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She can’t be here. She’s under surveillance, and Tiero would know if she left Ireland, and follow her here.
But I’m not getting creepy vibes from this guy. But then I didn’t have them with Sofia either… I’m so out of it. My gut feeling was once reliable but since this whole palaver with Tiero started it hasn’t worked. Or did it? And I misinterpreted it? Probably… I just saw what I wanted to see.
I study Ethan’s face and try to read his eyes… there’s earnestness there. Or he could be one hell of an actor, though he doesn’t strike me as one. He looks down to earth and honest.
“Where is she?” I ask my voice shaky.
“She’s waiting for you at a hotel five minutes from here. Let’s go. Time is of the essence.” Ethan stands and looks at me expectantly.
I don’t move. “I’m not going anywhere with you. You could tell me anything. She’s never mentioned an Ethan to me. Who are you? And how do you know Rhia?”
“I work with Lex. Rhia was suspicious, and Lex has been looking into Gualtiero De Marco. You can imagine what he found had them both extremely worried. We’ve been monitoring you since you arrived in Monza and watched over you when you escaped yesterday. From what we can tell they’ve worked out you’re in Switzerland but haven’t pinpointed yet where exactly, but it’s only a matter of time.
“We need to get you out of Switzerland, out of Europe. People like Gualtiero De Marco have far-reaching connections. We have to be very careful. Rhia and Lex can explain the plan to you more, but we have to go now.”
Rhia and Lex are really here? And there’s a plan?
I still don’t move. This all sounds too good to be true.
He wants me to go to some hotel with him where there will be no witnesses to my disappearance. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“You don’t,” Ethan says without fuss. “You have to go with your gut.”
I laugh humorlessly.
If I listened to my gut in the first place I wouldn’t be in this dilemma. I would have walked… no run in the opposite direction from Tiero. And now I have him and all his enemies hot on my heels, hellbent to find me.As Ethan said, it’s only a matter of time before they do. I can’t do this alone.
I let out a long breath, trying to think rationally.
If he was working for Gualtiero, he would have just restrained me and taken me back. The same goes for Molinaro.Those guys just take, they wouldn’t go to these lengths to convince me,would they?
Please universe if this guy is legit, send me a sign…one that I will clearly understand, no second-guessing, I clarify. When Rhia and I dabbled in spells they always said to be specific.
I stare off into the distance, trying to make up my mind.
Can I trust Ethan?
I trusted Sofia and look where that got me.
Movement in the tree next to us catches my eye. A robin just landed on a branch right at my eye level and cocks its head to the side. I smile to myself. These little, red-chested birds used to be Da’s favorite. He had a bird feeder out just for them.
He’s sending me a sign. Ethan might be my lantern in the dark.
I stare at the bird a few seconds longer, before it chirps and flies off again.
So, I take the leap of faith and with a deep breath in say, “Okay. Lead the way.”
My heart pounds in my chest as I follow Ethan to the hotel.
God, this could turn out to be a really bad idea.
I should have demanded to talk to Rhia. Why didn’t I think of this earlier? Should I ask now?
But the robin… it was the sign I asked for. Can I trust it? Da wouldn’t steer me wrong.
Too late now.
Butterflies speed race in my abdomen as we walk on. I feel light-headed. Fuck, all this stress is getting to me.
