Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 102394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
He paced repeatedly, seeming nervous, running his hand through his hair.
Oh no. What’s happening?
Wes was muttering, so I couldn’t hear anything clearly, and he was mostly listening to what the other person had to say.
My stomach sank. Are we in danger? All the worst-case scenarios ran through my mind.
Someone found us here.
Something happened to my father.
The moment he hung up, I charged toward him. “What’s wrong, Wes? Tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s not about us,” he said, letting out a long breath. “It’s my grandmother.” His voice shook. “She’s not doing well. They don’t think she’s going to be alive much longer.” His eyes glistened.
“Oh no.” I covered my mouth. “I’m so sorry. Has she been ill for a while?”
Wes nodded. “Lung cancer. She’s lived a decade longer than the doctors predicted. But it’s finally gotten to be too much for her. They think she only has days to live.”
I placed my hand on my chest. “How old is she?”
“Seventy-nine.”
“You should go see her…”
He shook his head. “Juliette… I don’t need to tell you that’s not possible right now. I can’t just leave you here.” He exhaled, looking tormented.
“Where does she live?”
“Same place as my mom. Down the shore.”
I rushed back to my room to grab my phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling my father.”
Wes hung his head, but he didn’t try to stop me. He might have been hesitant to piss my father off, but I had no problem doing that.
“Juliette,” my father said as he picked up. “Is everything okay?”
“Wes and I need to leave Ortigia as soon as possible,” I stated matter-of-factly. “His grandmother is dying, and he needs to be able to say goodbye. I won’t take no for an answer. You need to let him go see her without penalty.”
My father let out a long sigh. “And what about your safety?”
“I’ll be with him. No one’s gonna find us there. His family lives down the Jersey Shore, far away from the city. We can come right back here after.”
“I’m worried about this, Juliette.” He paused. “But I can’t let a guy not see his nonna before she dies.”
“Exactly.” I expelled a relieved breath. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Listen to me,” he ordered, his tone growing stern. “You need to make sure you stick with him. And you’ll fly back private again. We don’t need you wandering around airports right now. You’ll check in with me before you leave Jersey. Most likely you’ll head back to Italy, unless I tell you otherwise. But don’t book any flights without consulting me first. You hear me?”
“Okay.” I exhaled. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Wait. Don’t hang up. Put Wes on.”
I handed Wes my phone.
He took it. “Yes, sir.”
Wes just kept nodding and yessing my father. “Thank you again,” he finally said.
After he hung up, he exhaled and smiled softly at me. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” I headed toward my room. “Now let’s get the hell out of here. We don’t have time to waste.”
“I’ll arrange for a car to come get us,” he called.
As I threw my clothes into a suitcase, sadness washed over me.
Leaving Italy would be a harsh return to reality, like being forced to wake up from a dream you wished would never end.
I’d miss our little Ortigia bubble.
***
The drive to the airport in Catania had taken a little over an hour. Luckily, my father was able to get us a flight that departed not too long after we arrived.
My nerves calmed considerably once we were safely in the air headed for Newark. About halfway through our flight, Wes bounced his legs as he looked out the window. I placed my hand on his knee, prompting him to look at me.
“Hey,” he said softly.
“It’s gonna be okay, Wes. Think positive. We’re gonna make it in time.”
He blew out a breath and forced a smile, but there was sadness in his eyes.
“So…” I said. “We should probably use this time to talk about what our story is going to be when we get to your mom’s. Things will be emotional for you, and you shouldn’t have to worry about it then. We have the time now, so let’s talk about it.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Of course.”
The fact that he hadn’t brought up a game plan yet showed me just how distraught he was. Who could blame him?
“What exactly does your mom think you’re doing for a living right now?” I asked.
“All she knows is that I’m working privately as a bodyguard after leaving the force. She doesn’t have a clue how dangerous my job really is or the shit I’ve gotten into with your father, and I want to keep it that way.” He shrugged. “Not that being a cop wasn’t dangerous, but you know…”
I sighed. “Unfortunately, I do know.”
He scratched his chin. “But yeah, we should get our stories straight—yet again.”
“Not to pat ourselves on the back, but I think we did a great job with Natalia and Mario in Ortigia.”