UNHOLY DESIRE

DEIRDRE

I jolted as another shot rang out.

Now, it was evident to me that it was not a Roman candle definitely going off.

It sounded more like a gunshot. I stood by my door with Vittorio beside me. He hadn’t left, and he was taking his promise to Matteo seriously. I didn’t mind him being with me, especially since whatever was happening outside frightened me.

Yet, it seemed like I was the only one afraid. People were still partying. I could hear the music blasting from the old jukebox, but the gunfire was louder, and no one seemed to notice.

Suddenly, there was silence. The music was gone, and I didn’t hear any screams of people running for safety. Frowning, I turned to Vittorio, my brows raised. “What’s happening?”

“Can you stay here by yourself? Will you promise me not to leave the room?” he asked.

“I can’t make that promise without knowing what’s going on. And as for staying in the room, I can’t say. Matteo is out there and…”

“Your husband is fine,” Vittorio grunted.

I hadn’t told him about being married to Matteo; he must have guessed. I appreciated that he was more sensible than Javier, who had flirted with me even after finding out.

“I need to know,” I insisted.

“I don’t trust you to stay by yourself,” Vittorio murmured. A vein ticked in his jawline, and his eyes narrowed as he scanned the surroundings.

“Please, Deirdre, this is serious,” he implored, turning to me again.

I wanted to be stubborn about finding out what was happening and investigating, but I knew it could do more harm than good. If I got hurt, I would be risking Vittorio’s life since Matteo had asked him to look after me. Plus, I would risk upsetting Matteo.

“Deirdre,” he said again, and I rolled my eyes.

“Fine,” I said. “Just make sure Matteo is okay.”

“I’ll do that. I promise,” he assured me.

Vittorio opened the door for me, and I stepped in. Before closing it, he added, “Lock all the doors, and don’t let anyone in unless you’re sure it’s Matteo.”

“Noted,” I said with a nod.

Vittorio nodded, let out a sigh, and then walked away. I followed his instructions and locked the doors. As I stepped towards the window, the moonlight bathed everything in a soft glow. I couldn’t help but imagine how perfect the night could have been if not for whatever was happening.

Deciding my dress was unnecessary now since the party had ended, I removed it, slipped into one of Matteo’s dress shirts, and settled on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling. I jumped up as the fourth shot echoed through the cabin.

Thunder rumbled, its sound bouncing off the walls. The cool wind wafted in from the open window, carrying the scent of salt and moisture.

Frowning, I returned to the window, looking out at the darkened sky. I noticed the ship had come to a stop. Earlier, it had been moving slowly, but now it was still. I saw the waves. They surged like angry giants, their crests frothing with white fury, making me wonder if a storm was brewing.

“Deirdre!” A yell jolted me from my thoughts, followed by a knock at the door. It was Matteo. But I needed to be sure.

Approaching the door, I pressed my ear against it. “Is that you, Matteo?” I inquired.

“Of course,” he grunted. His voice held a distinct tone of irritation, confirming it was him.

No one could pull the irritation sound except him.

I opened the door, swiftly closing it once Matteo stepped in. I didn’t get a chance to fully examine his features before he pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Thank goodness you’re okay,” he said.

When he released me, he smoothed down my hair and gently held my face. “Are you hurt?”

“What?” I asked, perplexed.

“Any injuries? I’ll kill that idiot. He was supposed to protect you, and he left you!”

“He went to look for you,” I replied. “And shouldn’t I be asking if you’re okay?”

Once again, I wanted to question why he cared so much about my well-being, but I bit my lip and pushed the thought aside.

“What happened, Matteo? Don’t tell me you came in here looking disheveled just for the fun of it. You even asked Vittorio to look after me as if I was some child,” I said.

“You know his name,” Matteo murmured with a frown.

“Of course, I know his name. How can I be with someone without an introduction?”

“I never said you should speak to him,” he said quietly.

“Yeah, I forgot I needed to act like a stationary object…” I gasped, lurching forward as the room swayed.

I was heading towards the door, my head to be precise, but luckily, Matteo caught me and used his back to slam the door shut.

“Fuck,” he grunted, his hands still wrapped around me.

“Are you alright?” I asked, glancing at his face, contorted in a grimace.

“I’m fine,” he said. “What was that?”

I didn’t know what it was, either. We both stood up but were caught off balance again. This time, we were close to the bed and able to grip its leg.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“I think it’s a storm,” I told him, gripping my stomach as I felt a pang.

“A storm?” Matteo asked, seeming uncertain about my words. Just then, thunder rumbled, followed by the sound of several lightning strikes.

“I don’t think a harsh storm was predicted,” Matteo said.

“Right,” I murmured, my ears perking up as the first raindrop fell.

Matteo stood up first and helped me to my feet. Just then, a knock sounded.

“Stay here,” Matteo said, and I nodded as he approached the door stealthily.

“Who’s there?” he asked.

Whoever was outside the door said nothing. Perhaps the heavy rain made it impossible for him to hear Matteo and for Matteo to hear him.

Matteo’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and after a few seconds of speaking into it, he opened the door.

“I think you need to come see this,” Vittorio said, his voice filled with urgency. “The situation is dire.”

“What is it?” I heard Matteo say as he stepped out of the room, locking the door.

I wanted to know, too. I didn’t want to stay indoors while something awful was happening. So, I waited for a while, then stepped out of the room after Matteo’s footsteps had faded away.