TAKEN AGAIN

Mateo’s pov~

That spineless wife of mine absconded the first chance she got, right under my nose, she stole my car and rode into the sunset, with God knows who.

I've tried to be calm,  but it seems my enemies knew how to plug their sharp lances into my side.

It's been laps of bad luck since, all of a sudden it feels like there is a vacuum I never knew existed in my life.

In every corner of my house, I expected that she would pop up from one of the rooms, but it seemed that I was living in my delusion.

She couldn't handle me and so she left, did her father Have anything to do with this? 

I heard footsteps approaching me where I stood overlooking my estate,

 “Don, there’s bad news, three of our cargo ships turned up, but the merchandise…. Were disposed of” he said immediately, I was quiet, someone had been going after my cargo since last night, and they targeted only mine.

“Do we have a clue who is doing this?” I asked Julius who slumped to the couch opposite me, “I've been following Silvio all week, but all he does are the normal things, his security is always close, and by the close of work he takes his chopper to Florence to see his whore” Julius mentioned. 

“I don't believe this, this has my father and the Argento’s hands all over this, what about the CCTV from the castle?” I asked, Julius leaned forward where he sat.

“The CCTV facing the garage was smashed, but we were able to capture something from the one in the courtyard, he took out his phone from his pocket and showed me a short clip, in this clip the car my wife had absconded with passed by and out of view.

“I know she has run away, anything new?” I asked pacing around the room, “no sir, look again” he said as he paused and zoomed into the driver's seat, the image I saw was a blur but I could make out a figure of a man wearing a hat driving past the courtyard. “She has been taken again” I groaned, which of these old vile men who had gathered like leeches in my father’s castle had sent somebody to take what belonged to me?

But I'm not going to let her go, she’s mine to keep, I bought her fair and square but it seems that doing so has also put a target on her back.

If I must protect her then I must find her.

“I want to know who he is, Julius I want him to kneel and beg me for mercy, he has violated the rules of ancient traditions, I want him dead,” I said to Julius, 

“of course Don” he replied, moments later his beautiful wife Nicole walked in, Micola and I met back in university, her uncle was a powerful businessman I did business with, one day I had brought my beautiful friend home for dinner, my father’s old friend and my second in command took one look at her and he knew she was his wife.

She walked towards her husband and kissed him lightly his lips, he savoured the taste of her lips as she broke away from him.

“Mateo, I just got off with the medical team involved with Becky’s care, good news the doctor said by some miracle they recorded brain activities” she said sitting on the arm of the couch beside her husband, she smiled at me but my facial expression didn't change.

 “what does that mean for me Micola?” I asked, “there’s a chance she could wake up any day,” she responded.

I watched for her facial expression, she had a resting face and it seemed the good news she just passed on didn't seem as important to her as anyone would have hoped.

Micola and I were in a very complicated situation, she didn't care how many women I had been with, she accommodated it and even participated.

She was my private adviser, she was the smartest cookie I have ever laid my eyes on.

I noticed her gaze on me did not waiver, she looked at me intently and then asked, 

“Mateo? Why are you brooding, I just gave you great news about a woman you were supposed to marry a few weeks ago but here you are brooding a? Why?” she asked crossing her arms, Julius adjusted in his seat.

 “apologies don, my wife doesn't know when to shut up” he said as he faked a smile at his wife who didn't so much as a glance back at him, her eyes were fixed on mine.

I couldn't explain the origin of my mood, I just felt this overwhelming feeling of being aloof without Ariana to torment.

“Wait?” she exclaimed as she sprang up, “is this about the new missus?” she asked shooting me inquisitive looks, 

“I do not have the time to worry about a woman who has absconded from her husband with another man from the look of things” I replied her, trying not to give myself up,

 “look ill leave you both to continue your debate, I have some digging to do” with that he got up and left. 

“You miss her don't you?” micola asked, her question set me back, why would I miss her, but when I think about her why do I want to touch her soft body and wait for her hands to push mine off.

“Don't be crazy, you know I have a history with her, she belongs to me, I paid a lot of money to own the bitch, miss her? When have you ever known me to miss anyone” I said very convincingly.

 “I'm more worried about what vital information she could be passing on to her captors” I added.

Micola looked at me intently,

 “well I had to ask, you looked like a scorned lover the past 2 days” Micola noted, she moved close to me and wrapped her arms around me.

 “Mateo what are we going to do about Becky, marrying her, to stop her from testifying against you didn't work out as planned, she’s disposable now” she said as she leaned in to kiss me, I quickly pulled away,

 “we are not killing Becky, not now ever” I replied.

“Fine! But don't say I didn't warn you when this comes to bite you in the ass, the FBI is a brutal force, they will come at you hard Mateo” she said pulling away from me.

I was quiet, my mind had wandered to one singular thought which occupied my entire head in the most irritable way possible.

Just what the hell is Ariana doing right now?