UNHOLY DESIRE

DEIRDRE

“Are you one of Matteo’s friends?” I asked the man who escorted me out of the room. His salt-and-pepper hair was impeccably styled, a dimpled smile on one cheek, and his dark eyes twinkled as he looked down at me.

He was tall and muscular, and next to him, I felt very small, like a dwarf. I couldn’t help but notice he seemed much closer to Matteo than Javier, even though they didn’t seem like friends, much like Lucia had seemed with him.

“I’m Vittorio De Luca,” the man introduced himself. “I can’t exactly say we’re friends, but we’re not foes either.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “So, he entrusted me to you? What if you do something horrible to me? I mean, you could toss me into the water just for the fun of it.”

“Why do you think that, darling?” he asked, raising his brows.

“It’s Deirdre,” I corrected him, slightly uncomfortable with how both men I’d spoken to tonight had referred to me endearingly.

Even though I knew it meant nothing and wasn’t a big deal, I didn’t enjoy it. I only liked it when it came from Matteo’s mouth, even though I wouldn’t admit it to him.

“Deirdre, it is then,” he said, still smiling. “And you seem quite knowledgeable, different from the other girls I’ve encountered.”

“Now I’m quite offended,” I glared at him. “Do you take me for an airhead?”

Vittorio shook his head. He let go of me and stepped back, his eyes roving over me. “I know it might seem like a generalization, but permit me to say you looked very much like one.”

“That is the loveliest compliment I’ve heard in a while,” I exclaimed.

“Sarcastic and gorgeous, a very lovely combination,” Vittorio murmured.

“Why would Matteo entrust me to you when he isn’t even your friend?” I said, glancing around to see we were in another part of the ship. This place seemed much lighter than the room I had been in previously, and it was in the open, so I could see the moonlight. A large pool area was in the center, filled with people, especially women, smoking and drinking.

I crinkled my nose, staring back at Vittorio just in time to see him grab two glasses of wine and extend one towards me.

“I’m good,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ve had too much for the night, and I don’t want any more.”

“It’s not liquor,” he explained. “It’s just grape juice. I wouldn’t be so foolish as to give you alcohol for my own safety.”

He seemed sincere. I wondered if he and Matteo had shared something that surprised me, recalling a handshake I hadn’t seen before. It felt secretive and like something from a gang.

Actually, everything happening felt that way. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised. It was one of the reasons I had distanced myself from Matteo, even though I hadn’t told him that, and while I hadn’t seen him in action, I had seen some evidence and made assumptions without asking him. The evidence was enough to make me feel like I needed to protect myself.

“He seems to care about you,” Vittorio commented, pulling me from my thoughts.

I took the wine glass filled with juice he offered, sniffed it, and let out a sigh.

“Is that what you’ve been up to all night?” He chuckled.

“It’s not funny. I almost had a heart attack after drinking what I thought was plain juice,” I pointed out.

“Fair enough,” Vittorio conceded, then added, raising his own glass. “Next time, if you want to know without sniffing, just swirl the drink. If it fizzes with a whitish substance, it’s drugged.”This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

“Why would anyone in their right mind do this? It’s not prom, and we’re not sixteen,” I protested.

“That’s just how it’s done,” Vittorio explained. “What’s the point of having plain wine when you can add some extra flavor?”

Did he call that extra flavor? It seemed more like a death sentence. I couldn’t fathom the damage it could do to someone’s organs if they consumed that daily. It was even stranger that I was the only one uncomfortable with it, well, at least the only one among those present.

“They’re accustomed to life in the underworld,” Vittorio explained.

“What did you promise, Matteo?” I steered the conversation back to our earlier topic.

Vittorio shook his head, clearly amused. But I wasn’t about to let it slide. If he hadn’t made any promises to Matteo, it meant Matteo could abandon me to the first danger he came across.

“I promised him my life,” Vittorio admitted after a pause.

I choked on the wine, gasping and fanning my face. Vittorio gently rubbed my back and whispered, “Are you alright? You should sip it slowly.”

“I’m fine,” I coughed twice before straightening. “But why would you do that?”

“I promised to guide you, Deirdre, and if you get hurt, he’s free to take my life,” he reiterated.

“That’s reckless,” I scowled. “You shouldn’t play games with your life like that!”

“It’s a way to earn trust,” Vittorio explained. “Matteo will definitely trust me after this.”

So, trust was the driving force behind all of this?

“Not only that,” Vittorio continued, “you seem like a good woman. It would be such a shame for your life to end in that room in such a way.”

I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off by a loud bang. “What was that?”

“A firework,” Vittorio stated nonchalantly.

I could tell he was lying. His dark eyes narrowed as he focused on the entrance. Something was wrong. Vittorio’s eyes spoke volumes.

He gripped my arm again, this time firmly but not painfully, without asking for permission.

“Let me get you out of here,” he said, and I nodded.

This part of the ship was starting to give me the creeps, too. All I wanted was to be back in the room, getting some sleep, but I doubted I would rest well tonight.