Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
36
PIPER
“They’ve done it.”
Three words.
Three words that had me staring at Maggie, my face having twisted into a mixed expression of joy and amazement.
I burst out in cheers and a long fit of laughter, giving her a long, tight hug. My friend hugged me back, her own reaction more restrained than mine. Beaming with joy, she kept on smiling, claiming that she didn’t doubt them for a second.
She was lying through her teeth.
Unbeknownst to her, when I went to my bedroom the night before, I watched her through the window. I couldn’t help it. It had a clear, unobstructed view to the living room. The lights were on until almost 3 pm. Maggie hadn’t even attempted to hide from me. She had drawn the curtains to the side. For hours that night, she kept pacing up and down, always holding a glass of vodka.
In spite of that little lie, I wasn’t going to argue with her. There was no point in engaging in arguments. We both had what we wanted. So what if she’d lied? It wasn’t like it hurt anyone, was it?
Out on her porch, we were enjoying the glorious shades of pink, orange and red up in the clear sky, when Cesare’s green Torino rolled up to the power gate. I jumped from my seat, feeling the need to run over to him, Matteo and Leonardo. However, as I abandoned Maggie’s porch, it occurred to me that I had a problem.
Choosing.
I had no idea who to hug and kiss first.
Regardless of our history, they had all done something noble.
They had destroyed the people who’d been trying to kill me and them alike.
So, as they emerged from Cesare’s car, I was still debating. Would it be him? Matteo? Or Leo?
Regardless of my indecision, those three looked absolutely exhausted. Their usually energetic walking styles had disappeared. Their swaggers—especially Leo’s—were gone. Out in Maggie’s driveway, was a group of men who were finding it hard putting one foot in front of the other. Their eyes had shrunk due to sleep deprivation. They might have seemed peaceful and relaxed, but their outlook screamed their need for a rest.
“Welcome back,” I told Cesare, since he was the one closest to me. “You look so worn out.”
“It’s good to be back,” he uttered, his tone much slower than usual. “We didn’t get much sleep last night. Our motel got flooded just after we’d checked in. We spent the night out in the countryside. In a tiny tent.”
“Oh,” I gasped out, catching Maggie out of the corner of my eye.
“Welcome to my home, gentlemen. It’s great to see you again,” she confessed, approaching Cesare from his left. “Now, I’d really love to hear what took place in Vegas, but it’s clear to me you’re too tired for that. So, I suggest you go get some sleep. My guest rooms are upstairs and they’re at your disposal.”
“Thank you.” Cesare nodded in appreciation.
“I’ll see you later, then,” I told him, somewhat intrigued by this development. I hated to see those three like that. In spite of this, I liked the fact that we’d be under the same roof for the remainder of the day. We’d get a chance to chat about their mission. I’d finally hear some details about their undertaking and how they’d managed to pull it off.
Better still, Maggie had mentioned an indoor pool, which I hadn’t visited yet. It had crossed my mind to do so more than once. However, I didn’t. It just felt wrong of me to indulge in something like that, while knowing that Cesare, Matteo and Leo were in grave danger. They would be engaging a bunch of gangsters, and I would be taking a swim? No. There was no way I would do that. I’d feel guilty before even dipping my foot into the water.
Hours later, I was in the basement of that enormous mansion. A double-sided door separated that pool from the rest of the basement. I pushed it open, the view up ahead bringing a smile to my face.
The calm surface of the pool seemed so appealing in the romantic illumination. Soft light from the four appliqués on the walls was washing across that surface. It illuminated some parts of the water, while keeping others in the dark. In particular, the corners were fairly lit, and the space in between them was not.
I looked at myself in the glass façade across from me and took off my pink bathrobe. Halting just inches from the edge, I kept my legs together. I tucked in my chin and put my arms in position over my head. Rocking my forward, I glided in, my head crashing through the surface. Liquid coolness engulfing my entire figure, I kicked back to reach the other side of the pool. I lifted my head up and reemerged, before pushing my hair back from my face. I held on to the edge, my toes nudging the wall as I looked into the glass façade once more. Just then, a tall, masculine figure came through the wide door.