"Hard to ignore that when you're a cop, Nic."
I looked over at Jim. "That's why I started looking her up. Trying to find out more information on her and I came up with nothing, then Liam's other friend in the FBI came up with nothing. It's like she didn't exist past six years ago."
Jim's brows lifted. "Six years ago?"
All of a sudden I was overcome with exhaustion. Waving it off, I said, "None of it matters anymore." My broken heart was clouding my other thoughts and if I didn't get out of this place soon, I'd go back to that restaurant and beat the living shit out that asshole.
Pulling out my phone, I called the airline to see if I could get on another flight. I was lucky, they had one leaving in two hours with a changeover in London. I wouldn't have cared if I had to stay in London overnight. If it meant not risking seeing Gabi again then it was worth it.
I shut the car door and thanked Jim. "I really appreciate all your help, Jim. I'm just going to grab a taxi. I'm sorry you were playing chauffer to me."
He gave me a weak smile. "It was no problem. Like I said, let me check some things out. Things might not be what you think."
Laughing, I shook my head. "This is why I always stuck with the poke and go method. Teach me a lesson to never fall in love again."
I was almost positive Jim was figuring out in his head what was going on. Maybe he'd seen Gabi and Antonio together before and didn't want to hurt my feelings. Whatever it was, I didn't care.
I was done with this game.
Standing back, I watched as Jim took off and blended right in with the other cars on the street. I walked into the hotel. My phone rang and I knew it was her. Pulling it out of my pocket, I saw Gabi's name flash across the screen. I hit Ignore and headed up to my room.
The sooner I got the fuck out of Italy the better.
ANTONIO WRAPPED HIS arm around me and ushered me into Uncle Alberto's office. I tried to remain calm, but I knew it was him.
It was Nic.
"Antonio, it was Nic. I'm telling you I looked directly into his eyes."
My brother cupped my face. "Look at me, Angelo. There are two reasons that is impossible. One, Nic is not in Italy. And two, the car was moving too fast to see who was in it."
I shook my head. "It' was him. I know it was."
"Call him."
With a shaky breath, I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed.
When his voicemail picked up, I dropped my head. "He didn't answer."
"Listen, I hired those two cops out there to keep an eye on you while you're here. Plus with Lanzo watching over you and driving you around, you're going to be safe. Lanzo's been trained well. He'll know if you're being followed or not."
I nodded. I knew my brother was right. He would never put my life in danger. I was missing Nic and thought I saw him. That was all.
The door opened and both of my parents walked in. I couldn't believe how much older they looked. Unlike my brother, who hadn't appeared to age a day in his life, my parents looked to be a lot older than what they really were. The tears I had been holding back burst out and I ran into their out stretched arms.
"I've missed you. I've missed you both so much," I cried out between sobs.
Both of my parents were crying as well.
"Nothing seemed out of the ordinary?" Antonio asked.
My father shook his head as he pushed me back and took a good look at me.
"My beautiful, Gabriella. I've missed you so."
"I've missed you too, Papà. I've missed you both so very much there were times I felt like I couldn't breathe."
My mother drew me back in. She started to talk to me in Italian and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Mamma, you're talking so fast and my Italian is very rusty. I don't understand a word you're saying."
She covered her mouth before dropping her hands to her side. "I'm just so happy to see you. Come, Uncle Alberto has the back private room waiting for all of us."
I glanced around the restaurant as we walked through it. Uncle Alberto still had my parents' old bakery, but this restaurant was his baby. It was beautiful.
The moment I stepped inside I felt a calm move over me. I was home. I was with my parents and my brother, and I knew I was safe. Dante didn't know I was alive, and he certainly didn't know I was in Padua Italy.
We spent the next two hours catching up while eating. I asked about life back home. My mother showed me pictures, I asked about my best friend Linda, we cried when they told me Jack, my puppy I got in high school, had passed away, and we laughed when Antonio told a story about trying to paint my parents' house last winter. I thought I would have been sadder hearing about my old life I was missing out on. But it was the opposite.
Antonio told me a little about his job, but with him being an FBI agent he hardly ever talked about it. The most I ever saw him was during the whole mess with Dante and how he helped me to disappear after the horrible night I witnessed at Dante's.