Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 53764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
She managed to get some decent information in under an hour, and when she walked back in the apartment, praying like hell he wouldn't be waiting for her, she knew what to look for as far as cameras were concerned. She changed into a ragged pair of shorts that had seen better days, switched the SIM cards back again, and then prepared to act like she was dusting the house with a vengeance while she searched for the hidden items that might or might not be there.
An hour later, she was ninety-eight percent sure she wasn't being physically watched. As far as her computer was concerned, she knew with her limited abilities, she probably wouldn't ever be sure if he'd tampered with it. She didn't think he had, but again, she couldn't be sure. Monitoring her keystrokes would have been done via the software that might have been installed, and other than having it completely wiped by someone who knew what he was doing, her hands were tied. And even then, it might not be a completely preventive measure. And--she couldn't afford to do it.
But it didn't matter so much anymore, because she'd found out what she needed to know. Other than wanting to know what the shit he was capable of, she wasn't keeping anything hidden from him, and for now, she'd just be careful while using the laptop. She breathed a massive sigh of relief. Even though she was pissed off about what he'd done to her phone, she didn't believe he was a deranged, controlling freak. Take that back--she still thought he was controlling, but she was sure his main issue was the money she owed him.
She'd applied for a library card and borrowed a stack of books while she was there, just to see what his reaction to them would be. Yeah, she'd be able to know for sure, unequivocally, if he was tracking her, by his reaction to the pile of books. A very satisfying feeling of evil vindictiveness slid through her. She would know soon enough.
****
Natalie was sitting at the island in the center of the kitchen when Marco got home from work. A pot of spaghetti sauce was simmering on the stove and the pasta and French bread were already prepared as well.
She flipped through a colorful cookbook, one she had gotten from the library, and another five books sat in a pile by the side of her, definitely hard for him to miss.
She heard him walk in, but pretended to be absorbed in what she was reading while she absently reached out and took a sip of her Diet Coke.
"Hey."
She jumped and spun the chair in his direction. After the morning they had had, she wasn't quite sure how she wanted to play this. "Hi," she said softly, holding his eyes. "I hope you like spaghetti."
"I'm Italian." He smiled at her as he took another step into the room.
She smiled a half-smile in response and lifted herself from the chair and went to the stove. "Are you ready to eat?"
"Yeah. Give me ten to grab a shower."
"Okay," she said as sweetly as she could manage. Her emotions were everywhere. She was about to know for sure. And the fact that he'd broken up with Tanya was banging around loudly in her brain as well, refusing to be ignored.
She felt him stall in the door instead of turning and leaving. She stopped stirring the sauce and turned with a questioning look.
He was looking at the pile of books as if he had never seen one before. "Where did those come from?"
"I found the public library today," she said, trying to keep her tone as even as possible, and then smiled at him again, before stirring once more. "Don't get excited yet," she rambled, waiting for his reaction. "The spaghetti isn't anything fancy--I don't have the right ingredients yet to try any of those recipes." She indicated the open book sitting out on the island.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and a frown came between his brows. "I hope you remembered to take your phone with you. Downtown isn't always a safe place."
She dropped her gaze from his just perfectly and stirred the sauce again.
"Natalie--you remembered to take your phone, didn't you?" His words were as controlled as she'd ever heard them.
Bastard!! He was tracking her movements with that goddamn phone .She turned back around and met his eyes just briefly before dropping them once more. God, her acting abilities were fantastic! She'd never known that about herself before. "No, I didn't. I didn't even realize I didn't have it until I got back in and found it on the bed." She looked at him and bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Marco."
He studied her, his eyes penetrating, trying to delve deeply into her psyche. "It would make me feel better if you took the phone with you when you left the building, Natalie. I'm only thinking about your safety." His eyes glittered harshly from across the room. "Do you think you can remember that?"