Chapter 41 Tick Tock
❦ Rosalind ❦
Three days’ worth of cocktails and wines pushed against my skull as I opened my eyes in Hudson on a lovely Saturday afternoon.
“Oh fuck,” I murmured, pressing a hand to my forehead.
Oh fuck indeed. A massive hangover threatened to split my skull as I reached over to grab the bottle of water on the side stool.
I’d almost pressed it to my lips when I saw the floating particles. I returned it with shaky hands.
The journey to the fridge was no less perilous, and I grabbed its double doors for dear life and picked up a fresher, cleaner bottle to drink.
Juliana had dragged me from rooftops to pools, museums to dens, restaurants and jet skiing. I even vaguely remembered a private jet ride. To where? I couldn’t tell you, but I knew it had been fun.
I hoped my stalker had watched like he said he always did. But just as I thought that, I realized he would have flown over to ruin my parade if he’d seen me get along with guys at the parties. Maybe he was too busy opening jars to stalk me.
With a huff, I pushed him out of my mind, having signed the paperwork for our impending marriage that would supposedly lure our common enemy to light. And if it didn’t, whoops, he’s going down.
In the middle of my plans for world domination, I realized my tour guide, Juliana, wasn’t in the room with me. We shared a room for security, with Rafe and Rocco standing guard.
I was about to call her, when I saw the notifications.
Birthday wishes from Facebook, my calendar, my flower shop manager, and my banks.
Yaaay.
I guess I’d inadvertently celebrated it with Juliana, even if she didn’t know. Nobody knew.
My papa would’ve known.
I don’t know exactly when I fell into the habit of not celebrating myself. Maybe it started when I distanced myself from any form of community, friends, my family, and myself.
All because I let a man convince me I wasn’t good enough to be loved and celebrated.
Would it hurt to really kill him though? People die in this business all the time.
I sighed.
He would get what’s coming to him. No need to sully my hands interfering with karma.
I dialed Juliana, but it cut off with a beep.
That’s when the worry began to creep in.
We’d staggered in the previous evening after dinner, drinks, and had drunkenly helped each other with our routines, showered, and then gone to bed.
I’d slept until, what? I checked the time. 12:40 p.m.
Where was she?
I threw a robe on, dialed Rafe, and headed to the door of the condo.
He picked up on the first ring just as my hand made contact with the knob, and the door swung open.
Speak of the angel.
“Bambina mia, did you miss me?” she cooed like I was a toddler left behind.
I folded my arms with a pout, feeling very much abandoned. “I was worried. Where were you?”
Rafe answered through the phone. “I never left. Should I come?”
“No, no. I wasn’t speaking to you. Sorry. Thank you…” I ended the call, following Juliana who lugged shopping bags.
“You went shopping. Without me?!” I was genuinely hurt, staring at the bags with my jaw slack.
“Oh, I intended for us to go together, but you need your beauty sleep, so I didn’t want to wake you,” she said breathlessly. “Don’t worry though, I know your exact size! Come try them on!”
“You went alone?” Suspicion bled through my tone, daring her to lie.
“Ay mami, don’t look at me like that. You taught me to go without when necessary.”
Tags ripped, shoes tumbled out on the white-sheeted bed.
“You shouldn’t be following my example! Don’t go anywhere without protection, Julie. I mean it.”
“Well, I think your example is very reliable,” she insisted. I could never win with her.
“Oh, this is nice,” I said, picking up a furred, black Valentino heel.
“I’m glad you like it. It’s for you. Try it on.”
“Thank you, but… why did you buy this stuff for me?” I asked quietly as I pulled them on, my ears reddening. If she said they were a birthday gift, I would cry.
I desperately want to be celebrated, but I don’t want to have to tell people to do it, if you know what I mean.
“Because.” She rolled her eyes.
I narrowed mine. “Because what?”
“We’re going partying, nina! Whoop whoop!”
She dropped into a twerk, bouncing her ass in my face.
I groaned and fell backward on the bed.
“Aren’t you tired already? My head aches, my feet are sore. I don’t think I can.”
“Oh, you will,” she said connivingly. “Especially when you see this dress…”
I glanced at the dress she held up.
It was a stunning, red armless dress that moved like water, sparkled like diamonds, and was so short I knew my ass would be out with any unplanned move.
I rose on my elbows with a gasp.
“For me?” Tears prickled my eyes as I reached out to it. It was so soft, like butterfly wings.
“Yes. I’m so sure it’s your size you don’t even need to try it on,” she said, beaming.
“When is the party, and what will you wear?”
“This!” She brandished another dress, teal and long, with a dangerously high slit and sparkly stones on the straps.
“Wow, they’re gorgeous… we’re going all out for this one, huh?”
“As we should. It’s the last one, I promise. Then you can go back to your Donna era. Thank you for doing this with me.” She fell in beside me.
“No, thank you. I haven’t had this much fun in forever.”
“Great.” She jumped up again, buzzing with energy. “We’ll go have lunch, get some treatments done, and get back to prepare. Good?”
“Good.” I confirmed with a grin.
Dressed in easy clothes and our mountainy soldatos in tow, we had lunch, visited beauty parlors, and had our nails done in beautiful designs.
By the time we were driving back to the rented condo, which I was already planning to purchase, I felt alive and ready to turn heads at this party.
Sorry to the host, but they were going to be outdressed and outshined tonight. I had every intention of stealing the show.
I watched the city fly by through the window, a little drizzle peppering the glass.
At the gates to the entrance, I saw a sight that chilled me to the bone.
An open-top Ferrari Monza.
Could it be the same one I’d seen from the floor-length glass at the beautician’s?
It had been empty then, when I’d noticed and admired it. But now, a suited man, thick set and bald, lounged lazily inside.
He stared pointedly at me while the security at the gate searched his car.
I held his stare, refusing to be intimidated.
But what he did next chilled me further.
Without breaking eye contact, he tapped his wristwatch three times.
“Rafe,” I murmured, too soft.
Blood rushed in my ears. My heart pounded at the clear threat.
Time? Time for what?
I tore my gaze away.
“Rafe!” I called louder.
He turned in the front passenger seat, alert. “Rosa?”
I barely registered Juliana’s voice from somewhere beside me. My head spun, nausea crawling up my throat.
“There’s a man…” I said, trying to lift my hand to point him out.
But he wasn’t there.