Page 181 of Niccolo

“So… soon, perhaps?”

I grinned. “As soon as is feasible.”

“Don’t make it TOO long. One of us won’t be around forever. Unless, of course, you’d like to take me up on my very generous offer.”

“I can’t.”

“You mean, you WON’T.”

“That, too. But I’ll try to slip away as soon as possible.”

“Good.”

I hesitated for a second… then said softly, “Goodbye, Niccolo.”

“Ciao, bella. I hope to see you again soon.”

“Me, too.”

Then I hung up the phone, powered it down, and flagged down the jet’s lone flight attendant.

“Please throw this away in the hangar before we leave,” I asked.

She frowned. “You don’t want to keep it?”

“No. It has to remain here in Hong Kong. It’s important.”

She nodded. She knew exactly who we worked for and why I would need to ditch a cell.

She quickly alerted the pilot and exited the plane with the phone.

I settled back in my seat, thought about my talk with Niccolo, and smiled.

I had to wonder…

Who was playing whom?

Then I yawned.

By the time the plane was in the air, I was out.

I slept all the way back to Italy…

And dreamt of Niccolo the entire way.

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Niccolo

“Me, too,”Sofia said softly…

And then hung up.

I smiled as I pocketed my phone.

It was so cute, her thinking she could manipulateme.

Of course…

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