Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Do what you must to get ahold of Emilia. But I want you to be the one there to tell her,” I growl. “She trusts you. I want you to break this news to her in person. Find out where she is and take my jet. Get Niko’s attorney, Callan, to go with you. His woman and Emilia are close. She will need her.”
“What are you doing?” Victorio asks.
I rub the back of my head, wondering why in this moment I’m wishing Lina was here with me. Since my father died, the only one I’ve had to truly depend on unconditionally is Maxwell.
“I’ll get to the hospital and get an update on Niko. I’ll let you know as soon as I do. Then, I’ll contact the morgue and make arrangements for Max’s body to be brought home.”
“I’ll call Zane and Levi. I’ll have them contact Bobby and start getting cameras from the area to see if we can spot a shooter in them,” Stone adds, surprising me. He might work out after all.
“Call me the minute you find something out,” I respond before turning my attention back to Vic. “You drive here?”
“Taxi,” he says, and I nod.
“You can ride with me. I’ll have the driver drop you off at my jet.”
I grab my jacket and head out the door, leaving it up to Victorio to follow me or not. I don’t have time to wait, and even though I know it is all wrong, all I can think about in this moment is that it looks like Lina will slip through my fingers.
At least for now.
melina
I collapse down on the bed with a sigh. My gaze moves over to the circa 1980’s alarm clock that has bright red numbers on the built-in nightstand. Eleven. It’s no wonder I’m so tired. I’ve been on three different buses today. I’ve made it to Sparta which is only about one hundred and forty miles from Athens. It’s not a lot, but at least I know I’ve not been followed and since I’ve used cash, I feel relatively safe. My father will probably still be on his business trip. The house staff may have alerted him or my brother Marco of my absence, but they wouldn’t have been able to do a lot about it today. I know from here out it will get trickier to stay hidden. My father has a very long reach.
I’m really not sure where I’m going, either. I have a paper map and I’ve been picking my destination by the name. Small villages seem safer, so I’ve chosen that route. I do have my ID and passport, but the minute it is used, my father will be alerted. That pretty much leaves air travel out for me. Trains need ID, too. I suppose you need it for buses, but the ones I’ve dealt with are a small enough service that waving cash got me a ticket without issue. For that much, I’m grateful.
In the back of my mind, I’m sure that my father will eventually find me. He’s evil and evil men always manage to get their way. I’ve lived enough years as his daughter to know this for a fact. Yet, even knowing it’s futile to run, I’m still going to do it. If for no other reason, I’m hoping that if I’m gone long enough, my father will call this horrible marriage off. I don’t even want to contemplate being married to a man old enough to be my grandfather.
I truly can’t even see it now that I’ve been with Antonio. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since I left his bed, and my body is grieving the loss of him. I know that’s stupid. I do. I mean, if I had stayed, the man would have just kicked me out anyway. Plus, I couldn’t stay even if he wanted me to. My father would kill him. Heck, if he ever found out about the night I shared with Antonio, he would kill us both. I know that with a surety that can’t be explained. I’m still surprised my one-night-only lover is still breathing after talking to my father the way he did. I think Antonio is smart enough to watch his back. I hope and pray he is.
I sigh and do my best to pull my thoughts away from their current track. That is my past and if I’m going to stay out of my father’s reach, I must concentrate on the here and now. I want to rent a car, but to do that, I have to use my ID and there is paperwork involved. Staying under the radar is my best option. Besides, I need to watch my money carefully.
I slowly get up and walk into the tiny bathroom of the motel. It’s a dive and I guess that’s why I picked it. This is about as far as you can get from a place the great Dracos Stratakis would stay in. That’s why I picked it. He wouldn’t be caught dead here. I’ve never been the kind of girl to take the life of wealth and so-called privilege I receive into account on anything. Still, right now, I’d kill for a decent four-star hotel with a large soaker tub. Or, shoot, even a three star. I don’t care. I’m pretty sure this place would have negative stars on Yelp. I’m afraid to look, to be honest.