UNHOLY DESIRE

MATTEO POV

Deirdre was alive; that was all that mattered. Growing up, I vowed to keep my family away from my business and all that I did. Despite joining the gang because of them, shielding them was my responsibility.

I took a liking to Deirdre not just for a child because it was never part of the agreement but for her connection to the Giussepe clan.

Promising to ruin them for generations, a child between us, didn’t change my feelings; I still aimed to destroy the clan through her.

While instilling the same thoughts in Kendall seemed harsh, I could endure it until the last of them were down.

Besides, what I had said on the ship was out of desperation; I thought I’d die, freeing her being the least I could do.

Plus, I believed that the bastard that had caused the damage to the ship wasn’t dead as well.

After engaging in a scuffle with Javier, he caught me off guard by mentioning Kendall’s name and how he planned to rip her from limb to limb.

He fucking escaped from my grip, and that was a first for me.

“Hey!”

Deirdre’s giggle caught my attention, and I glanced towards where she was. She ran towards Vittorio.

Frowning, I muttered, “She was never that way with me.”

“Give that back!” She yelled, jumping for the plastic red plate Vittorio held up.

A fucking plate making her giggle? Maybe I should buy her all the red plates in the world to see her laugh every day.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

My eyes narrowed as her shirt rode up with each jump, revealing creamy thighs. Her curves were accentuated, and the outlines of her breasts were clear.

Unable to resist, I stepped towards her, and when she felt my presence, her expression changed.

She stopped jumping, folding her arms, and turning her back to me.

“Vittorio,” I said coolly, eyeing him.

Vittorio shrugged with a smile. “It was nothing, man. Have it, Deirdre.” He handed her the plate, and she snatched it, walking away.

I grabbed her hand, stopping her and pulling her to a nearby tree.

“What do you want from me, Matteo?” she asked.

“What do I want? Are you seeing Vittorio behind my back?” my voice was raspy.

“What?” Her eyes widened, bursting into giggles.

“Tell me, Deirdre,” I asserted.

“You said I meant nothing to you, and what I do shouldn’t concern you.” She tried to push past me, but I gripped her hand, nudging her back into the tree, my body blocking every escape.

“That doesn’t give you the right to speak to him,” I grunted.

Deirdre tilted her chin stubbornly, poking my chest, “I can do whatever I desire, Matteo. You don’t own me.”

“I do own you.” A low growl escaped me. Clasping her hands, I tilted them above her head, my face lowering to hers. I groaned as her tongue peeked out to lick her lip.

“You don’t; there’s nothing between us,” she said.

“Kendall,” I stated, ignoring the twitching between my legs due to our proximity.

“Kendall is between us, Deirdre, and I decide when I’m done with you, not the other way round,” I said.

Deirdre looked stunning. Even with tangled hair, a makeup-free face, and innocent green eyes, I desired to fuck her against the tree.

Fuck, my self-control waned with her.

But as much as I lusted after her, I cared about her dignity. Vittorio was nearby, along with some other man I had seen earlier.

If she had been a common whore, I might have taken her without a care, but she was Deirdre.

She was mine.

She was my wife and the mother of my daughter. I should treat her as such.

“You denied her,” she pointed out. “You called her a bastard and me a charity case. Did you suddenly forget about that?”

Deirdre wrinkled her nose. “I am not bound to you anymore. Can you let me go?”

“Legally, you are, and you don’t even know half the reason I said that,” I replied, releasing her hands.

Deirdre winced, rubbing them. “I might not know, but it doesn’t change the fact that you are a jerk. I hate that I got involved with you in the first place.”

“Be careful, Deirdre. You might eat your words very soon,” I warned.

But she only rolled her eyes before stepping away, which I allowed. Again, I groaned as she returned to Vittorio.

Was she trying to annoy me on purpose? Of course, she was.

I had spoken to her not long ago about him, yet she had returned to him.

She wasn’t playing jump anymore; she was all over him, giggling nonstop.

I wondered what he was saying to make her laugh this hard; I had been with her the longest, yet I hadn’t seen her smile at me.

Partly blaming myself for placing Deirdre in his care, now she acted as if he owned her.

“Why don’t we look for something better to do in this place to return to our world soon rather than while away time doing nothing?” I suggested, walking towards them.

Vittorio stood up, and I heard Deirdre sigh visibly.

“We’ve tried getting a signal but couldn’t find any, and the man from before said there are other survivors not far away from here. I believe we need to check that out,” he said.

“That seems like a better option. When we come together, we can find a faster solution,” I agreed.

I valued teamwork, knowing that when done well, it could yield better results.

“If it’s okay for you, we can leave now,” Vittorio suggested.

“Of course it is,” I murmured, glancing at Deirdre as she stood up.

“I’ll pack up,” she said.

I nodded. Even though it wasn’t certain we wouldn’t return, it was better to take our things wherever we went to avoid theft.

When everything was in order, the man who had been speaking to Vittorio returned, and he led us to where the other survivors were.