DAGGER IN THE HEART

twenty-seven

DAVINA'S POV:

*7 months before*

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

I run a makeup brush over my face, tapping on some blush for the god damn ball Matteo and I are invited to.

Reward?

What game was up to his sleeve tonight? Would I be pondered off like some object to filthy men or is he just messing with my head? Either way, I have Matteo by my side the whole night, so painful nausea in my stomach is at ease for now.

After finishing up my makeup and hair, I slipped into my navy blue dress that Matteo had custom-made for me.

The glittery material hugging my upper body tightly and the bottom of it laying around my feet like a puddle. The neckline drifts into a V down my chest and I graze my finger over the thick straps that lead to an open back.

I turn to the full-length mirror and grin at how confident I feel in the soft fabric.

My hair was held in a tight, high ponytail while a few strands of my curtain bangs lay across my cheekbones.

"Holy fuck", I hear from behind me and I jump at the scare. I turn around and see Matteo leaning against the door frame with a matching navy blue suit.

"Cursing is bad mojo", I point out even know I just cursed in my head.

The ball tonight was gold and blue-themed, and Matteo nearly gagged at the thought of him wearing a gold suit, so we went with blue.

"You're so beautiful", he says while I grab my thigh sheath and wrap it around the inside of my left thigh.

I smile up at him, returning my attention to my leg and slipping in the carved dagger Matteo gave me.

"And that is a huge turn on by the way", he murmurs and I laugh as he glances down at my thigh.

"Do we have to go", I whisper and feel my palms leak with sweat. My brain is fuzzy and all I want to do is take this dress and go somewhere with Matteo in private.

"Things would be much worse if we didn't", he says and places a hand on my waist.

"Yeah ok", I whisper and lean my forehead into his chest.

"Hey", he says and wraps a finger around my chin. "Look at me."

I lift my head and lower my lashes as he tucks a curtain bangs behind my ear. "I promise you no one will hurt you."

That's the thing about promises,

people always break them.

~

"Hey guys", Andrea grins and fixes his gold tie. He looks at my dress with wide eyes and circles around me. "If I wasn't gay I would so be turned on right now."

"Watch it", Matteo curls his lips and stares at him. "If you weren't gay I'd half to rip your eyes out of your sockets."

Andrea scoffs and leans in my ear. "He's just a little insecure because I'm hotter than him."

"Totally", I whisper back and see Matteo glaring at us, but we give him an innocent smile.

"Don't give her false information", he says to Andrea and all of a sudden a loud laugh erupts from behind us.

Carter leans back in his seat and breaks out into a loud laugh. "You guys should listen to yourselves right now." He holds his stomach and in his other hand is a cigarette. "Fucking fighting about who's hotter."

Andrea and Matteo glare at him, but I smile and lean back in the leather seats.

"Go fuck yourself", Matteo growls and turns his eyes to me. He pats his lap and I scoot my way over to the other side of the limo and nestle myself on him.

Leaning into his ear, I nibble at the lobe and graze my lips over him. "If it makes you feel any better, your the one who's turning me on right now by just looking at me."

I feel him smirk and flick his lobe with my tongue and place a kiss on his temple.

"Tonight I'll show you how grateful I am for that, darling", he whispers and squeezes my thigh.

"Can't wait", I smile before placing a peck on his lip.

"Listen", Matteo pipes up and we all turn to look at him. "Whatever my father has planned tonight, we need to watch her closely", he says and looks over at me.

"If I'm not there, I expect you two to be at her arm."

"Yeah", Carter says and looks over at me. "We'll protect her."

~

"Come on", Matteo holds out a hand and I grab it, pulling up the bottom of my dress and making my way out of the car.

My silver heels click along the driveway as I put my hand in Matteo's arm and look up at the house.

We make our way inside, and gold streams of glitter cover the marbled floor, and navy blue ribbons dance around the ceiling.

Men and women wear gold ball gowns and navy blue suits, the back of the room layered with a stage. The floor of its gold and a microphone sitting at the top. Two chairs with blue and gold diamonds wrapped around it all, sparkling under the white lights illuminating.

Taking a glass of champagne, Matteo and I make our way through the crowd and talk to some people I recognized from the last time.

"Relax", Matteo squeezes my hand as I look around the room, waiting to find a pair of silver eyes and the same mouth shape as Matteo's.

"I'm trying", I mumble.

"Come on", he urges me towards the dance floor and places my champagne down. "Let's dance."

He wraps an arm around my waist- pulling me close and I wrap my hands around his neck.

"We just have to get through tonight", he says and rubs small circles on my lower back. "And then we can go home, get in our bed, and finish watching our show."

I smile up at him and nuzzle my head into his chest. He leans closer to my ear and I felt my skin melt. "And then I can remove all of your clothes and show you how to properly relax."

"That sounds nice", I sigh and tilt my head up and kiss him softly.

"Thank you all for joining me this evening", I hear from behind me, but I make no move to turn around.

I know it's him.

"This event will be.... different than most", I feel his smile through the words and I don't take my face out of Matteo's chest.

"I've decided to invited two special guests to tonight's ball", he says and I feel my neck sting and the hair rise like someone's watching me.

Matteo's grip on my waist tightens and he pulls me closer.

"Guest number one", his dad announced and I heard footsteps across the stage.

A grunt fell from the person's mouth and I heard a chair slide. Matteo stiffened from under me and I felt my stomach coil in fear.

"And guest number two."

I feel the hot burn of a million eyes on me and I slowly lift my head meeting their eyes.

"Davina", his father sings songs behind me and I feel the bile rise to my throat. "Come up here sweetheart."

Slowly turning around, I meet his eyes and press myself closer to Matteo.

A smug look stretched across his face as he lifts his hand and waves to me. "Come up here and meet your partner."

My eyes turn over to his left, and my mouth falls open.

The room turns dark and I feel like collapsing on the ground.

My voice turns thick when I dig my nails into Matteo's arm that's wrapped around me.

"Dad?"