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Thirty
EVELYN
After Raoul leaves, I decide to take full advantage of his gym. He seemed much happier when he left but I still have apprehensions. I can’t help thinking about the girl who Sal is looking after, and the threat of his father's tone yesterday. I take a shower and dress in some casual clothes, before making my way down to the kitchen to grab some lunch.
“Would you like me to bring you something out to the terrace?” Wendy smiles at me.
“I think I can manage to make a sandwich myself.” I lift my eyebrows at her, she’s already busy, sitting at the kitchen table polishing cutlery.
“Does Raoul actually use any of that?” I giggle as I search the refrigerator, feeling creative.
“Not in the years I’ve worked for him,” she laughs. “I just like to keep busy. Mr. Burlusconi pays very well.”
The door swings open and Niko storms inside, with his phone pressed against his ear.
“You spoke to Raoul since he left?” he asks, looking pissed off.
“No, why?”
“He left this morning without giving me any instructions, I’ve tried calling him and he’s not picking up. The GPS on the car isn’t working.”
“So you don’t know where he went this morning?” I check, starting to get worried. Raoul not having Ludo around, and insisting Niko stays with me means he’s alone a lot of the time.
“Raoul can handle himself, that’s not what I’m worried about. I just can’t figure out why he’s not picking up my calls.”
“Maybe you should check the ranch, he doesn’t usually pick up when he’s there,” Wendy suggests innocently.
“You be okay here while I do that?” Niko checks with me.
“What am I gonna do, run away?” I snigger back at him.
“I’m trusting that you won’t.” The way he looks back at me suggests I hold power over him, and I feel like a bad person for liking it.
“Just go check on Raoul, we’ll be fine here,” I assure him, trying not to worry. Raoul's under a lot of stress, maybe he just needed some downtime.
“Don’t go anywhere,” Niko warns me one last time, before heading out the door and speeding out the gates in the black range rover a few minutes later.
“Try not to worry, dear, Raoul will be fine, he likes to take time out sometimes.” Wendy must sense I need the comfort because she stands up and wraps her arm around me.
“Let's get that sandwich, and since the boss isn’t here I might join you in the sun.” She winks.
We drink iced tea out on the terrace, and I try to eat the pastrami sub I’ve put together for us both. Wendy does her best to distract me by talking me through her favorite recipes, but all I can think about is Raoul.
What if his father found out about Raoul’s plan, would he hurt him?
I carry the plates back inside and insist on loading them into the dishwasher, just so I have something to do. Wendy goes back to polishing the cutlery.
The loud buzzing noise that comes from the hall distracts us both, and I head out there and press the button on the intercom.
“Hello?”
“Evvy, it’s me, Kendra.” She sounds frantic and when I stretch to look out of the glass panel beside the door, I see her standing on the other side of the gate beside her car.
“Are you okay?” I suddenly feel guilty for ditching her yesterday, with all that’s happened I didn’t even ask her if she got home okay.
“Let me in, this is urgent.”
It strikes me now that I have no idea what the code to open the gate is. I’ve only left here once by myself, and that's when I climbed over it.
