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)
I was still trembling from fear as I moved towards the kitchen, but then changed my mind and darted up the stairs leaving all the lights on. I went straight to my father’s room as his windows faced the front of the house and I could have a better view of the house entrance. I switched on the bathroom light and left the door open to illuminate the room. I didn’t need any attackers knowing exactly what room I was in.
I thought I would be too terrified to stay in my father’s room, but being in my own room was for some reason even more terrifying. Through all of my years of growing up, I’d always run here to Papa’s room even when he was at work and physically unavailable.
I settled down on the floor with my extra cheese, extra pepperoni pizza, and my father’s familiar smells surrounding me. His scent somewhat calmed me and I opened the box and began to eat, but I realized everything tasted of nothing. I stood and darted over to the study on the top floor.
There was a little wine rack there. I could still remember evenings full of laughter with my father and mother as they shared a bottle. The memory was heartbreaking.
I found a bottle of my father’s favorite wine and returned to his room. Locking the door behind me once again, I uncorked the bottle and filled my glass all the way to the top.
“This is for you, Papa,” I whispered, raising the glass.
The first sip brought tears to my eyes. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying then I downed half the glass in one go. I took a bite of pizza and watched the news with the volume turned all the way down. I must have been on my third glass when breaking news on my father’s case was suddenly announced.
The news stated the informant who had not turned up for his meeting with my father had been found dead in a motel room a few miles away from the city.
“How horribly cruel the world is,” I murmured, but my words were slurred.
I drained my glass once again, knocked it aside, and grabbed the bottle instead.
I knew I shouldn’t get drunk since I had to remain alert, and I didn’t think I was yet, but all the strength did seem to have seeped out of my body. I could no longer sit upright so I laid down on the floor and continued to drink. But the wine spilled down my face and at first, I cursed, but then I began to laugh.
I laughed so hard that I began to cry. The more I laughed, the more I cried.
“What’s so funny?” a rich, deep voice asked from the doorway, causing my heart to almost leap out of my body.
Chapter 14
Dante
Getting the keys to Marco’s house had proved a feat that had taken about three months of constant badgering to succeed. I had finally convinced him it would prove beneficial in case of an emergency involving his daughter. He had given them to me to be used only in case of an emergency.
This, classified as one.
As I took in the drunk girl on the floor who seemed to be in the depths of despair, to my surprise something in my chest twisted. It had been a long time since I felt even the slightest twinge of pity for another human being. I had learned to distrust human beings. Even the ones that looked vulnerable. All snakes. All capable of turning around and biting the hand that feeds.
And this one was particularly dangerous to me. She awakened long-asleep desires. I could feel them powerfully and uncontrollably unfurling inside my body. I had to be careful that they did not consume me.
The last thing I wanted was to startle her but it was unavoidable. I had softly knocked on the door, but she was in the throes of a laughing-crying fit and had not heard me.
Her reaction was surprisingly fast though, considering how drunk she was. She scrambled up, lurched over to her father’s bedside, pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at me.
Her eyelashes were all wet and stuck together. I’d never seen her look so vulnerable and sexy at the same time. “Is that gun even loaded?” I asked as I walked over to the pizza and picked up a slice. It was loaded with cheese and quite greasy, but I was starving and it would do.
“What are you doing here and how the hell did you get in?” she demanded hoarsely. She was so drunk she was swaying.
I glanced over at the empty bottle rolling on the floor and a half-empty bottle still standing upright. “Your father gave me a set of keys a long time ago.”
“He gave you the keys or you stole it?” she scoffed.