Page 134 of Powerful Deception

Her back is leaning against a headstone and she’s looking at what I’m guess her father’s and from what I can see she’s talking. Just like I was talking to Angelina.

For a few minutes, I watch her.

She looks sad even from a distance. I want to take that look off her face and make sure she never looks that depressed again.

Which is why I decided to walk towards her.

As I close the distance between us, Arianna looks up, the rustling of the footstep must have caught her attention.

As soon as she sees it’s me, she gets up immediately and starts playing with her hands.

She’s nervous.

Or scared.

I don’t have time to ask, before she speaks.

“How did you know I was here?” She asks, her eyes looking a bit sad.

“I didn’t,” I say, sliding my hands into my slack pockets. “I was visiting Angelina, and remembered Joseph was also buried here. Thought I would pay him a visit.”

She nods, but it's more of a nod that you give someone when you don’t know what else to do or say.

Her eyes travel up and down my body before she speaks. “I don’t think you should be walking. “

Now it’s my turn to give her a nod. “Evelyn told me the same thing, but I needed to visit the cemetery today. Besides, I’m not a stay in bed kind of person.”

“Did someone drive you here?” Her eyes go wide with worry at the possibility of me getting behind the wheel when I have a hole in my lung.

“I did.”

“Dante.” She starts to say. Without a doubt about to scold me for my decision.

“I’m fine. Bruised up and still with chest pain, but I’m fine. I’m Alive.” I want to say thanks to her but I don’t. I don’t know if she would see it the same way.

She probably blames herself for everything that happened.

Actually, there’s no ‘probably’ about it, I know she does.

“You should still be resting.” She tells me, not dropping it. Her eyebrows still bunching up in concern.

“I will.”

The devil of Chicago never rests. There is too much shit to get done that there is never time to just rest. But I want to.

For her.

Arianna continues to look at me with concern, except now she is starting to bite her bottom lip and play with her hands a lot more.

Knowing she’s not going to say anything else unless I force her, I ask the one question that has been circling in my head since I woke up.

“Why did you leave, Arianna?” My voice is stable.

Her face shifts a bit as she contemplates how to respond to my question.

Eventually she speaks. “Do you want the honest truth?”

I nod. “No more lies. I think we both know how deadly those can be.”

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