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“It doesn’t seem so. I’m sorry Liv. What is your boyfriend's name?”
“He is not my boyfriend. It’s complicated…” She sighed impatiently. “Gio.”
“I like it! He sounds sexy! You need to tell Gio he is looking for you. If this man can protect you and you are going to stay in one place, then you will need him to know.”
I dropped my head in my hands. I knew she was right. If I chose to stay; if I chose this life with him, I had to tell him why I was here.
“But Liv? If it doesn’t work out for whatever reason, you need to run. Immediately. Get on a flight and go. Change your name again, do whatever it takes to hide. Henry will not give up on you, Liv. We both know that.”
I wiped my eyes and exhaled. “Okay. I will. Mum… how is she?”
She hesitated. “Honestly? I don’t know. She is under witness protection, and no one has seen her since you left. It is for the best. At least she is safe from Henry and Neil.”
I nodded. That was good. That was what I wanted. Even though my relationship with her was strained and fractured after everything, I still wanted her to be safe.
“I have to go now. I am getting daggers from the colleague whose phone I have run away with!”
I chuckled. “Okay. I hate this. I don’t know when I will speak to you again.”
“I know. But you know I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Laters baby.”
I smiled as she hung up. And then all of the emotion I was keeping bottled up inside, erupted out of me as I fell down onto the cushion and bawled my eyes out. How was this my life?
∞∞∞
I woke up early the next morning after another restless night and took a leisurely shower to try and wash away the pain of the day before. I felt emotionally drained. I barely had the energy to get dressed, but I forced myself into a pair of ripped denim shorts and a baggy top. I was going for the grunge look today to reflect my mood. Right now, I am leaning towards staying. Trying to give it a go with Giovanni and live in his terrifying world. Mills was right. I wasn’t exactly safe staying with him, but I also wasn’t safe without him. But it was my conscience that I was struggling with. He kills people. He does dodgy deals with dodgy people. He is a criminal. There will always be a risk with him. He could get caught. Thrown in jail. He could get killed like his father. I could as well. Was I willing to risk it all just to be with him? I will be going to hell for sure.
I strolled out into the living room and was surprised to see Gigi standing in the kitchen in yesterday’s work clothes. She clearly didn’t come home last night. She leaned against the kitchen top, taking a bite out of a bagel.
I raised my eyebrows suggestively and she smirked. “Good night?”
“Hmmm Hmmm.”
“Which nationality did you sample last night?” I asked.
“There is only one I am sampling now. The man who likes to go down under,” she winked.
“The Viking? Again?” I giggled as I caught on to her play of words.
“His name is Joel.”
My eyebrows were halfway up my forehead now. She liked him. “Good for you.”
“So, I guess you two have made up?”
I frowned in confusion as she stared at me intently. “Huh?”
“Giovanni? Is he not giving you a lift to work?”
“I am not going to work today. I’m still not feeling well,” I lied. Her eyes narrowed.
“Then why is he sitting outside the building?”
I jumped off the stool and raced to the window. There he was. My heart fluttered. He was lying on top of his Aston Martin bonnet, with his arms folded across his chest. A black SUV was parked behind him and I could see two bulky figures inside. What the hell is he doing? As I stared down at his enormous frame taking up the car, I realised he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. I turned abruptly and darted out of the flat, down to the road.
