Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Piero shakes his head. “No. We don’t share any information, as little as possible.” Smart.
“So if I go in her stead, they’ll never know, will they?”
“Oh, no,” Elise says, shaking her head. “No way. I can’t let you do that, I won’t.”
“Do what?” I laugh, belying the roiling pit in my stomach and raw nerves that are going to kill me. “I’m not actually marrying anyone. I’ll create a diversion only, then once you’re gone, I’ll escape.” I’ve already lived a nomadic life. Why stop now?
She blinks and looks to Piero, then back to me. “What do you mean? What do you have in mind?”
“I’ll get on the plane and distract them. And you.” I stab my finger at him. “Get her out of here. Hide her. Safe house, family home, tiny little island in the South Pacific, I don’t care. I’ll get on the plane and head home and pretend to be her. Tell me you’ve got money.”
He flushes. “Of course.”
“And by the time they realize I’m the wrong one, it’ll be too late. She’ll already be sipping margaritas on a beach somewhere.”
Elise shakes her head. “No, I can’t let you do this.”
“Oh yes you can.” I take her hands and squeeze. “You saved my life once, Elise. And I won’t ever forget it. I owe this to you. I’m only going to pretend to be you.” I toss my hair. “And you know I have a degree in acting, girl. Let me actually get to use it, will you?”
She shakes her head. “Let her do it, Elise.” Piero says. “You have to. She doesn’t have to actually marry anyone.”
“How will that work?”
He runs his hands through his hair. “She’ll pretend she’s you. Get on the plane. I’ll call in a favor from a buddy, have her pretend to be taken, or the plane will crash or something. We’ll get her out of there before she gets in the Rossis’ hands, and we’ll have to do it in a way that they never suspect.”
“Wow. That’s like evil genius.”
He gives a modest shrug. Elise’s eyes go wide.
“What will happen to my family?” she asks in a little voice. “I can’t… I can’t leave them in ruin.”
“It depends on how the Rossis handle it,” he says with a nod. “They may demand another type of payment but might be merciful if it’s framed like an accident. I’ll do what I can on my end to lessen the impact of all this.”
He’s putting his life on the line.
So am I.
“Elise…” his voice trails off. “I’m telling you this. I shouldn't be telling you any of this. But I've met the Rossis. I served time with Santo, one of their main core. The man is a fucking psychopath. I don't want you in that family. What if they marry you to Santo? I swear he has no conscience. I can't imagine you being with a guy like him…”
Oh God. I have to make sure I get away. I have to make sure I don’t get captured by them or something.
I swallow hard. “Take her now. Here.” I start stripping my clothes off right there. “Wear my clothes and walk out with him.”
We don’t look that much alike, but we both have the same length light brown hair. Though hers is often styled and mine is pulled into a messy bun, it will still serve the intended purpose.
“I owe you,” Elise says, wrapping her arms around me and squeezing my neck. “I so owe you. And God, Angelina, I need you to stay safe…”
“I will, I promise. I’ll escape as soon as I can.” I’ve gotten this far with sheer tenacity and stubborn will. I can keep it up. Talk is cheap, though. My nerves are on fire.
Piero leaves us to quickly pack. Elise throws things in a small duffel bag to avoid attention, and helps me pack things that I can take with me. If Elise really was getting married tonight, she would have boxes and boxes of everything she owned, shoes and purses and clothes and jewelry. I decide to pack it all for the sake of appearances, but Piero comes back in and puts an end to that.
“No. Rossi said take only the essentials. He’ll provide everything else.”
Elise looks at me, pales, and hands me the journals.
She goes to give me a hug, but I shake my head. I don’t want to make it look like we know that anything’s happening, that we have any idea at all.
Piero looks at me and squeezes my hand. “Thank you,” he whispers. “I’ll pay you back for this, I promise.”
He opens the door. “Angelina, they’re waiting for you. Private jet will take you back to Boston. I’ll carry your things.”
“Go,” I whisper in her ear. “I love you.”
There’s only a flight attendant and a pilot aboard this flight. “You ready, Miss?”