Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
We locked eyes.
There was so much more I wanted to say. It took everything inside of me not to throw her over my shoulder and drag her onto the plane with me. It needed to be her choice, I couldn’t make decisions for her anymore. I took one last look at her.
Silently hoping…
This wasn’t the end of our love story.
And I left.
Three months went by and I hadn’t seen or heard from Lexi. When I arrived in Italy, I made sure I had everything ready for her. Everything she could ever want or need, waiting for her like a desperate man. She never came. Old habits die hard though, and I still had Leo watching over her. In the wake of my death, I didn’t know what could happen. I always kept Lexi out of the press, unknown to anyone associated with me, except Leo. Just because most of my enemies were rotting behind bars, thanks to me, didn’t mean she couldn’t get caught in the crossfire.
He never went into too much detail, our conversations had to remain short. He only reassured me that she was safe. Still living in that shitty fucking apartment in Manhattan, instead of in paradise with me. During the three years that the FBI were collecting information, going undercover, getting everything in order for search warrants for arrests, I made sure to get all my finances in fucking order before I had to disappear. It was why I spent so much time working.
Leo had access to all my funds, doing what he always did for me. Making sure I stayed rich as fuck. He opened up multiple untraceable bank accounts, laundering my money to the Cayman Islands and Switzerland. Where the U.S. government could never touch it. He opened up trust funds for my great niece and nephew, Amari and Michael. Their colleges, weddings, and whatever the fuck else they might need would be provided and taken care of. Briggs wasn’t happy when I told her I had him open a trust for her as well, but she knew better than to argue with me about it. I still hadn’t told her the truth about her father, I didn’t want to ruin the illusion of the perfect dad she had in her memory. I had already created too much negativity in her life. I was waiting on Lexi, to see how she wanted to proceed with telling Briggs they were half-sisters. If she even wanted to tell her at all.
Leo opened another account for Lexi, in case she ever needed anything, it would be at her disposal. I bought a house off the Amalfi Coast, right on a cliff like Lexi wanted. I spent every night on the balcony looking up at the stars, waiting for her to come to me. I couldn’t wait to show her the view, hold her in my arms and watch for shooting stars. Like the nights we spent in Colombia years ago. I thought after I left my past behind, I would finally be at peace. Possibly even be able to sleep. Neither had happened. And as more time went on, I started to think it never would. I found myself giving up on all hope that she would forgive me. God knows I didn’t deserve her.
Only a few of my closest connections knew I was alive, men I knew I could trust. If they needed anything they knew to call Leo, and he would get ahold of me. No one knew where I was or how to reach me, except Leo, Briggs, and Austin. I guess Amari was already begging her parents to come see me, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss them. There was nothing for me to do with my days anymore other than think of them.
Of her.
“Señor, you here again?” Rosa, the owner said in a thick Italian accent.
She was a little Italian woman in her mid-seventies, who stood maybe to my waist. There was something about this place that made me come back every day. It was a small restaurant on a cobblestone street in town. It reminded me of a pizzeria in Manhattan with its tables lined with red and white checkered tablecloths, and a fresh rose in a red vase.
“How come you by yourself? Every night you come. You drink. You eat. You drink more. You smoke el sigaro. You no smile. You no laugh. You no talk. But again you come. Same thing. Where is the signora?”
“No signora, Rosa,” I replied, taking another puff of my cigar.
“No signora? You so handsome. I have a niece. Beautiful. Bellissima.” She kissed her fingers. “I introduce.”
“No, Rosa. I have a woman. One that…” I took a deep breath, “consumes me.”
“Ah, señor, you in love. L'amore!” she wiggled her eyebrows, causing me to chuckle. “Where is this woman? She never here.”