Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 56831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
I scrolled through the photos I’d taken throughout the week and landed on the first selfie I’d snapped of the two of us. Marcus had wanted me to keep it private, but I assumed he’d been asking me not to post it to social media. What could be the harm in showing my friend?
About two seconds after I sent the photo, my phone rang in my hand. Pete’s name was on the screen, and when I answered, I expected him to start gushing about how gorgeous Marcus was.
Instead, he sounded panicked as he exclaimed, “You need to get out of there, Romy! Right now. If the man in that photo is with you, play it cool. Just make some excuse, and as soon as you’re out of the suite, fucking run.”
“I don’t understand. Why would I do that?”
“Because that man has been lying to you,” Pete said. “His name’s not Marcus. It’s Mario Greco.”
9
Marcus
When I returned to the suite, I hid the gift I’d bought for Romy under his pillow. It was just a silly little trinket—a snow globe, which made no sense for San Diego—but I thought he’d like it.
Then I went to join him on the patio, but he wasn’t there. I went back inside and called his name, but there was nothing but silence.
A minute later, my phone beeped. I smiled when I saw the text was from Romy. Then I read it, and my gut seized up.
It said: Please tell me you’re not Mario Greco. Please, Marcus, don’t be him. It’s going to fucking break me if it turns out you’ve been lying to me this whole time.
I whispered, “Oh god, this can’t be happening,” as I called Romy’s number. When he answered, I blurted, “Baby, where are you?”
“That doesn’t matter. I just need to know, are you Mario Greco?”
“Please, come back. Let’s talk about this.”
“Just tell me if it’s true. I need to know.” His voice was shaky.
I pressed my eyes shut and asked, “How did you find out?”
Silence.
After a few moments, I asked, “Baby, are you still there?”
Finally, he said, “So, it’s true. You’re the sociopath who terrorized my family.”
I sat down on the floor and clutched the phone. “I need you to know I never ordered my men to kidnap your brother or smash up your mom’s bar. They came up with that shit on their own when I was in New York, and when I found out, I fired my entire crew.”
“Why should I believe that? Why should I believe a single thing you say?”
“It’s the truth,” I said softly.
“Did you know my brother’s fiancé got shot during that kidnapping?”
“Shit. No, I didn’t. Is he okay?”
“Yeah, but that’s not the point. He could have been killed! My brother could have, too, since your men decided to shoot their way through a plate glass window to get to him.”
I whispered, “I didn’t want any of that to happen.”
“Was I just part of some plan? Did you think you could hurt my brother by…by seducing me? By making me fall for you?”
“No! Romy, you have to believe me. There was no plan.”
“Why’d you come to the bar that night? It was after hours, so no one should have been there. Did you plan to finish what you started and smash it up again? Or maybe burn it down? That’d really show my brother, right?” The anger in his voice kept building.
“No! I didn’t go there to do anything like that. Like I said, I never intended to target the bar in the first place.”
“Bullshit, Marcus! Or Mario. Whatever your name is. You didn’t just randomly decide to visit the bar at three a.m.”
“It’s Marcus. I didn’t lie about that, or about anything else. I just omitted some information.” That sounded pathetic, and I knew it.
“That was a pretty fucking important piece of information!”
“I know, and I’m so sorry, baby.”
“Stop calling me that, and tell me why you came to the bar that night!”
“I guess I went to the bar on the off chance I’d find your brother there. I wanted to pick a fight. But I found you instead, and you were sweet, and beautiful, and in pain, and I just…I wanted to help you.”
“I don’t believe you.” His voice was quiet now. I could hear the pain in it.
“It’s true, I swear. You were never part of any plan. You were just…a beautiful miracle.”
“Please stop trying to manipulate me. Haven’t you done enough?”
“Romy, please come back and talk to me. Let me explain.”
“No. I can’t tell the truth from your lies, and seeing you…seeing you might put me back under your spell.”
“If you won’t come here, then I’ll come to you. Please—”
“You really shouldn’t do that,” he said. “My brother will want to shoot you when he finds out about this, and I really don’t want him to go to jail for murder.”