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Closing the Roman shades, I remove my shoes, pants, shirt, and underwear. Standing stark naked in the cool confines of the living room, I drop down onto the floor, hands pressed into the hard tiles, toes digging in.
Assuming plank position, I disappear deep in my mind holding that form until my arms start to burn. I push through even when they begin to shake and remain in that position until my wrists give out. I don’t relent, though. This is just the beginning as I transition to burpees, mountain climbers, and body saws.
When I finish my exercises, the floor is drenched, and sweat drips from my body. I eye the clock over the tiny square table at the kitchen entrance.
One hour and fifteen minutes have passed since I first began.
My phone rings almost as if timed. I grab my clothes from the floor and head to the bedroom where I left my phone.
I grab it just as it’s about to go to voicemail and head into the bathroom.
“Hey, Paola.”
“Just wanted to check to see if you’d arrived.”
“Yep, got in my place an hour ago.”
She sighs. “I don’t—”
“Look, I’ve heard all of your reservations, Paola. I have. You also know that I have to do it.”
“Would you please just be careful?”
“I know you’re worried about me, hon, but Dario and I have worked on a bullet-proof plan.”
“Hey! That’s not funny.”
I smirk. “Yes, it is.”
“Let’s hope for your sake it is.”
“Oh, and tell Carmine not to bring his ass over here. I know he’s worried, but I don’t need all that.”
“Just be careful, okay?”
“Bye, Paola.”
I don’t wait for her to say goodbye; I just click off the phone. I’m not being rude, but there is no time for sentiment here. Any sign of weakness can get me blown away. The reality of my situation is that I’m a dead woman walking. If I meet Alessandro DeLuca and he discovers that I’m an imposter, he’ll put a bullet in my head so fast I won’t even know what hit me.
However, getting close to him is the only option to glean information about who put a hit on my family and why.
I head to the shower to cleanse myself of the grime and prepare for a quick nap.
A couple of hours later, I look at the time and realize I’m almost late for the city bus tour. Grabbing my phone and key card, I slip on my cardigan over my blouse and jeans and head out.
Lucky for me, tonight is Wednesday. I’m not sure how lucky I’ll be in attracting Alessandro DeLuca’s attention, but I’m damn sure going to give it a try.
