Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“Ha!” Vivian proclaimed. “You think those chicks are going to actually want to talk to you Jasmine? No way. The killer is a coward. She kills with precision and smarts. She won’t bring the fight to you, not out in the open.”
“And that’s not why I think they’re here.” Chase turned his phone back on and typed something into it.
“Why do you think they’re here?” I asked.
“Oh, they want their money of course. Dawn is the only one with it, which means they would’ve latched onto her like little parasites. If there’s one thing I know about Dawn, she hates to share, especially when money is involved.”
“So they’re here for your money?”
“Yes, and all their property. I’ve had their passports flagged. When they booked their flights to Italy they called my right-hand man, the one who blocked them himself. Dawn pleaded to be allowed into Italy.”
“That’s too risky,” Viv interrupted. “They can get into Italy and then travel throughout Europe if they want.”
“Which is why I’ve been busy today. I’ve assigned a good bit of man power to airports and docks. More people are watching the house—”
“How much is all of this costing you?” I frowned.
He laughed. “Don’t ever worry about that with me. The biggest fear in my life I have besides you leaving me is going broke. I don’t plan to be without money at any point in my life.”
“And for Wendy and Lucy, I bet they’re afraid to be poor too,” Vivian added. “They’ve spent too many years in the good life.”
“And one of those two just might be the killer,” Chase admitted.
“Are you no longer thinking its Dawn?” I asked.
“When it comes to your safety, I’m assuming all three of them had something to do with your arm. I won’t be making the mistake of trusting them again.”
“Good. Now you can put your trust in me.” I sighed. “And your first step should be apologizing for taking me out of Atrani under the guise of a trip—”
“A guise trip would be me concealing the true nature of why we’re going. I didn’t know if they would really be in Atrani or not,” he pointed out.
“I still would’ve wanted to know, and to stay there.”
“I don’t want you anywhere near them.”
“Too bad. I want to fly back, tonight. In fact, I want to go to the airport now.”
“We’ll go after dinner.”
“I don’t want dinner, unless those three heifers’ heads are on the plate. They’re hunting me, Chase. Not you.”
Vivian snickered. “That’s a meal I could eat.”
“We’ll go after dinner,” Chase repeated.
“No.”
His whole body stiffened in front of me. I didn’t know if he was taking great efforts to not yell or hit something, but it damn sure appeared so. Quiet passed for a full minute before he took his time saying the next words. “We’ll go after dinner because I’ve made special plans for you this evening. Then we can return so that you can eat my ex-girlfriends. And hear me when I say this, I understand that you’re scared. I get that you want revenge and this sicko taken care of, whichever one it is, but, and I say but with as much force as possible and the hopes that you understand how serious I am. When the money leaves the board, that’s when the game really begins. For those three, the game starts at the point they come face to face with me. There’s no need to rush that. I have the cards now.”
“No. The killer has the cards,” I argued.
“Then why is she coming to Atrani?” he asked.
“Because I’m not dead yet.”
Chapter 20
JASMINE
For a foodie like me, Rome was the Mecca of trips. Like Paris, Michelin-starred restaurants flooded the city, boasting elegant ambiance and stunning dishes. To get one Michelin star was to say that your establishment represented one of the best in the city. Two stars screamed that excellent cooking occurred within those walls, and not just outstanding meals, but fare so brilliant everyone should make a detour from the normal spots. France had over 500 Michelin-starred spots, and Italy and Germany close to 200.
That evening we dined at a place called Aroma. Michelin awarded it three stars—exceptional cuisine that was worth a special journey. The restaurant sat on the rooftop of the Palazzo Manfredi hotel. Unlike the many historical interiors I’d seen in other places in Rome, Aroma gave off a sleek vibe, with its blend of silver and ivory linens and accents all around us. There were no walls or ceiling on the rooftop, just an indigo sky with brilliant stars and a show-stopping view of the Coliseum before us. Vanilla tablecloths covered the tables. Silver vases decorated the center and were filled with elaborate flowers done in white. Decadent dishes rested on all of our neighboring chairs. We’d been in a somewhat private section of the rooftop. Chase had ordered it. We sat in the corner, and the closest diners to us were at least three tables away. They could no doubt see us, but could barely catch our conversation.