Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 109674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Flavia blinked at me. “Amelia, what’s going on?”
“I ran. I couldn’t stay anymore.” A tremor went through my body, and I began to cry in earnest. Flavia wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into her small apartment, then into the living area, where she made me sit down on the comfy beige couch.
“Tell me everything. Luciano probably won’t wake for another hour, so we have time.”
I told her everything, sobbing through every word until I fell silent, exhausted and drained. I wasn’t sure if I had made sense. My emotions were a jumbled mess. She caressed my hair as I watched the baby on the video monitor, lying on his back, sucking on his pacifier, looking perfectly peaceful.
She looked around the apartment. “We can’t stay here. He won’t let you leave, Amelia. He’ll come looking for you and drag you back to that godforsaken place.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.” I began to get up, but Flavia gripped my arm and tugged me back down.
“Don’t be stupid. We’re in this together.”
“I can’t expect you to move again.”
She shook her head. “I was thinking of leaving the state anyway. We can do it together. Let’s get packing.”
The following morning, we left the apartment and Santa Barbara with no final destination in mind. All we knew was that we wanted to leave not just California but also the Camorra territory behind. If we wanted any chance of staying undetected, we needed to get as far away as possible.
I wondered if Nestore had found my letter by now and if he would ever forgive me.
Was he still capable of forgiveness?
Almost every thought of mine in the past three years had involved Amelia. Since the evening I’d seen her for the first time, looking way too innocent and kind to be anywhere near Falcone, my father, and even her father. Her blue eyes had beckoned me to protect her, something I’d never felt for anyone.
To this day, I wanted to protect her.
And now she was gone.
Niccolo had told me on the phone after her guards had called him, too scared of me. I couldn’t believe it, even now as I peered down at the note she had left for me on her bed.
My heart thundered in my chest as I picked up the piece of paper and scanned Amelia’s elegant handwriting.
My Nestore,
I know you won’t understand my decision. I had to leave. Every moment in this haunted house robbed me of my happiness. It’s full of horrid memories. The walls echo with our past screams, with misery and pain. I can’t bear a day longer under this roof.
I wish you could have come with me, but you can’t. You are on a path of self-destruction that breaks my heart. I wish I could save you. I wish our liberation had been that for you, but you aren’t free of the demons of your past. You want to chase them when, instead, they are chasing you.
This isn’t goodbye for good. This is a “see you later”. One day, we’ll be reunited. When you’ve made peace with yourself and left the past behind. I miss my Nestore. I know he’s still in there. I can’t wait to see him again one day.
With love,
Amelia
I let out a roar as my heart seemed to splinter into a million pieces inside my chest and ripped the letter apart, unable to read it a second time. Amelia was gone. She’d left me.
She’d betrayed the promise she’d given me. My vision turned black at the edges, and pain unlike anything I had ever experienced filled my chest. I screamed again and began to destroy everything around me. My fists and feet smashed against wood and plaster, and tore at curtains and slashed through canvas, but the pain remained.
Eventually, I sank to my knees amid the rubble of furniture and breathed harshly. I ran a hand over my face, and it came away wet. Tears. I didn’t know I still had them in me. Rage bubbled up and banished the sorrow. How could she leave me? She had been by my side for three years, had risked her life and given her freedom for me, and now that we were both free and I had the power to protect her, she ran?
“Nestore?”
I glared at Niccolo, who hovered in the doorway with a look of uncertainty on his face.
“She left.”
He nodded. “I told you.”
“I’ll bring her back. I’ll find her.”
“She could be anywhere. She doesn’t have a phone or credit cards we could track.”
“I’ll catch her. Tell every soldier in my territory to look for her. I won’t rest until I have her.”
“You need to show your men that you’re capable of leading them. You’ve only been an Underboss for three weeks. You are young, and people will think they can take what’s yours. Remo expects you to rule over California for him. He won’t understand it if you fail because you’re chasing a girl.”