𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 - 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐄 - 𝟏𝟖+

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

A N D R E A

I'd waited for him last night.

I'd waited until my eyes had gotten too heavy for me to stay awake.

I'd waited until it was physically impossible for me to stay awake.

He hadn't shown up, and inevitably I'd slipped into a troubled sleep, however now as I'd woken up, only to find my husband gone again, I couldn't help the bitterness taking roots inside my heart. My hands wandered to his side of the bed, relieved to find it still warm. It was a tiny victory but the way he'd fled after he kissed me had put me on edge the whole night.

I didn't know if he regretted it, and I didn't have the strength or the ability to even begin to untangle the strings of his unsaid words.

I ran my hands over my face, exhaling frustratedly as I swung my legs off the bed and rushed to wash the grogginess off myself.

I hadn't wanted to take a long shower, but the lukewarm water felt like heaven against my skin. It soothed my stiffened muscles, and I immediately felt better than I did a few minutes ago, however, the thoughts of my husband never left me alone. They were always at the back of my mind, lingering like a reminder of the way his hands had felt all over me yesterday. After the long shower, I didn't take long to dress as I'd chosen comfortable clothes, and left my hair to air-dry.

I rushed downstairs to feed myself. A gasp slipped through my lips when I saw Alexandra sitting on the table, her face buried in her phone. She looked up, meeting my eyes, and I smiled sheepishly, too surprised to see her at breakfast. From what I'd gathered, she wasn't a morning person and favored sleep over breakfast.

"Oh hey, Andrea," Alexandra smiled as I got seated, and reached for the jam on the table.

"Hi," I nodded, busying myself with my food.

"Are you ready?"

"Huh?" I faced her again, confused by her question.

"To fly to New York? You go back tomorrow night—" she stopped midway, eyeing me, "—cazzo, why are you looking at me like you don't know what the hell I'm talking about?"

"Because I don't?" My answer came out more as a question, but I was glad she understood me.

Alexandra rolled her eyes, "Fucking Renzo." Alex sighed as she twisted her hair in a messy bun with a pencil, leaving some loose tendrils on her face, "I don't know why he does this," she raised her hands in exasperation as I waited for her to finish her sentence.

"Does what?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me when she didn't say anything else.

"Choose to not share information he considers trivial."

I was beginning to realize that was Lorenzo. He didn't think people were worthy of his words, his icy eyes made my aversion to promises awfully clear.

"You knew though..." I added helpfully just as she whipped her eyes towards me, narrowing them at me.

"You didn't, and you're the one going with him." She took a small sip from her mug as she finished.

"Are you not coming?"

"No, tesoro, I have a job to do." I understood her innuendo, and just the thought of her going on a mission to kill someone had my insides tightening.

"It's not what you're thinking," Alexandra chuckled as my brows furrowed in confusion, "I mean I'm an assassin, however, this time it's different. It doesn't involve blood, well as long as he doesn't piss me off." She shrugged like it was nothing, and I shook my head, knowing I could never be this nonchalant about someone's life even if they'd wronged me.