The One (Untouchables Mafia Series Book 3)
The One: Chapter 17

“Angel.” I drop the pliers. She stares at me. Her face is unreadable. Something I’m not used to. Her face usually shows all of her emotions, but right now there is nothing. Fear grips me. It’s a feeling I’m not used to.

“Angel,” Her father croaks out. I’m sure he’s shocked to see his daughter standing there. I want to cut his eyes out so that he can never stare at her again. “Help me.” His voice cracks.

Angel takes a step back, running into Riley, whose face is scrunched in disgust. This isn’t something either of them needs to see.

“Come on.” Riley tries to pull at Angel to get her attention. I watch as tears fill my Angel’s eyes. Ones that I know I have caused. She finally lets Riley pull her up the stairs.

I fucking forgot to lock the upstairs doors after Riley had entered. I never forget anything. I follow after them. There is no way I will let her run from me. I know I should. She needs her space, but I can’t stop myself. Nikolai doesn’t dare try to get in my way, either. He knows better.

I know the bay door is open. I’d left it that way because Matteo had said he was headed this way. He didn’t give me any details of why, but he wouldn’t pop in for no reason. Whatever he needs is important for him to pay a personal visit. Usually, he would just send Sergio if it were business as usual.

“Angel,” I call after her. She stops walking and turns to face me.

“I’m not running.” She whispers it out. “I know better.”

Fuck me. I stop walking.

She knows better? Those words rip at my insides. A torture of my own making.

“Are you going to kill him?”

“I mean, he doesn’t have to kill him if that bothers you, but he’s a dead man,” Nikolai answers.

“Shut the fuck up,” I bark at him.

“Abel?” Angel asks again, wanting me to answer.

“If you don’t want me to, I won’t.” Her eyes widen.

“Don’t ask me that!” She shifts on her feet. I want to go to her, but I keep my feet planted. Her words of knowing better hold me in place. To my surprise, it’s Angel that moves toward me. She places her hands on my chest, staring up at me. “How long has he been down here? The whole time I’ve been here?”

‘Yes.’ I won’t lie to her. I have already hidden so much.

“Why are you doing that to him?”

“You know he’s not a good man.”

‘Are you a good man, Abel?’

‘The only man I care about being is yours.’ That’s the truth. The rest doesn’t matter. Good or bad is determined by people. It’s merely an opinion. Nothing more. What I deem as bad, another may not.

The alert for the gate goes off, letting me know that Matteo is here. This is not the fucking time, but there is no stopping it at this point.

“Who is it?” Angel asks.

“Matteo Cattaneo.” She lets out a small gasp.

“You know I’d never let anyone hurt you. No one.” I wouldn’t. I would kill everyone here to save only her, and I would have no regrets. I’m sure some would say that makes me a very bad man. But I couldn’t care less what other people think. No one but her. She is my everything.

Angel turns when she hears the vehicle pull into the bay. Matteo isn’t alone. His SUV, along with a van, pulls in. He’s either bringing me someone or has plans to take the senator.

“Angel.” I drop my voice. ‘You must tell me what you want because everything is escalating. I need to know where you stand on this.” I hate that I have to put her in this position, but we’re out of time.

“Don’t do anything that puts you in danger,” she whispers. Angel just chose me over her father.

“That’s not what I’m asking.”

“Don’t make me say it.” Those tears fill her eyes again.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want.” I try to reassure her.

“What if I wanted to leave?” I clench my fists at my side.

“Then we leave.” I think she meant by herself, but that isn’t an option. I’d take her anywhere, except away from me.

‘I’m here to pick up the senator,’ Matteo announces when he steps out of the SUV. Sergio follows behind him. Sal exits the van but stays close to it, making me believe someone is inside.

“What’s happening?” I ask.

“Does it matter?” Matteo’s eyes linger on Angel.

“Brent is my kill.” Angel sucks in a breath at my words.

“You’re going to kill him?” She stares up at me. “Why doesn’t he go to jail or something?”

“We can’t have any talkers. All three will die. It has already been set in motion.” Matteo checks his watch. “In fact, I’m on a bit of a timetable here. I can’t keep the new police chief waiting.”

He’s going to set this all up. Pin the killings all on each other. I’m sure it will have Brent killing his father and some murder-suicide for Ken and Barbie. It will clean up this mess without raising red flags. Everyone gets what they want. Except maybe my Angel. It’s a brilliant plan. I shouldn’t be surprised. This is how Matteo operates. It’s why he’s still the most powerful man in this city.

“Save the tears, Angel. You’ll need those for the cameras.”

“Matteo,” I growl, stepping in front of Angel to block her from anyone’s view. I ready myself just in case.

“Did you tell her?” Matteo keeps going. I take a step, but when Angel grabs the back of my shirt, I stop. With one touch, this tiny girl can control me and so many others’ fates.

“Tell me what?” She pokes her head out from behind me.

“Don’t,” I order her, not giving a shit who Matteo is right now. Angel already has to live knowing a bunch of fucked-up shit.

“You don’t.” Angel elbows me, wiggling to try and get around me.

I let her, but I wrap my arm around her right above her chest, pulling her back flush to my front. I keep my arm firmly in place so she stays against me. Relief fills me that she doesn’t try to get away from me. That should be the least of my worries right now.

Matteo smirks at Angel, who is pushing and ordering me around. I don’t give a shit. All I care about right now is coming out the other side of all this with her in a better place.

“Tell her. She has the right to know,” Riley says softly.

“Your brother has a bit of an obsession with you.” My arm tightens around Angel, hating to think about that little fucker. The sick things he likely did all while thinking about Angel.

“He hates me. Brent has spent most of his life terrorizing me.”

“He is a fucking psycho, so that might be what gets him off,” Nikolai mutters, shaking his head. He’s still not over Brent and Becky, and I don’t blame him. He wants his revenge for what they tried to do to Riley.

“Some of the girls, the ones he picked, bear a resemblance to you,” I tell her, wanting it to come from me. She tenses. “He built a show shrine to you. Took pictures of you without you knowing.” I push down my temper to get the rest out. “In your home.” Angel turns in my arms. “In⁠—”

She places a finger on my lips. “I get it. You don’t need to say any more.”

“If you want to say goodbye—” Matteo says.

“What?” Angel turns back toward him.

“He’s here.” Matteo nods toward the van. “We’ll be taking your brother and father back home.”

“I don’t want to say anything to him.” I hate how defeated she sounds. She’s too pure and innocent for any of this.

“All right, then. We need to get moving.” Matteo taps his watch.

“Come on, Angel.” She doesn’t stop me from leading her back up to our place. Nikolai and Riley follow behind us.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” she asks as soon as we enter. Angel walks over, picking up the kitten, hugging it to her chest.

“I’ll stay if that is what you want.”

“You said it was your kill.” Angel repeats what I’d said downstairs.

“It’s my right, but no, I don’t have to take it.”

“But you want to.” I do. I want to snap the little fucker’s neck, but first I want to hear his scream. To torment him the same way he’d done to Angel all her life.

“I want to please you more.” A small smile pulls at her lips.

“Go,” she says.

“I’ll be staying too.” Riley sits down on the couch. Nikolai won’t be missing this. I may be the primary on this one, but I’ll make sure he gets what he needs out of it as well.

“Go,” Angel says again, but I don’t move. “I’m not going to run.”

“I was going to lock it either way.” I’m honest with her.

“I know.”

I walk over toward her. “Tell me not to go.”

“I won’t do that, Abel.”

Fuck me. Why is she doing this?

“Go. I’ll be here when you get back.” She licks her lips. “Then we’ll talk.”

Is this some kind of test? I don’t fucking know.

“Come on.” Nikolai’s hand comes down on my shoulder.

“I’ll be back, Angel.” She doesn’t stop me when I lean in and press a kiss to her mouth. Then I follow Nikolai out and back down the stairs. This time, making sure to lock the door behind me.