didn't want you to see that... any of it. I'm so sorry, Samantha, please forgive me," he breathed out once he pulled back and I smiled softly up at him, wiping a spot of blood from his cheek, "You didn't want to, but you had to. I've been put in the same position before. Forgive yourself, Ezra. Let's go back inside."
He sighed in relief as he kissed my forehead, hugging me close when I heard the announcer speak through the microphone, "I need all five leaders of the following families to step onto the stage; Ambrogi, Bianchi, De Luca, Lombardi, and Salvatore."
Ezra pulled away but kissed my forehead again quickly, "Go ahead and go out to the plane. I don't him messing with you when he wakes up and I want to leave immediately."
I nodded and he grinned as he kissed me deeply before pulling away and running inside. I took my heels off so that I could run, but I grabbed my phone from beside Matteo before I did. I ran through the exit and around the building until I climbed into the plane safely.
My phone was not only shattered, but blowing up by the second. I had missed calls, texts, and voicemails from Stefan, Willow, Benny, and Gino.
I called Stefan back and he answered before the first ring was over, "I swear to God, I will find out where you are, Matteo, and I will fucking slit your throat-"
"Stef, it's me..." I breathed out and I heard him suck in a deep breath, "Guys! It's her! She's okay! Sammie, what happened? Where are you?"
"I'm still at the ball, I'm kind of hiding out in Ezra's plane..." I trailed off and the phone began rumbling all-around before Willow's voice filled my ear, "What the hell is he doing there?!"
"It's... it's a long story but long story short, Ezra is involved in the same stuff Matteo was in. And basically there's a fight for the boss title tonight involving both of them and three others. I'm waiting for the title to be named so I can come home."
"Jesus Christ, it's going to be a blood bath in there, Sammie. Matteo is off his meds!" Gino said in the background and my eyebrows stitched together in confusion, "What meds?"
"Here," Wilow said as she handed the phone to him and he sighed, "When Matteo was a kid, he was diagnosed with what doctors call Schizoaffective Disorder Type Bipolar. He must be off of his medication for the first time in twenty years. That explains why he left and did everything he did... How could I be so blind? Listen, Sammie."
Schizoaffective Disorder Type Bipolar? Matteo is sick?
"Sammie, if Matteo is off of his medications then that means he is ruthless. He's out of touch with his reality, he isn't in control of his feelings nor will he take into account other's feelings. Please, please, be careful! Watch your surroundings because he is dangerous," Gino said seriously and I felt my gut turn, but before I could get off of the plane to go make sure Ezra was okay, Benny grabbed the phone and spoke, "And just because he is dangerous does not mean go and save your man! You stay on that fucking plane and let Ezra protect himself! Don't you step a foot out of that door or so help me God I will kick your ass from here all the way to Timbuktu!"
I sighed and nodded, as I looked out of the plane window to see people leaving the ball in a calm, collected manner. Okay, good. No one killed each other.
"Okay. Everyone is leaving, I'm gonna see you guys later. Love you," I exasperated and I heard all of their collective love you toos before the call hung up.
The plane door opened and I sighed as I began trying to unzip my dress. Along with all of my anxiety, a tight dress is what I don't need right now.
"Ezra, can you please help me unzip this and untie the corset?" I asked as I tried to reach but failed. His hands immediately unzipped it and untied it, and I turned around, just about to shimmy out of it when I quickly realized that it was not Ezra, but it was Matteo.
I screamed in shock, backing up and hitting the wall, "Get out of here!"
Blood was all over him from the wounds on his face and he stepped towards me, cornering me as his hand cupped my throat, "Why don't you love me anymore?"
His tone was angry and his fingers were tightening by the second, cutting off all availability of oxygen. I tried to punch him, but his face was just enough out of reach that I couldn't even nick his skin. So I lifted my knee and kneed him in his groin. He let go of me, falling to the ground in pain as I coughed and sputtered, catching my breath.
"You were supposed to wait for me, you bitch!" Matteo yelled as he stood up grabbed my wrists, yanking me across the plane. I tripped over a rolling table, knocking everything off and landing on broken glass bits from the items falling. They stabbed my arm, blood immediately pouring from my wounds.
"Leave me alone! Go away!" I yelled back, getting up to run off of the plane. I was holding my dress to me when he grabbed the bottom of it, ripping me out of it and tripping me simultaneously.
I hugged my bare chest as I was backed into a corner, unable to go anywhere with Matteo trapping me. His eyes scanned my body sickeningly since the only thing I was wearing was underwear.
"J-Just go," I whispered as I turned my face away from him, I didn't want him to see me cry. I don't want to be weak when I need to be strong.
"Don't you remember the chemistry we had? How I touched you and you begged for it?" He asked softly, condescendingly as he trailed a finger down my shoulder to my hands that were covering my breasts. He slapped my hands away, pinning my wrists beside my head no matter how hard I fought against him, "Dammit, Matteo, let me go!"
A piercing loud gunshot erupted from inside the plane and I watched as Matteo screamed in pain, holding his leg. Ezra grabbed the collar of his dress shirt and threw him off of the plane, yelling at his flight attendant and pilot from across the parking lot to get ready to leave.
He crouched down in front of me and picked me up, carrying me to the bathroom and sitting me on the sink.
Tears pricked at my eyes as I looked up at him and he frowned, caressing my face, "You can cry, baby. It's okay to cry. I have you now."
