Page 107

Don't be stupid twice.

I almost laughed again. Almost.

The smoke from her cigarettes still hung in the air.

I needed to think. I needed to be logical about this.

But logic required distance, and distance was the one thing Sebastian made sure I never had.

Until now.

I tucked the envelope under my arm and sank back into the chair.

The plan formed not in a rush but in pieces. Cold, deliberate pieces that clicked together with a clarity that scared me. Maybe Sebastian wasn't the only one capable of strategy.

Maybe he'd taught me more than he intended.

I reached for my cell phone.

My fingers were numb as I typed in the search words, then connected the call.

"United States Embassy, how may I direct your call?"

My voice, when I finally found it, belonged to that of a stranger—hollow and broken.

“I…I’m an American, and I…need help getting home."

CHAPTER 30

SABRINA

The US Embassy warned me not to return to Sebastian's home.

I didn't listen.

There was something off about the whole thing.

When I was connected with Filomena's contact, he had become agitated when I insisted on returning to get my things, especially my passport. Too agitated. Exhibiting the kind of insistence that felt less like concern and more like a script.

Sebastian had told me in anger on more than one occasion that he had the power to flag my passport to prevent me from leaving the country. I believed him.

The Embassy man said he could work around that, but wouldn't I still need it to get back into the United States, regardless?

And then there were his instructions.

He wanted me to arrive after dark by a back gate. He told me he would see that it was guarded by a “loyal to him” Marine. The phrase crawled across my skin like an insect.

Loyal to him. Not to the Embassy. Not to me. To him.

I didn't trust him.

I no longer trusted anyone.

Including myself. Especially myself.

The problem was, I wasn't sure I had the luxury of not trusting him.

I needed to get the hell out of Italy…and away from Sebastian.