Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Maybe.
I stayed quiet.
Emily turned to me. “Kaz? Why aren’t you answering? We already agreed I would do it.”
“Mysh, when I imagined Fela’s death, it was flames and excruciating pain—”
“I want out of Italy.” She frowned. “Let’s end this shit the way we already decided—”
“Yo, what about Fela being Eden’s father?” Maxwell looked at me and then her. “Do you think JP will want to save him based on that?”
I scowled. “The bigger question, Maxwell, is why you would think that I care about what Jean-Pierre wants. Fela dies tomorrow. Perhaps, my mouse shoots him. Maybe, I slice is fucking head off. Or, he thinks he is smart, puts some plan in place, and I simply evacuate us and nuke this whole fucking country.”
Maxwell widened his eyes.
“Regardless, this ends tomorrow.”
Wassily stepped into the room and sounded out of breath. “We have the clowns.”
I spoke through clenched teeth, “Bring the idiots in here.”
Chapter 50
Near Death
Blue
As I died, I became a spiral of constant motion.
Then, something broke free from my body. Blue wisps, thin and transparent left me, twisting and flickering.
Was it my soul? My consciousness? Whatever it was, it left and I was no longer a body, but a mass of energy.
And I stood in the cosmos, enveloped in endless stars, feeling more connected than ever before.
Moments later, an angel appeared in the darkness, looming above me.
He was pure majestic light and piercing rays of brightness. Brilliant gold and white wings spread out behind him.
With a divine gaze, he studied me.
To say that he was beautiful was not enough.
He was regal.
Glorious.
I was enraptured by his presence.
My movements were sluggish, yet somehow, I stretched my hand out to him, desperate to touch this holy creature.
Unfortunately, the angel did not extend his hand.
Instead, he spoke with a booming voice so familiar, yet alien too. “It is not your time, Blue.”
“What?”
He disappeared.
Then, tingling pain washed over me, and I was suddenly very aware of my body again. The blue wisps suddenly surged back into me.
I hadn’t been breathing, so when my lungs inflated with air, I started coughing and convulsing. The cosmos shifted to a blurry distorted existence. I couldn’t hear anything other than a high-pitched ringing in my head.
My body spasmed against something. . .no someone.
Then, soft lips pressed against mine and oxygen pushed through me, flowing into my mouth and down into my lungs.
I coughed out again and began blinking my eyes.
Everything was still blurry and out of focus.
My body convulsed into a coughing fit. Next, water shot up my throat and spilled out of my mouth.
A familiar voice sounded off in the distance. “Breathe, Blue.”
I began to breath on my own, yet my mind was still foggy. I coughed again, and my body shook with it.
I blinked.
My vision cleared.
Finally, everything came into focus.
Layers of burnt red and dark gold decorated the sky as if it were close to sunset.
I looked up into a face that was exceedingly handsome. Perfectly sculpted cheekbones. Smoothly shaved. Intense blue eyes.
I almost thought it was another angel, but I knew exactly who it was.
Giorgio.
I lay in his arms as he sat on the grass.
My throat burned as I pushed out words. “You. . .saved. . .me.”
He hit me with a wicked smirk. “And now you owe me even more panties.”
For some reason, the absurd statement made me want to laugh and cry all at the same time, yet it was impossible to react in any way. Pain blazed through my chest. Simple movement hurt.
I tried to sit up, but the throbbing in my head and pain in my chest increased. Sighing, I collapsed back against him.
“Rest.” He ran his wet, leather-gloved fingers along my face.
For several minutes, we remained there in silence. His strong arms comforted me. That gloved touch delivered a tenderness that I’d never known.
The sky darkened to black. The moon appeared and stars brightened within the blackness.
Off in the distance, helicopters groaned.
My breathing became slow and heavy.
Remembering what had happened before he brought me back, I broke the silence. “I. . .saw. . .an angel.”
Giorgio quirked his brows. “And what did the angel say?”
“That. . .it wasn’t. . .my time.”
“It was not.” Giorgio curved his lips into a smile. “We still have a passionate romance to embark on.”
My chest hurt as I let out a low chuckle.
“Rest, Blue.”
“Then. . .” It was heavy when I breathed in. “Stop. . .making me laugh.”
“I am not trying to. I am simply speaking the truth.”
Smiling, I closed my eyes and leaned into his warm body. “You. . .saved. . .me.”
“The yacht exploded. That impact shoved you deep down toward the ocean floor. It was almost impossible to find you and maintain any oxygen in my lungs. Perhaps, that angel helped me.”
I slowly opened my eyes. “Did. . .you go. . .back up. . .and catch your. . .breath?”