Chapter 4 Caught

It took me a full day to figure out how to get my hands on a phone.

Matteo's men were everywhere, watching me like hawks. But one of them - a younger one - had a habit of leaving his phone on the table when he brought food.

This time, I waited until he turned to pour water into my glass. My fingers shot out, grabbed the phone, and I slipped into the bathroom, locking the door.

I don't know what was louder - the pounding of my heart or the sound of my own breathing.

The phone felt too big in my shaking hands, but I dialed Luca anyway.

He answered on the first ring. "Isla? Where are you?"

"Luca," I whispered, pressing my back to the cool bathroom tiles. "I'm okay, but you have to come get me."

"Tell me where you are."

"I don't know exactly. I think we're outside the city. It's a mansion, big gates-"

The bathroom door handle turned.

I froze.

"Isla?" Matteo's voice, calm but sharp, from the other side.

My throat went dry. "Luca, I have to go-"

The door swung open before I could hang up.

Matteo stood there, filling the doorway, barefoot, shirtless, hair still mussed from sleep.

"Give me the phone."

"No."

His brows lifted slightly, like he was impressed by my nerve.

"Isla."

I shook my head, clutching the phone tighter. "I just wanted to tell him I'm alive. That's it."

Matteo stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Give it to me."

"You can't keep me cut off from everyone I care about!"

"You care about him," he said flatly.

"Yes!"

Something dark flickered in his eyes. "Then maybe I should kill him."

My heart stopped. "You wouldn't."

His mouth curved in a humorless smile. "You don't know what I would do."

I took a step closer, glaring. "If you hurt him, I'll never forgive you."

"You think I want your forgiveness?" he asked softly, leaning closer until I could feel his breath against my cheek.

"Yes," I whispered before I could stop myself. "I think you do."

For a second, he didn't move. Then he reached out and plucked the phone from my hand, calm as ever.

"Matteo-!"

He held up a finger, silencing me, and pressed the phone to his ear.

Matteo's POV

Silence. Then a sharp voice cut through.

"You have ten seconds to tell me where she is, or I swear-"

"This must be Luca Moretti."

A beat of stunned silence.

"You-" Luca's voice turned cold. "If you touch her, I'll kill you."

Matteo's lips curved into a slow, dark smile. "Tell your father I said hello."

"You bastard-"

"As for Isla," Matteo said, his voice dropping to a dangerous purr, "she is mine to claim now."

"You don't get to decide that-"

The line went dead as Matteo ended the call.

Back to Isla's POV

I stood frozen, my pulse racing. "What did you say to him?"

Matteo slid the phone into his pocket. "Enough."

"You can't just-"

"I can," he said softly. "And I will. Luca Moretti doesn't get to tell me what to do."

"You're going to start a war," I whispered.

His eyes met mine, sharp and unwavering. "If he wants a war, he'll get one."

I shook my head, backing up until my shoulders hit the wall. "This is insane. You're insane."

Matteo stepped closer, closing the space between us.

"You keep saying that," he murmured. "And yet you keep talking to me like you want to find out how far I'll go."

I swallowed hard, my chest heaving.

"You should be afraid of me, bella," he said, voice low, velvet-dark.

"I'm not afraid of you."

His lips curved in a slow, dangerous smile. "Good. Then maybe you'll survive me."

He turned and walked out, locking the door behind him.

I sank to the floor, every muscle trembling.