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)
“Moving on to security,” Harrison says. “We’ve stationed men at the bottom of the hill by the gate. The only activity we’re getting is a few stray tourists who are simply exploring the Tuscan roads and thinking this is an operational winery. I think we’re pretty secluded.”
“I know our accommodations are a little more rustic,” I say.
Martha snorts. “You think?”
“But if we stay in the usual hotels, it’s just a matter of time until word is out that Lyriope is with us.” I look around the small kitchen. “Besides. I like the change of scenery.”
“One more thing,” Harrison adds as he looks down at his phone. “Lucian Morelli wants a call from you.”
I nod slowly, carefully considering what that means and why. “I’ll call tomorrow. I’m not going to rush to his beck and call.”
“We don’t want the Morellis as enemies,” Harrison reminds.
Ignoring the last statement, I say with a clap of my hands, “All right, if we have everything we need to get started, I plan on taking Lyriope to Florence for pizza.”
She looks at me, her eyes lighting up and face morphing to one belonging to a little girl excited on Christmas morning. “Florence? Really?”
I nod, ignoring the scowl that Harrison is giving me.
“People know you’re in Italy now,” Harrison reminds me.
“I know. But Florence is large enough and flooded with tourists. I think that Sasha Morelli and I will blend in just fine.”
“I disagree.” Harrison, always my voice of reason and extreme caution.
“Would you like us to follow you?” Martha asks. “From a distance of course.”
I stand from the table, pull out Lyriope’s chair and assist her to standing, and shake my head. “I think I can handle taking Lyriope to have the best pizza of her life in a favorite city of mine.” I give both of them a smile. “But I appreciate the concern, and I’m just a phone call away.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Lyriope says, although I can see how excited she is.
“Oh but I do. Trust me. Pizza in the shadow of the Duomo… a bucket list item.”
Chapter Fourteen
Lyriope
It doesn’t seem real.
Nothing about Italy, driving with the top down in a sports car, and sitting beside one of the sexiest men alive can be real.
And as we enter Florence, and I look around at all the buildings that are from another time, and I inhale fragrances that I don’t recognize but are so floral, spicy, earthy, and nearly hypnotic. Everything is beautiful here. Even the crumbling buildings, or relics that seem to be scattered about. The history of this city makes me feel like I’ve stepped onto a movie set rather than driving along a real live street.
Nothing is real. This can’t be my reality. And yet it is.
Nick was wrong when he told Harrison we would blend in with the tourists. As we pull up in the parking lot near the train station, all eyes turned to us. We weren’t in any normal car. And then when we stepped out and began walking toward the Duomo, I could feel the stares burning my flesh.
“It’s a short walk,” he says. “You can’t drive into the city center.”
Nick is wearing his classic suit, though missing a tie. I’m wearing a red dress that was purchased for me from one of the El Boro staff. My heels click on the sidewalk right along with the tap of his cane. There isn’t anything about us that says tourist. We don’t have sneakers on, we aren’t wearing fanny packs, we aren’t taking pictures every other step, and we don’t have an ounce of casual attire about us. We look like celebrities, and the stares and side glares tell me that my feelings are correct.
Normally, I would hate the attention. I don’t like when all eyes are on me. But being by Nick’s side, my hand held securely in his, and his confidence raining down upon me, I’ve never felt more at ease. This city seems to be calling to me. It’s pulling me into the depths as we walk the few blocks to the magnificent Duomo. The minute I see the medieval church, I gasp.
“Oh my God,” I say to myself, pausing in our stride.
“Powerful, isn’t it?” Nick asks, allowing me to simply stand and take it all in.
“I’ve never been one to care about architecture, but this… people actually built that? It’s so intricate.”
“Come on, the restaurant is on the other side. It’s in its shadow.” He pulls me out of my stunned paralysis, and we make our way to his intended destination.
I can’t stop staring at the church, and if it weren’t for Nick holding my hand, I’d surely walk into someone or trip and fall. I’m in awe, and I don’t even try to hide that fact. I feel as if I just drank something that made me shrink in size. I’m so small and the world around me is so big. So massive. And yet… I feel more powerful than ever. I can feel Nick’s strength pouring through me as his fingers mesh with mine. I belong here. I feel the energy. I allow it to sink in. I’m intoxicated with Florence, the people, the everything.