Page 135 of Tell Me Lies

He glanced in the direction she’d left. He’d hardly caught a glance at her before she’d run. He searched in her phone and found she had Instagram. He opened the app. Pictures of her popped up on the screen. Long brown hair, big brown eyes, and a smile brighter than the sun. Innocent. Ludovico chuckled. A picture of her in a bikini caught his eye. His cock stirred. Pure and hot. Unlike all the women in the mafia who were seasoned against his type. This woman was an angel waiting to be dragged into hell. An idea formed in his mind.

She had seen him. He had no doubt. She had caught a glimpse of him murdering another man. She would either run to the police or home.

If he were a naïve, young woman, what would he do?

Go home.

Most likely, she was crying on her couch. She couldn’t call the police as he had her phone, and she had seemed too frightened to go and report a crime directly. He was just a few minutes ahead of the game, but he was still in the lead.

His lips twisted into a grin. He could either track her down and kill her or toy with her for a bit. He scrolled through her pictures. The second option seemed a lot more fun.

Pocketing her phone, he turned back to the crime scene. Sooner or later, someone would find him. They’d find no clues except for the woman running down the street caught on the CCTV cameras. He sighed. He would deal with that eventually. For now, he’d go after the ragazza.

The chase would be much more exhilarating.

Chapter Three

Gigi had hardly slept. She spent the night on her couch, trying to find a way to not go to work, or to make everything which had happened the previous night disappear. In the end, as soon as the sun had gone up, she took a shower, got dressed, and rushed to her car.

It was so early she didn’t have a problem finding a parking spot almost directly under her office building. She made sure there was a lamppost under it, just in case.

After a few minutes, in which she surveyed the area, she ran from her car into the building. The guard gave her a weird look but didn’t say anything. As soon as she got into the elevator, she let out a long sigh.

She was safe here. This building had guards at every door and cameras recording who came in and out. Nothing could happen to her here. For the first time since the previous evening, she felt her body relax.

The doors pinged, and she exited the box, heading toward her work area. She set down her purse and started her computer. Glancing around, she realized she was the first one to arrive.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “There’s security.”

She went to the small kitchen they had at the back and set up the coffeemaker. At least, when everyone arrived the coffee would be ready. Returning to her seat, she put on her reading glasses and checked the time. The meeting with the new client was still two hours away, plenty of time to make her previous evening’s work even better.

Before she knew it, the office was bustling with activity. Her boss and colleagues had trickled in throughout the morning, giving her a sense of security, which had eased her worries and enabled her to focus on work. Now, five minutes before the big meeting, her stomach churned unpleasantly. She’d overprepared for the meeting, but her boss had warned her that Mario Ludovico was not the friendliest guy. He was overcritical, straightforward, and demanded the best of the best.

She glanced at the clock. He was also not the most punctual, as he was already five minutes late. A commotion outside the meeting room caught her attention. Her jaw dropped as through the glass windows she saw two men the size of small doors, dressed in undoubtedly tailor-made suits, headed in their direction. Meg, her boss’s secretary, rushed ahead of them, almost tripping as she opened the door a bit wider.

“Mr. Miller, Mr. Ludovico and company have arrived,” she said breathlessly.

The men barged into the room, their presence commanding. Her boss plastered the practiced grin she’d seen hundreds of times onto his face and went, hand extended, to greet their customers. She scurried to her feet, forcing her lips upward, waiting to be introduced.

“Miller.” The tallest one, with dark locks which stylishly fell over his forehead and green eyes, extended his hand. Her heart tripled its rate, her mind recalling the individual from the previous night. Tattoos peeked from under the cuff of his shirt, and she unconsciously took a step back. The movement caught his attention and his gaze fell on her. “And you are?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Let me introduce my associate, Geraldine Evans. She’ll be working with us.”

A slow smile spread across Ludovico’s face. His eyes glimmered as he blatantly took her in. Her cheeks warmed and she fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest. Finally, he extended his hand.

“It will be a pleasure to work with you, Ms. Evans.”

Be professional, Gigi.

She firmly grasped his hand and bit back a gasp as a small shock traveled across her body setting it alight. Ludovico squeezed her fingers, and she pulled back. He released her immediately with a chuckle.

“And your colleague,” she asked, desperate for a distraction.

“Lorenzo is my bodyguard,” he said, pointing to the man with a wide set of shoulders. He extended his hand. Gigi grabbed it warily, fearing a similar reaction, but nothing happened. She breathed a sigh of relief. It must have been her imagination and her frayed nerves. After greeting them, Lorenzo turned his back and gazed into the office surveying the area.

“Well, then, now that introductions have been made, let’s have a seat and get down to business.”

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