Page 26 of Promise Never

“Good.” I ignore the tingles and focus on mysurroundings. “Does anyone look suspicious?”

“Hard to tell.” He utters a low groan. “Every manin there is staring at you.”Is that jealousy?

I moisten my lips and lift my eyes from the menu,looking around the café in a quick and smooth second.

Alessandro’s right. The male patrons are ogling me.Few give me flirty smiles even though they’re on dates.

Geez.

Staying in character, I order a cappuccino andglazed cranberry scone when the waitress returns. Then pull the travel magazinefrom my tote and flip through it while I dine.

Several minutes tick by until it’s close to halfan hour, and still nothing is happening.

“Perhaps he won’t show,” Alessandro doubts.

“Patience,” I respond, bringing the mug to mylips. “Give the man time to get here.”

His frustrated grumble fills the earpiece.

“You’re so beautiful,” he surprises me in a lowvoice, and I almost spill the rest of the cappuccino. It sounds as if he hadn’tmeant to say it out loud.

Regardless, butterflies stir up a fuss in mytummy, and I shift on the chair. Why is the compliment unraveling me?

Pretending not to hear, I let the minutes passwithout a response.

I reach for the magazine again, noting the blackcar that’s just pulled up across the street. “Ales—”

“I’m watching it too,” he assures. “Hang on.”

Anticipation builds as I discreetly glance at thecar amid flipping the pages of the magazine.

Two unfamiliar men dressed casually exit the frontand look around the area.

No one gets out of the back.

I relax my nerves when they enter a restaurant.

“Maybe you were right,” I concede, shoulders slumping.“He’s in Agrigento. He’s not coming.”

“Let’s wrap this up,” Alessandro urges. “I don’tlike you being in the open. I’ll meet you.”

An idea spurts. Perhaps Zeno knows Alessandro isclose. “I need to use the restroomrealquick.”

Maybe if I’m alone, he’ll show.

“All right.”

I pay the bill and veer into the passage, headingto the bathroom. A weird sensation submerges me while I’m washing my hands atthe sink.

Soon after, I hear heavy footsteps approaching thedoor.

Alarm bells ring.

I snatch my gun from the tote.

The action scares the woman at the sink next tome. She peels into a stall and locks herself inside.

I hasten to the corner just as someone opens thebathroom door and enters.

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