Push and pull

ISABELLA'S POV.

Cold chills ran down my spine hearing those words, whatever defiance I had, whatever walls I built. Whatever anger and energy and resilience I had before , they all cracked on the spot 

I let myself loose swinging forward on the rsil standing back to my feets,  the iciness of the tiles shot through my skin as I inched forward,

I closed all the space between us, hating the god awful annoying grin still on his face.

“Don't you dare lay a finger on Matteo, don't you dare …I can see that look in your eyes, you bloody devil. If you lay a finger on my brother, I'll...”

“What?” He asked. Cutting into my words, pulling me closer, his arms wrapped behind my waist. 

I wouldn't mistake this for compassion or a joke impact. Maybe I felt fear for thr first time in  a long while; I worked twice as hard. Maintained all public appearances. acting as though I was the only child of my dead mother and dead beat dad,

All so Matteo, my poor autistic brother, could stay in his healthcare school in Spain, and now I was living in my nightmares. Luca of all people found out about the dearest thing to my heart.

Matteo was more than a brother to me, he was the bane of my existence. My weakness 

“Go on… don't bore me to death isabella, i've gotten attacked to that smart mouth and loose tongue of yours.” He chipped in, grumbling beneath his breath with an eye roll on purpose.

“I'll murder you; I'll kill you with my very hands. I swear it, if you touch my brother, I'd…”

“Sure, whatever.” He asserted letting go of my hands and pushing my back against the railing.

Cold wind brushed over my skin, pinning goosebumps on my arms.

“I warned you not to push my buttons; I got shot for you, and all you do is act out like a drama princess!” He asked, reaching  for a phone in his pocket. He turned on the screen,  and a video popped  up.

Matteo, sitting in his garden, a book in his hands, relaxed in the garden, but thanks to my father's early training, I had pictured a man standing next to an ice cream bus and two more in the garden behind him.

They weren't just standbys; they were fucking bloodhounds… dogs trained by Luca, they were men who would put a bullet through Matteo's skull if I so much as made a mistake.

My body shuddered as he pressed my back harder against the railing, letting the phone slip off his fingers with his gaze boring into mine.

“Don't make me snap your bones, Isabella,  I won't let you die, but that doesn't mean I don't have worse ways to make you suffer; for instance, I'd push you off this railing.” He stopped speaking;  slightly moving his eyed away from mez still grinning widely.

His gaze tilted over toward the floors and slowly towards my eyes; I swear I had seen a mischievous glint in them  as though he was picturing it, wondering what my cracked bones and splashed skulls could look like.

“I'd break your arms first. And those racy legs, I'll be sure you don't fall on your head, i need that preety face and hateful eyes of yours intact mi amor.

And even if it means keeping you alive with every other bit of your body being an implant or transplant, and I swear by it, you would remain my wife Isabella; every living, breathing, horror-filled minute  of your life would be mine.”

He shoved me off the railings, tossing me over to a side, footsteps approaching, drawing our attention toward the direction.

Antonio's face popped out; a fast flicker of emotions was evident in his gaze, but he had been quick to mask whatever it was before I got a chance to name it. 

“There's a little trouble,” Antonio pointed out to Luca, who frowned hearing those words.

He passed a long  and  lasting glance at me, and then a smile settled on his face, almost as if he didn't just threaten to rip me apart. Shoved me together and then forced me to remain in this bloody hell of a marriage  with him. 

“So... did I make myself clear?” He asked, running his fingers into his hair.

“I hate you! I fucking hate you, and I swear it. I'll be the one to end you.” I threatened, dragging  myself  to stand back on my feets.

“I see we are back on the same page, and don't forget for a single minute that I spared your life. Do not cross me again, Isabella, or your brother's death will be as slow and torturous as yours,” he threatened before turning on his feet and heading back into the vast dpace of cordidors.

Antonio's gaze lingered on mine, his  resolve softened as our gazes locked. He parted his lips, and just when he was about to speak, he stopped.

“What happened to you, Antonio? You are a kind man. Are you really contempt being his guard dog? Knowing he treats people like this?” I groaned, dragging staggered breaths, teasrs sttinging my eyes, threatening to fall to my cheeks.

“He doesn't treat everyone with so much mercy, Isabella. Don't play smart; obey him… I say this because I love you, but Luca isn't a forgiving man, Isabella, and neither am  I." Antonio warned, his voice was cold and curt, yet the gaze in his eyes still longed for me.

His palms crept  up the sides of my cheeks and he pressed his lips between his teeth.

“I love you enough to tell you, Isabella, if you cross him once again… he'll make you pay,” Antonio asserted, turning  away from me, his gaze stone-cold, and walked after Luca, leaving me breathless, shaken, and for the first time, Weak.