Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
A minute later, Giorgio’s phone rang and he headed downstairs without saying anything to us.
That left me alone with King David.
Every few seconds, I stole a glance.
King David was devastatingly handsome. There was no way around it. He had captivating blue eyes and a regal nose, accentuated by a strong jaw and full lips.
Sexiness oozed from him.
Usually, his hair neatly went back in waves and teased his ears. Now it was stylishly tousled as if he’d just finished having sex.
However, the most enchanting part of David was the Bible verses decorating the space under his chin and all over his neck.
I glanced at the ink. It was written in French cursive.
I thought back to several days ago when he’d translated one of the verses in English.
“And when He had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom He testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all My will.’”
I swallowed. “That’s from. . .Acts. I think.”
“It is. The Apostle Paul was speaking in the synagogue and talking about how King David was found by God.”
I looked at him. “Are you religious?”
“I don’t know anymore.”
“Why?”
He turned away. “Because my job tests my faith almost every day.”
“I understand.”
“But, there’s part of me that thinks that I still do God’s will at times.”
The memory ended.
In the hallway, King David caught me watching him and flashed me a sexy smile.
Stop staring at him.
I moved my view to the front, keeping my focus on the wall across from me.
Unfortunately, the painting on the wall was odd. A man lay on the floor, dressed in a red cloak. His head had been partially severed by a sword. Blood poured from the sliced neck.
The executioner stood behind him, reaching for a dagger so that he could complete his task.
Next to them, a woman held a gold platter like she was waiting for someone to put the head on it.
And near the woman with the platter, an older woman stood, covering her ears with her hands.
Why would the hotel put this image in the hallway?
King David’s sexy voice sounded. His voice was deep and gruff. “What do you think the Lion and Mouse are doing?”
I cleared my throat. “Slicing the men up.”
“Since being with them, it has been a hell of a ride.”
“Yes. It has.” I glanced back at him. “But, I’m thankful for it.”
“You are?”
“I had no money. I would search around old crime scenes and places where there’d been shootings, searching for a discarded gun.”
“Did you find any?”
“Most of the time. Then, I would take the guns home, clean and fix the weapons to sell.”
“Did you make good money?”
“Not even close to what I make now.”
“One thing the Lion enjoys is filling a bank account.”
“And mine is full and happy.”
“There are benefits to being next to them.”
I turned back to the wall and pointed to the painting. “What’s up with this image?”
“You do not recognize it?”
I smiled. “Should I?”
“It’s a famous Italian painting by Caravaggio.”
I shrugged.
A low chuckle left him. “The name may not grab your attention, but the moment he is capturing will.”
“What’s happening?”
“This is the Beheading of St. John the Baptist.”
“Oh.” I gazed at the painting with new eyes.
“In the New Testament, Herod Antipas was the ruler of Galilee under the Roman Empire.”
I nodded, slowly remembering some of the Bible story.
“John the Baptist publicly disapproved of Herod divorcing his first wife and unlawfully taking his brother’s wife as his second wife. Her name was Herodias.”
“Then, Herod imprisoned John the Baptist, but. . .” I looked at David. “I think he didn’t want to kill John the Baptist.”
“Not at first. Herod’s step-daughter Salome performed for him on his birthday. She was graceful and amazing, Herod applauded and told her that he would give her anything she desired.”
Completely captivated with David’s storytelling, I watched him with excitement.
He’s so smart.
“Salome was uncertain of what to ask for, so she whispered with her mother. They went back and forth for a while. Finally, after some time, Salome looked up and declared, ‘Give me now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter!’” David raised his hand to his neck and sliced it with an invisible knife.
I frowned. “That bitch.”
David nodded. “I always imagined the crowd loudly gasping at the gruesome request. I knew Herod must have looked around in shock, knowing that he had to save face in front of everyone.”
“So he did it because of peer pressure?”
“That and Baba believes Herod also killed John the Baptist because he had too much influence over the people. Herod was scared he could ignite a rebellion.”
“That makes sense.”
David pointed at the woman holding the platter. “That’s Salome.”
The image of her now made me want to strangle her. “What ever happened to Salome?”
“I don’t remember her being mentioned anymore. Herod and Herodias stuck together, performing desperate and diabolical deeds until they died. God punished them with constant military defeats and chaos.”