Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52105 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“We aren’t at war.”
His laugh and his smile vanish. “You have no idea. We are. It’s a modern-day war. It’s a war in our world. But nevertheless, it’s a war.”
“Because of me,” I mumble more to myself than to him, remembering our conversation over gelato. “I still don’t understand why I’m so important to these people. It truly is ridiculous. I’m nobody. Bryant hasn’t wanted to have a thing to do with me up until now. But all of a sudden, he does? Explain that to me.”
“Ego. Power,” Nick says. “And Bryant’s enemies know that those two things will make him pay whatever he needs to in order to maintain them. He won’t give them up.” Nick pulls off the dirt road onto a cobblestone one. If you even call it a road. “The thing that has made this even messier is that every man involved—including me—suffers from the same ego and power. We don’t want to let it go either. So, you are simply the trophy at the end. And none of us want to lose.”
We pass the winery and the restaurant, and Nick continues to drive up the path toward the old village, and my heart stops.
“We’re going to drive up that street?” I screech. “It’s the size of a walking path. I don’t think it’s meant for cars.”
“We can do it,” he says, slowing down but still moving forward.
“There’s a cliff on the right side.” I take hold of the car handle to open the door. “I’ll walk.”
Nick doesn’t give me time to get out, but instead begins to drive up the treacherous road. If I were to try to get out of the car now, I’d fall to my death. There is not even an inch of ground to stand on the right side of me.
I close my eyes and clutch the seat. I can’t look. I can’t watch my life end this way.
“It’s fine,” Nick says calmly. “I’ve driven up this road before. Delivery trucks much larger have made their way up this road. Don’t worry.”
“We could have just parked at the winery,” I say, still keeping my eyes shut like I do when I go on roller coasters. “I don’t want to die this way.”
“You aren’t going to die.”
“And I’m supposed to trust you?”
“If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead by now.”
I peek an eye open to see if we’re almost to the top of the hill yet. Nick is driving slow and cautiously but it’s like a Band-Aid slowly being ripped off. The agony is almost too much. I wish he’d just speed up the road in one big swoop.
“Besides,” I add, glancing to my right at the cliff, “accidents happen.”
“Not with me. There are no accidents in my life. Not now. Not while I’m in control.”
If my eyes weren’t closed, I’d roll my eyes at his control freak answer, but instead I pray to the Tuscan gods that I make it up this road safely.
Somehow, we do make it. But my white-knuckle grip on my seat and sweaty upper lip proves it was no easy task. When we park in a little lot in front of an ancient church, I finally let out the breath that I had been holding.
“I’m walking from now on when we go back and forth. No way am I allowing that to happen again,” I declare, although I know that if Nick wants me in the car driving down that deadly path, then I’ll be in the car once again.
A priest walks out of the church and waves at Nick as he approaches us.
“Father Antonio,” Nick says, as he gets out of the car, circles around to my side and opens the door. “It’s nice to see you again.”
Nick assists me out of the car and then guides us to meet Father Antonio. He shakes his hand and looks around at the buildings circling us.
“You’ve done a good job keeping up El Boro,” Nick says.
Father Antonio nods with a warm smile. “Louisa, Victoria, and Lonnie have done most of the work. I can’t take credit.” His accent is thick as well, but I understand every word he says.
As if the three people he mentioned were waiting for their cue, they walk out of a small building to greet us.
“I clearly left this place in good hands,” Nick praises as he shakes everyone’s hands. “Let me introduce you to Lyriope. She’ll be staying with me here for a while.” Introductions are made, and I mentally try to remember everyone’s names although I’m so overwhelmed by everything that I fear I’ll forget. “Father Antonio, Louisa, and her two children, Victoria and Lonnie, live in and care for El Boro while I’m away,” Nick tells me.
Victoria seems extremely shy as she won’t make eye contact with me. And Lonnie seems uneasy as well since his eyes seem to be darting around, also not focusing on me or Nick.