Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
As I glance up at the sky, there’s a flash of lightning freaking close to me, and I let out a shriek. My phone goes flying out of my hands, then a loud bang vibrates through the air.
“Noooo!” I scream as I grab hold of the railing, leaning over it to look down at he rocks below. “Shit!” It takes me a few seconds before I see the shattered pieces of my phone, and it has despair knocking the air from my lungs.
Not caring about the storm, I run through my bedroom and race down the stairs. I yank the sliding doors open and hurry across the veranda. Turning left by the steps, I run to where the rocks begin and look for a way to climb them.
My phone is the only way I can contact Mom and Kristen. I have to get to it!
The wind tugs at my hair and clothes as I climb onto the nearest rock. I carefully make my way in the direction of where my phone is lying, but then a big wave crashes beneath me, sending a spray of water high up. The droplets hit me, but I keep going.
Lightning hits the water in the distance, making panic flare hot through me. The wind picks up drastically, and as I look at the rocks ahead of me, my foot slips, and I lose my balance. Letting out a loud scream, I try to catch myself with my left hand, and my palm slams against the sharp edge of a rock, which rips through my skin. The rest of me follows suit and hits the hard surface, causing me to slide down a few feet before I’m able to catch myself.
Breaths explode over my lips, and my heart beats a mile a minute as I try to recover from the shock of almost falling to my death.
My left hand and wrist are on fire, and I let out a groan. Knowing I don’t have a lot of time, I struggle back to my feet.
“Mrs. Toscano!” a man shouts, making my head snap in the direction of the beach.
Shit. A guard.
I glance at the rocks where I think my phone is, and my heart sinks because I know the guard will get to me before I can make it to my phone.
Barely able to keep my balance on the rocks while another wave crashes below, the guard easily grabs hold of me and hauls me over his shoulder.
I don’t bother putting up a fight as he carries me back to the house.
I can’t talk to Mom anymore.
When I’m placed on my feet in the living room, the guard grabs hold of my hand that’s a bloody mess. The sudden movement makes a sharp pain explode in my wrist.
“You got hurt. Cazzo. He’s going to kill me.”
Hearing him speak English has my eyes flying to his face. He looks like he’s in his thirties, and there’s a thick scar on the side of his neck.
God. He looks dangerous as hell.
He grips me by my elbow and leads me to the kitchen, where he wraps a dish towel around my hand.
I watch as he pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials a number. Unfortunately, he speaks Italian and I can’t make out what he’s saying, but then I hear Leo’s voice come angrily over the line.
The guard locks eyes with me. “What were you doing out on the rocks?”
I swallow hard on my chaotic emotions and fear as I admit, “I dropped my phone.”
I think he relays my answer to Leo and listens for a few seconds before he ends the call. When he makes another call, I glance down at my aching hand, the blood already seeping through the fabric.
Shit. It hurts.
“A doctor is coming,” the guard suddenly says in English, then he takes hold of my hand again, and tightens the towel even more.
I let out a painful whimper, then snap, “Careful!”
I’m surprised when he says, “I’m sorry. We need to stop the bleeding while we wait for the doctor.”
He makes a tight knot at the back of my hand, then dials another number. While he’s on the phone, I walk to one of the stools and sit down.
God, why did I drop my phone?
My eyes snap to the device in the guard’s hand.
I know Mom’s number off my heart.
When he ends the call, I ask, “Can I use your phone?”
“Sure.”
My eyebrows fly up because I expected him to say no. When he holds it out to me, I quickly take it before he can change his mind.
I type in Mom’s number and press dial. It rings a few times before she answers, “Hello?”
“It’s me, Mom. I dropped my phone, and it smashed to smithereens on the rocks.”
“Haven! God, I was so worried. Is this Leo’s number?”