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“I’ll know if he does that, and then I can leave the cabin and go after him. At that point, you’ll have a big enough head start that it won’t matter. He won’t be able to catch up with you. Not if I’m coming after him, too.”
“What if he was lying about being the only one? What if there are others out there?”
Massimo got a pained look on his face. “That’s a possibility… and you’ll have to be prepared for it.”
“Prepared how?”
“The one thing they don’t want is to kill you. Which means they’ll be hesitant to shoot at you… but you can shoot at them.”
I got sick to my stomach as I thought about the man I’d killed in the barn.
Worse, I thought about the tailspin it had sent me into for the next several hours.
“I can’t… please don’t ask me to do that…”
“I wouldn’t if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.”
“But – ”
“Do you remember what I told you my job is?”
“…to keep me and our children safe.”
He nodded. “And do you remember what I said your job is?”
“…to keep the kids safe. But there aren’t any kids – it’s just you and me.”
He smiled as he gently placed a hand on my waist. “You don’t know that. You haven’t been on the pill for weeks now.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. “Stop – that’s not fair. You’re just trying to manipulate me – ”
“You’re right, I am. Because I would do anything to make sure you’re safe. I’d even try to manipulate you into saving yourself… and maybe our unborn child.”
I started to cry. “Isn’t there another way?”
“If you run for it, we have a chance. If you don’t, he’ll just do what he said and wait until we starve to death. If we go now, we have all our strength and energy. This is the best shot we have – right now.”
“Then come with me.”
“Somebody’s got to occupy him while you get away.” He smiled. “Who knows… maybe I’ll get lucky and shoot the bastard.”
“Please don’t make me do this,” I begged.
“This is the only way. At least, it’s the only way we’ve got.” He kissed me softly, then pulled back to look in my eyes. “Will you do it?… For me?”
I lay there looking at him, tears rolling down my cheeks… and finally nodded yes.
“Thank you,” he whispered gratefully, then kissed me again.
73
Massimo
The first part – convincing Lucia – was difficult. But I’d done it.
I truly believed the plan would work. I wouldn’t have gotten her to agree to it if I didn’t.
Maybe Niccolo could have come up with something better. But it was just me, and I did the best I could.
