AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Focus, Ella. Focus.
Before I reach the train station, I duck into a busy shopping mall to change outfits and wigs in the bathroom. ATMs have cameras, and I bet Tiero will have that Uberto geek hack them to see if it was me taking out the money. Better safe than sorry.
I’m sitting on a bench at Monza train station. The next train out of here is leaving in ten minutes. I didn’t really care where I was going as long as it wasn’t going back south toward Sicily.
As luck would have it, my ticket is taking me to Basel in Switzerland… that’s if I want to sit for ten hours. Not sure I can, I’m way too wired.
Besides, Basel is flat, and the mountains are calling me. Their stillness has always brought peace and calm to my soul, and I’m in desperate need of both.
I nervously tap my fingers against my legs. I can’t believe I’m really getting away with this. But then I’ve thought that with every one of my escape attempts just to be foiled at the last minute.
I’ve expected to be caught and pulled into a van at least half a dozen times and have been carefully looking over my shoulder.
I chew on a protein bar I got from a vending machine. It tastes stale, but it stops my stomach from growling. I’ll need proper food before too long, but that can wait until I’m out of here.
A tingling sensation in my abdomen makes me turn around to the entrance of the station in time to see a black SUV pull up, and I know in my gut they’re here to find me.
Shit, shit, shit.
My heart thunders in my chest as adrenaline is rushing into my veins.
Stay calm. Don’t act impulsively.
It’s the hardest thing to do, when everything inside me screams to run.
Think before you act,think before you act.
So I remain seated. They’re looking for a blonde, maybe even a brunette, but my auburn bob is well in place and large sunglasses cover my eyes. I’m disguised enough in my long summer dress and hat that I wouldn’t recognize myself.
I swing my legs over to the other side of the bench so I can see better what’s happening.
Two men in dark suits get out of the car and head toward the platform, clearly looking for someone. They really aren’t subtle and stand out like sore thumbs.
Surely, they can’t know I’m here. They must be patrolling the obvious exit points. At least that’s what I’m telling myself to find some calm.
I haven’t seen these guys before. Are they even Tiero’s men?
The fact that they don’t know me personally has to work in my favor. If it was Mauro or Santino looking for me here, I’d be a lot more worried. The men walk along the platform, looking at everyone.
As one of them closes in on the bench I’m sitting on, I force my body into a relaxed pose, place the book I’ve bought at the newsagent onto my lap and pretend to read,my body language open and not hiding anything.
Internally, though, it’s a whole different story. I’m surprised my heart isn’t going into cardiac arrest with how frantically it’s beating.
I can do this. I can do this.
He walks right past.
Pheewww.
I ever so slowly release the breath I was holding. They actually have no idea I’m here. They’re just guessing.
Confidence dawns in me.
I reallycando this.
Then suddenly, the heat I always feel when Tiero is close rushes through me. The hairs on my neck stand to attention, and my body tingles all over.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. He’s here.
