Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 126682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126682 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Dante hands him the cane, a look of concern flashing over his features.
I answer his unspoken question with, “He’s fine. We’re going to sit down for a while.”
Instead of taking one of the high barstools, I head for our table with the normal chairs where he can sit more comfortably.
“We overdid it,” I say, feeling guilty.
“No.” His tone is clipped, and his features are basked in pain. “I enjoyed it. I wanted to do that since the day I married you. And later, when we go to bed, I will fuck you. To hell with my leg.”
“Saverio De Luca, you’re beyond saving.”
“I’ve got all the saving I need right here next to me.”
I want to ask what that means, but Nicole and Livy come up to us.
“It’s almost midnight,” Nicole says. “Before the clock strikes twelve, the guests want you to open their gifts. We made a gift table in the lounge. What do you say?”
“Fine, but Saverio needs to sit for ten minutes, and I want to check on Claire first.”
“I’ll come with you,” Saverio says.
My reply is firm. “You’ll do no such thing. You will sit here and have a drink with Nicole who’s been on her feet all night.”
“Mm.” Nicole wags her eyebrows. “Someone else likes to be bossy. I have to say, Sav, I’ve never seen you let anyone boss you around before. Is someone getting soft for his wife?”
Saverio turns a narrowed gaze on her.
“I’ll come with you,” Livy offers.
“No,” I say. “You stay. There’s no need to drag you away from the party. I just want to make sure Rosemary is okay.”
“In that case, I’ll go get us some drinks,” Nicole says.
I make to get up, but Saverio grabs my wrist and pulls me down for a quick but deep kiss that leaves me breathless.
“Don’t be long,” he whispers over my lips.
Knowing Livy is watching, my cheeks heat a little. I pull away, but he holds fast for another second before letting me go. I straighten my dress and walk away quickly in case Saverio is tempted to pull me onto his lap and keep me there.
I make my way through the busy kitchen and past the guest toilets where people are queuing. My heels are quiet on the carpet runner that covers the stairs. My mind still reels from Saverio’s generous gestures and kind words when I round the corner of the reading nook.
Rosemary is fast asleep, slumped in the chair with her book on her lap. The light on the baby monitor next to her indicates that it’s on. Claire is quiet, sleeping her usual stretch between feeds.
I carefully extract the book from Rosemary’s hands before closing it on her bookmark and putting it on the table. Taking the throw from the back of the chair, I cover her. I’ll wake her after I’ve opened my presents and said goodbye to our guests. If she prefers to sleep over instead of going home with Saverio’s driver at that early hour, she can use one of the spare bedrooms.
My lips curve in an automatic action when I walk into the nursery. I’m used to having Claire with me at all hours of the day and night. I miss her even after the few hours we’ve been separated during the party.
The powdery smell of baby shampoo that hangs in the room fills my nose. I tiptoe to the crib, eager to place a palm on her tummy and feel her tiny ribcage expand with her tranquil breaths.
Only, the crib is empty.
Shock slams into me.
It can’t be.
I blink to clear my eyes.
The white blanket she likes to hold in one tiny fist while sleeping is discarded at the foot-end of the crib. The pink one I pulled over her is gone.
No, it can’t be gone.
It’s impossible.
The moonlight that shifts through the window pierces the rail on the side, the bars throwing lines over the empty mattress. Dolphin shadows from the night lamp swim along the walls. The yellow looks gray in the blueish light.
It can’t be.
I shake my head as denial hooks into my brain. It’s the nightmare all over, the one I had on the morning Saverio left me sleeping to deliver a message to Claire’s biological father only to return with news that Giorgio killed Evan Kearney.
My knees cave in at the same time as my heart stops beating. A sickening heat travels through my body. My skin breaks out in cold sweat while nausea folds me double. Bile pushes up in my throat.
I grip the rail of the crib, my chest heaving. Every breath I take is a battle, the oxygen not reaching my lungs. It’s just another dream, just a cruel illusion. But when I pinch my eyes shut and open them again, the horrible truth still confronts me.
Claire is gone.
Someone took my baby.