Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92071 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
He frowned. “What are you going to do?”
“I’ve decided to join the witness protection program.”
He stilled. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“None of this is good,” I said. “But I think it’s time for a new start. I don’t have any relatives apart from my father so I guess it might work. Start all over … maybe I’ll feel safe.”
A wave of sadness came over his face. “Noooo …”
“It’s for the best.”
“Does that … does that mean we’ll never see each other again?”
I shook my head slowly. “You’re safer that way. I don’t want to put anyone I love in danger so it’s better that I’m out of here.”
He headed over to the couch, tossed away the cushions and we took their places. I leaned my head on his shoulder.
“None of this was even within the sphere of our imagination last week,” he said.
I nodded. “Life, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m going to testify honestly. I’m going to say all that I know. I can’t let the bastards who did this to my father go scot-free. I’m going to fight as much as I can, but I have to do it alone.”
“So, you came to say goodbye?”
I smiled grimly. “Actually, I’ve already been asked to get out.”
His eyes widened as I passed over the eviction notice I received from the agent.
He tore the envelope open and, after reading through it, looked at me with a flabbergasted expression.
“That bitch. Is this even legal?”
“Who knows? At this point, nobody seems to care what is legal and what isn’t. Everyone just does whatever they want. Hurt whoever they want. Me, I’m going to bring my father’s killers to justice without injuring anyone around me. But first I need a lawyer. A really good one, but with what happened to my father I just don’t know if any of them will be willing to take on my case.”
“You have to try,” he said.
“I intend to,” I said, and he pulled me into a very uncomfortable hug.
Chapter 12
Dante
“When did she start loading the vehicle?”
“About an hour ago, Boss.”
“Follow her,” I said and ended the call.
She was running away to keep those she cared about safe. The next trial date would be coming up soon. Unfortunately, she was refusing to reach out to me for help which probably meant she was considering getting into the program. That was possibly the worst thing she could do.
Luca rang with an update. “Boss, she’s just arrived at her father’s home.”
I frowned. “What?”
“She seems to be moving in there permanently.”
I was surprised. After the trauma of her father’s murder, was she really planning on living in that massive house alone?
“Do we have any cameras in the house?”
“Mr. Leone only allowed us to install them around the perimeters. There are none inside of the house.”
“Confirm they are all working and that you have access to all of them. And watch for every single movement in the grounds and for any visitor that comes to her door. No matter who it is, inform me.”
“Alright, Boss.”
I felt rattled so I switched on the video feed outside her father’s house and immediately saw the pizza delivery boy standing outside her door. He rang the doorbell. I frowned and peered closer. Was he a threat? Was he an assassin in disguise? I was heading home, but I had no choice but to change directions.
“To Mr. Leone’s house, Aldo,” I instructed.
“Yes, Sir,” Aldo said with a nod.
I immediately called Luca.
“Do you see the delivery boy?” I asked and he responded in kind. “We have a gun trained on his head. One wrong move.”
“Good.”
On my phone screen, I saw that the door was never pulled open. I saw the delivery guy squat down and I realized she had slipped his payment underneath the door along with a little note that he opened up to read.
He left after setting the box down on the front steps. After his motorbike left, she pulled the door open. Her head peeked out and she grabbed the box. As quick as lightning, she disappeared back into the house.
With a sigh of relief, I leaned back against the cool leather.
Chapter 13
Zola
It took a while for my heart to calm down after I had shut the door. My father’s housekeeper had sensibly cleared out the fridge and pantry so I had no choice but to order a takeout.
I leaned against the solid wooden door, hoping that a bullet wouldn’t pass through. But the windows on the other walls in the entrance were a constant source of worry to me.
In short, at this point, I was convinced the escape space underneath my father’s desk was where would be best for me to hide, but it had already been discovered. Plus, there was the fact that the shattered window on the day of the murder remained unrepaired and simply covered up with some temporary material.