Page 85 of Hard Lessons

She frowned.

He shook his head; no wonder she wasn’t following, his words were tumbling out. After a deep breath he spoke again, quieter this time. “Giovanni wants you dead tonight because he wants you out of this city, out of this country. I have no intention of being the one to turn you into a corpse, which I might regret not doing at some point. But I’m going to give you one chance.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Good. You leave now. Tonight, for Italy, or wherever the hell else you can make a life, and never come back.”

She nodded.

“Because if you do, Giovanni will know I didn’t kill you. He’ll kill me.”

“Why are you doing this?” She bit on her bottom lip. “Not that I want you to change your mind.”

“Let’s just say my father and grandfather would turn in their graves if I had your blood on my hands, any woman’s blood.” He reached into the bedside drawer and found her gun. He shoved it into his pocket.

There was a bang at the door.

“Luca! Get on with it.”

“Si!”

He gestured with his gun for her to get out of bed. She did, her long red nightgown settling around her ankles.

Luca angled his gun at the dent in her pillow. He shot. Feathers puffed upward, the mattress jerked. He turned to Meena and put his finger over his lips.

She nodded and stood frozen.

He stood and walked up to her, spoke by her ear. “Be out of the country by dawn. Never come back.”

“Thank you.” She rested her hand on his arm. “You’re a good man.”

Chapter Eighteen

Serena had been inthe cottage alone for well over twenty-four hours. Each hour felt like an entire day.

She’d busied herself with cleaning and rearranging the furniture. She scrubbed out the hearth. Took a walk on the beach and collected driftwood and shells.

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