Page 63 of The Strength Of A Woman

11

LEILANI

The house lookslike a temple of genuine hope with moonlight shining through the windows, a quiet solitude that I never thought I’d enjoy more.

My heart pulses with the frantic exhilaration of someone who’s never had a good moment in their life.

Cosimo walks before me, opens a door, and points around a large bedroom with all the comforts of an old yet well-maintained house.

The bed is wide with big pillows, a soft duvet, and a wool throw for cold nights, which hardly happen now.

A vanity with an oval mirror for those mornings when I feel like running my fingers through my hair and pondering what to wear leans against a wall.

As if he reads my mind, he leads the way to the bathroom.

“You have a couple of bathrobes here, and we’ll get you some clothes tomorrow morning when the shops open.”

He walks to the sink and opens the cabinet above it.

“You have everything you need in here.”

He pivots and points to the shelves.

“Towels over there.”

Footsteps alert us that someone is in the other room.

“Food is here,” a man calls from the other room.

“Leave it on the table,” Cosimo says, inviting me to walk ahead of him.

I enter the bedroom, and a delicious smell of warm sandwiches comes to me.

A tray of food sits on the table.

Sandwiches, fruit, dessert, and a bottle of water.

“If you need anything else, you just ask. He sleeps on the same floor as you. We’re all downstairs.”

“All right,” I murmur. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And,” he says, moving away from me. “Here you also have a patio.”

He pushes the patio doors open.

“You can see the sea from here. And you’ll hear the birds in the morning.”

I move my eyes to him, still needing to pinch myself. I can’t believe all this is happening to me.

But no matter how excited and relieved and enthralled I am, I can’t say I’m not worried.

I know Callum O’Hara is a powerful man, perhaps even more powerful than I imagine, but still, he is as vulnerable as any of us.

Any weak link in his organization could create chaos, a disaster. Not to mention the chain reaction the decision he had made tonight would most likely trigger.

I don’t know how he plans to ride the storm he just created. Right now, things are quiet, uneventful.