“So where is this wedding?”
“We’ll be going to the courthouse in just a few hours. That is why you need to get a move on.”
“What am I going to wear?” I asked him, standing up in just my sheet.
“As sexy as you look in that, I’d rip a bastard’s eyes out for even looking at you like that. Besides, I don’t think your uncle would appreciate seeing you in such a delectable state.”
“Should I pick something I brought?”
“No, I’m taking you out after you get dressed. Then we’ll head on over to the courthouse.”
“Wow, you’re not wasting any time.”
“As I told you yesterday, we wasted enough time. I don’t want a soul to stand in my way. We have an appointment at the county courthouse that closes at five.” We weren’t in Chicago, so I had no idea how many shops there were or anything, but a part of me was nervous about all of this.
“Now, as much as I want to stay and admire your beauty, I have some important things to do before we leave.” I nodded and went back to my phone. I powered it on and saw I had several messages from a number I didn’t recognize.
Hello, you stupid bitch. You think you can run, but we’ll find you soon. You have a choice. You can come back, or we will get you. If we have to, we’ll kill everyone you care about, including that alcoholic father of yours and your dear uncle. Not to mention those bastards who helped you escape.
It was Perez. I dropped the phone and tried not to panic. They probably already killed my father, but I couldn’t take that chance. How was I supposed to go back there, and why did he want me to go home anyway? I already knew what he wanted, and my stomach lurched at the idea. The disgusting image of another man touching me after Elio made me sick. I had to figure out a way to flee and keep my family safe.
I sat the phone down and headed into the bathroom. Elio would be back in the room to check on me. Quickly, I turned back around and snagged my phone off the table. I didn’t want Perez or Calhoun to call and Elio to see, or for him to check my messages. My phone was password protected, but it didn’t stop someone from seeing the beginning of a message or answering a call.
As soon as I was in the bathroom that could be in a fancy ad for pure luxury, I stood near the shower, trying to figure out how it worked. It took me a minute, but I managed to get the temperature right. Snagging a fluffy towel, I set it within reach and stepped inside. The warmth felt incredible on my skin, sliding over my sore, tired muscles. Elio was right; I needed this.
When I looked over at the shampoo, I had to do a double take. There were several bottles of shampoo and conditioner with different scents and types. All of them were unopened and made for long, thick hair. Although Elio had thick, Italian hair, it wasn’t that long. He only had length on the top. A knock on the door startled me. Elio didn’t enter all the way, but peeked from the partially open door. “It’s only me, Ana. I just wanted to say that we need to get moving, and we didn’t know which one you used, so I had them pick up several kinds. I hope you at least can manage with that.”
“It’ll work. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
“Good.” I hurried through my shower and then came out in the fluffy towels, one for my body which swallowed me whole and one for my hair which nearly caused me to tip over it was so large. Maybe I needed to see if he had some smaller ones.
He wasn’t in the room again, but I grabbed my suitcase and quickly dressed in the nicest outfit I had. When I was done, he came back into the room and I immediately looked around the corners for hidden cameras.
“What? What’s going on? Did you see a spider or something?” he asked.
“No, you just seem to know when to come into the room.”
“Bellissima, the right time to come in would have been when you were still wrapped up in your towel.” He ran his hand down between my cleavage and then licked his lips. “There areno cameras in our bedroom. I can’t make it any clearer to you that I’d kill someone for looking at you unclothed.”
“This is all so intense and new.”
“I’m a man of my word, so please trust me.”
“For what it’s worth, I do.”
“Do you really?”
“Yes, I need to tell you something.”
“What is it? You can tell me anything.”
“The men I mentioned yesterday.”
“Yes,” He nodded.
“Well, they left me a nasty, threatening text message.”
“May I listen to it?” I pulled it up and played it. His face tightened as he listened to Perez’s violent threats.
