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“Hmm. I’m not buying it. You were practically glowing when you first came back from France. What could have possibly gone so wrong in the last 48 hours?”
I sighed loudly, making it clear I did not want to continue this conversation. I picked up her iPad and started to look for flights. There was no point in hanging around here anymore. It was too dangerous. What was Giovanni expecting to do? Continue to monitor my life every day even though I no longer work for him? I felt suffocated. I needed to get away. Start fresh. Forget him.
Trying to ignore the knot in my stomach and the urge to cry at the thought of never seeing him again, I flicked through the list of flights out of Italy over the next few days. I had no plan. I had no idea where to go, but I knew I needed to keep moving. I had already stayed in one place for too long and knowing Henry was growing desperate just put me on edge now more than ever.
“What are you doing?” I jumped when Gigi’s accusing tone interrupted my scrolling from over my shoulder.
I lowered the tablet and turned to look at her carefully. “I am going to leave soon Gigi. I was never meant to stay here as long as I did and it’s time to go.” Her eyes widened and she looked completely shocked and a little hurt. “Honestly, you are a friend I have made for life and I am so grateful for you letting me live here and being so amazing.”
“Where will you go?” She whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
I smiled sadly at her. “Who knows? Maybe…” I looked down at the list of flights. “Iceland? I’ve had enough sunshine here and I have always wanted to see the northern lights!”
“I’m going to miss you! When will you go?”
“Soon. I need to book a flight and get all my finances together, but I am going to go as soon as I can.”
She nodded slowly, letting it sink in. “Is this because of Giovanni? He did something to really hurt you, didn’t he? I will kill him!”
I chuckled at the thought of her even attempting that and grabbed her hand on the back of the sofa. “No. No, it's not just about him. This was always the plan. You know I told you I left the UK to get away from my stepbrother? He might come after me soon and I need to keep moving.”
She sighed deeply. “I understand. I just wish you didn’t have to go.”
“I know. Me too,” I smiled sadly. But Millie was right. If it doesn't work out for whatever reason. Run. Immediately.
∞∞∞
Bracing myself to step outside and walk past Giovanni in the car, I inhaled deeply and shook my head. I was going to go and meet Elle, Sani and Raya to say goodbye and I’d called a taxi.
I opened the green front door and waltzed out with my chin held high, avoiding looking in the direction of the SUV. I walked briskly over to the taxi that was parked on the curb and as I pulled open the car door, a strong hand slammed it shut again.
“Olivia. Please talk to me.”
His voice sent waves of despair and need through me and I refused to look up at him. “Please move out of the way,” I gritted.
“Not until you agree to listen to me. I need to explain.”
“No. You don’t. You need to move.”
He sighed deeply and reached his hand up to my face to force me to look at him. I jumped back at his touch, anger rippling through my body. He can’t do this to me. Can't he see how much this is hurting? How it was tearing my soul apart to even think of letting him go. The frustration on his face from my action formed a lump in my throat.
“I never read the whole file, Liv. I knew your stepbrother killed your boyfriend, but that is all, I promise. I stopped reading as soon as I realised that I cared about you and didn't just want to sleep with you! I wanted to hear it from you when you were ready to tell me, I swear.” His brown eyes pleaded with me and I could see he was telling the truth, but I was still so mad.
“Yet you let me open up to you…cry on you! And you didn’t say anything? You could have been honest, Giovanni. You could have told me you knew from a background check for the job!”
“I know. I’m sorry.” He groaned, running his hand through his jet-black hair. A strand flicked back down over his eyes and I had to fight the urge not to touch it. He looked so fucking good. Why? Why was this so hard?
“It's too late. It doesn’t matter now. I have to go,” I tried the door handle again but he leaned his muscular body against the car. The driver tutted out the window and Gio shouted something at him in Italian in a rage. I glared at him for his outburst at an innocent man.
“It does fucking matter Liv. Are you telling me you are going to throw us away like last weekend meant nothing? Just because I didn’t tell you I knew one little thing about your past?” he snapped, losing his patience. Fury erupted inside me at his words.
“It wasn’t one little thing!” I yelled. “It was the worst fucking thing that has ever happened to me! Do you know what it feels like to have everyone gossiping about you behind your back? For your entire life to be splashed across every front-page newspaper for everyone's entertainment? I moved here to run away from it all. To feel safe. I told you about it because I trusted you and that was a big fucking deal! The fact you can stand here now and dismiss its importance just proves to me that you are not the man I thought you were!”
His jaw clenched and his eyes blazed with his own anger as I tried to shove open the door of the taxi and this time he stepped back, letting me climb in.
“And tell your men to stop following me! I don’t need you or them to keep me safe. I can look after myself!” I shouted through the window. He stepped up to it, leaning down, his hand on the window frame to keep the driver from pulling away.
“I am not going anywhere, Liv. Until you are ready to talk to me, my men or I will be right here, protecting you from the Leones,” he hissed and I scoffed.
