Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“The worst?” she repeated like I was a nutcase. “A shot can’t kill you.”
“Well, I’ve been shot a lot, and it’s never killed me.”
“Yet.”
“Well, those days are behind me, so that was probably the last one.” Something I wouldn’t miss. Sometimes when I flew commercial, the bullets I hadn’t been able to get out set off the metal detectors. That was always a gun story to tell airport security.
“At least you’re feeling good.”
“I don’t even notice it.” I looked down at Medusa, a dog I loved even though we’d never said a word to each other. I had her back, and she had mine. If I hadn’t taken that bullet, she would have died. In the moment, I didn’t think twice—and I’d do it again.
“How many times have you been shot?”
“This year or . . . ?”
She released a sigh and shook her head. “Jesus . . .”
I grinned. “I’m just messing with you, sweetheart. I’ve probably been shot . . . four times? Maybe five?”
“Maybe? You aren’t even sure?”
“Well, I’ve been stabbed a lot too, so after a while, you get things mixed up.”
“Oh my god.”
“Yeah,” I said with a chuckle. “Good times.”
“Does your mother know all this?”
“God no,” I said quickly. “Give my mom a heart attack.”
“Maybe it’s for the best that we’re here, then.”
A painful bomb of guilt dropped on my heart, and I looked at Medusa again, doing my best to hide the pain from her . . . and from myself. “Yeah. Maybe it is.”
Medusa was much more animated the next day, so I helped her into the walker and locked it into place. It took her a second to figure out how it worked, but she was a smart dog, so a couple minutes later, she figured it out. She was able to move around the house without putting weight on her injured leg, and instantly, her tail started to wag again.
I smiled like a proud dad who’d just taught his kid how to ride a bike. “Attagirl.” I opened one of the enormous back doors, and she walked right out onto the patio to explore, the sound of her wheel audible everywhere she went.
“Aww, she loves it.” Aurelia moved past me and stepped onto the patio, wearing a sundress with a long slit up her thigh that exposed one of her toned legs. Her hair was in loose curls down her back, and she’d already taken to Taormina so well, like it was her home. She took a seat on the couch and watched Medusa head to the gardens.
I sat down beside her, my arm moving around her shoulders, and together, we sat in the shade and watched our dog be happy again.
Her hand automatically moved to my thigh in my sweatpants.
We hadn’t made love since we’d arrived here. The longest dry spell we’d ever had. I hadn’t initiated anything because I’d been too emotionally exhausted to be in the mood. She didn’t try anything either—maybe because she was too preoccupied with Medusa’s well-being to think about it either. But despite the lack of intimacy, I’d never felt closer to her, never felt my soul come so in tune with someone else’s.
I headed into the village the next morning.
The first thing my mom did every day was visit my brother at the cemetery. Well, visit his headstone, actually. Because the grave was empty, and the coffin had probably disintegrated years ago.
And the man who’d killed him was living in my house.
A sharp pain moved through my chest at the realization, and it was like swallowing a rock as a pill.
Her next stop was Rosticceria Da Cristina, where she worked in the office because she didn’t trust anyone else to handle the books or the supply orders or the staff schedule. When I got to the front door, I went to push it open but realized it was locked.
Because she always locked it after she came in, unlike me.
I still had a key, so I unlocked it and let myself inside. “Ma, it’s me!” I yelled so she wouldn’t freak out at the sound of the door.
“Con!” My mother’s frantic voice came from down the hallway.
“Yeah, I’m home.”
I heard her quick footsteps, and then a moment later, she appeared nearly at a run. “Oh, I’m so happy.” She clapped her hands quickly, then gave an excited scream when her eyes landed on mine. In dark jeans and a blouse, with a gold cross that hung around her neck, she came to me with her arms outstretched and hit me with her momentum.
I caught her with a chuckle, my arms hooking around her and giving her a tight squeeze. “I’m happy to see you too.”
She squeezed me back, then cupped my face and gave each of my cheeks a kiss, probably leaving lipstick marks there. “My boy.” She patted my cheeks. “Is Aurelia with you?” she asked hopefully.