Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82847 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I pulled onto the road and headed to Palermo like I said I would.
I let her go…just to prove to her that I could.
I didn’t text or call.
She didn’t either, not that I expected her to.
I stayed at my place in Palermo since Don Mancini had given me a couple days off after I’d saved their asses. It was a shame because I’d planned on spending that time with Francesca. I’d intended to invite her to my place, cook for her, show her my favorite spots in the city.
But it was what it was.
I met up with Santino for a late dinner, sitting on the terrace with the flowers growing on the trellis overhead.
“Haven’t heard from you in a while,” Santino said. “Where’d you end up?”
“The Mancinis.”
“The arms guys?” he asked before he took a puff of his cigar.
“Yeah.”
“They have a winery, right?”
“Yeah,” I answered automatically, my energy not in this conversation at all. “What’s new with you guys?”
He shrugged, took another drag, let the smoke out, and then gave a bullshit answer. “You know…”
Not that I expected him to give me more than that since I wasn’t in Cosa Nostra anymore. In fact, I’d joined a gang they considered an adversary more than an ally, so definitely a conflict of interest.
“You alright?” he asked. “You seem, I don’t know, off?”
“It’s been a rough couple of days.” I didn’t lose sleep over anything, but I’d definitely lost sleep over Francesca. My instinct was to show up at her house and demand that she speak to me, but I knew my typical approach would just push her further away in this instance.
“Who got shot?”
“My relationship.”
Both of his eyebrows cocked.
“I was—am—seeing someone.” I grabbed my old-fashioned and took a drink. “But I nuked it.”
“She caught you with someone else?”
“No. I don’t fuck around like that.” She was the only relationship I’d ever had, but I wouldn’t be in one if I weren’t fully committed. If I wanted to stick my dick in other people, I would just tell her that.
“Then what happened?”
“Came on too strong. Said some things I shouldn’t have said.”
“Then why don’t you just tell her you didn’t mean it?”
“Because I did mean it,” I said with a painful laugh. “Oh, I fucking meant it…” I grabbed my cigar from where it rested on the ashtray and took a puff. “I know I’ve got to give her space right now, but it’s really fucking hard. Not my style to avoid something and hope it gets better. I like to come at my problems head on.”
“With a knife in your hand. Yeah, I know,” he said. “Then why don’t you text her something?”
I shook my head as I let the smoke out of my mouth.
“What the fuck did you say to her, then?”
I smirked as I tapped the edge of the cigar on the ashtray. “That we’re gonna end up together because I’ll never let her go, and if she tries to run, I’ll never stop chasing her…forever.”
Santino couldn’t keep a straight face when he heard that. “Cristo.”
“Yeah.” I brought the cigar to my lips again.
“A little intense.”
“Yeah, a bit,” I said. “She asked the real estate agent to take her home—that’s how scared she was.”
“Real estate agent?”
“We were looking at houses. I need a spot closer to work.”
“Selling this place, then?”
“Nah, I love it here,” I said. “I don’t know what else to do but let her go…so she knows I’m capable of it.”
He gave a slow nod in understanding. “How long have you been seeing her?”
“Like three weeks.”
He released a quick outburst. “No wonder she’s scared.”
I shrugged in response.
“Why are you so into her?”
“Just am.”
“So what’s your plan?”
I gave a slight shake of my head. “Wait for her to reach out.”
“And what if she doesn’t?”
That was an outcome I didn’t want to entertain. I knew I’d fucked up, but I hoped she was into me enough that she’d reach out after she had some time to cool off. That she’d start to miss me whenever she saw me at the vineyard.
Or maybe the damage I’d done was simply irreparable.
18
FRANCESCA
I expected Wolfe to either show up at my home or blow up my phone with texts, but he did neither of those things. Days of silence passed. He was off from the vineyard for two of the days, so I wasn’t surprised he wasn’t around. And then on the third day, when he was supposed to be back on the property, I only caught a glimpse of him once.
He stood outside with Leo, both of them smoking cigars while they waited for another guy to join them. Wolfe didn’t look up at the house or the window to my office. His demeanor gave no indication that he was upset about anything.
Not the reaction I expected.
One of the other guys joined the crew, and they put out the cigars on the ground and left.