Page 25 of Mine Again
“So let me get this straight,” Sienna quips. “Our own hacker team had no clue where she was, but some anonymous person does? Why would they help? It could be a trap.”
“Uberto verified it’s true.” My ears prick up at the mention of Luca’s former mentor, another reminder of what I lost. “Once they knew where to look, they found her and got visuals.”
Silence settles over us. I trace the rim of my glass, fighting the ache that tightens in my chest. Then Mari stands and tugs at my sleeve.
“Bathroom?”
“Yeah.”
We slip away, our heels muted against the thick carpet. As we walk past the other diners, I make it my mission not to look in a certain direction. But I sense his eyes on me.
Or… it could be my imagination.
The hallway is quiet when we reach it, the lighting low and warm. The sound of clinking glasses fades behind us as we push through the restroom door.
“You know why Father offered me to the Don to help Ella settle in?” Mari asks as we head toward the back, past the vanities.
I shrug. “Well, given he’s doing all he can to position himself for consigliere, I’d say he wanted you to spy.”
“Exactly. He wanted me to befriend her and keep my eyes and ears open about what’s going on at the Don’s estate. Me, who’s as shy as a girl can be without actually vanishing into the walls.”
“Well, from what you said, you did become friends with her.”
“I did. But I would never rat her out. Especially not to Father, who sees her as nothing more than a commodity.”
Her and every other woman.
“Wait. Did you know where she was?”
“What? No, of course not. Looking back, though, she prepared for her escape. She took up running. I think it was to get fitter, to be ready when her chance came.”
“Hmm.” I slip into one of the private stalls.
Running? I could definitely be fitter.
I sit down on the closed lid and just breathe. Too many thoughts swirl in my head.
Escapes. Luca. And then those vivid blue eyes push their way back in.
That flustered feeling from earlier returns, uninvited.
It’s the first bit of attention from a man that’s stirred something inside me since Luca. Something I’ve come to believe was dead.
Ever since he left, there’s been silence. Cold. A locked door in my chest. And now, with a pair of unfamiliar eyes on me, there’s a knock.
I’m not sure what to do with that. Or if I’m happy about it.
Perhaps I could be a little excited. My heart isn’t as dead as I feared.
“I’ll meet you back at the table,” Mari calls.
“Okay. I won’t be long.”
I wash my hands slowly, smooth my dress, admiring how it fits like a second skin. The marble counter gleams under the soft lighting, the air faintly scented with expensive soap. I reapply my lipstick, tuck it into my purse, and push open the bathroom door… and walk straight into a wall.
No, not a wall.
A chest.
