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He has a great big cowlick.
It’s adorable—exactly the way he looked when I accosted him in the coffee shop.
After we head to my chopper and I refuel, I commence our flight.
And yet—an uncomfortable sensation wells up within me.
I have shit to take care of before Mattie is truly safe.
His abductors are out there.
I also need to figure out what the fuck is going on with Trevion.
This trip won’t be as stress-free as I thought.
ChapterFive
Mattie
I’m dreaming.
Imustbe.
Rolling over in bed, I bring my spare pillow between my legs and try to fall back asleep.
Clouds aren’t this comfortable—right now, the angels that sleep on them are glaring at me with jealousy.
I tug Cloudy to my chest, then, with a sleepy morning voice, pose the question to him.
"Is this bed better than a cloud, Cloudy?"
In my imagination, Cloudy responds in the affirmative.
"No bed on Earth or in the sky is this cozy. You’ll feel very well-rested in Italy."
"Good answer," I mutter.
All at once, a band of sunlight darts through the window and rubs against my eyelids—I jolt awake.
"It’s morning," I shout, stretching my arms, then flipping onto my side. "Rise and shine, Mattie. Time toexplore Italy."
I glance around the room. Pictures of adorable Little items such as tricycles and teddy bears line the walls. Race cars, dinosaurs, and other toys sit on shelves, calling my name.
From pink speakers, relaxing lullabies reach my ears that make my racing thoughts grind to a halt. The scent of fresh roses mixed with cotton candy wafts into my nose, and the baby yellow paint on the walls soothes me.
"I’m such a lucky boy." Sticking my left leg over the edge of the bed, I seek stability on the hardwood floor.
Last night, when Medici brought me to Nonna’s house, I was uneasy. Not only have I never been to Italy before—I’ve never traveled out of the country.I only have a passport because a friend from high school said I should get one.
I had zero clue what to expect. In my mind, mobsters would be crawling around every inch of Nonna's olive tree farm, decked out in suits and brandishing giant machine guns.
Men as old as the godfathers inThe Godfatherwould be smoking and playing cards, not willing to open their door to a Little boy.
My expectations were wrong.Deadwrong. Though Nonna and her family were asleep when we arrived, the note she left me showed me that I was welcome.
Dear Mattie,
I sure am excited to have another one of my grandsons’ boys running around. Ryder, Cyan, and Enzo are so cute—you’ll be a welcome addition. I’ll bake my famous cornetti tomorrow morning and prepare you a big glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Enzo informed me that you’re a Little, too—you’ll stay in our Littlest room. Cyan and Ryder picked out the decorations a few days ago <3
