Page 135 of Cara

“But extremely convenient when needed.” He types on the keys in incognito mode, pulling up a few screens. One of them has all my data already in the system. “I don’t go near this site unless necessary. Forging documents is mainly Bo’s thing, and even then, he usually finds someone else to do the printing.”

“This seems… really dangerous.”

“Better than the alternative.”

“And what’s that?”

“Death.” He nods at my uneasy gaze. “This is how we stay one step ahead of the Feds. We cipher through wiretaps and phone calls to anticipate attacks. Without this information, we’d be blind.”

“And you’ll teach me what you know?”

He nods. “As long as you tell Xavier about it, eventually. Either way, he’s going to chew me out.”

“When doesn’t he?”

Dante grins, tapping on the screen. “Good point.”

Over time, the maple trees redden like rubies.

Giulia’s gardens wither, no match for the chilling winds sweeping through the estate. I frequently find myself laying in the grass, savoring the fading warmth of summer.

The handmade quilt beneath me flutters in the breeze.

It’s unusually sunny today.

The rose bushes hum with busy bumblebees, and robins sing and chirp near the fountain, their splashes resonating in the basin of water. In this secluded spot, away from the house, the guards stay silent, only the leaves rustle and tumble down, piling up at the forest’s edge.

The Iliadlies speared on the blanket beside me. The ants have long since started to feast on my lunch, more interested in the sweet fruit than in me. I can’t be bothered to move until I hear footsteps approaching… and I’m immediately imagining the worst, waiting for the pin to drop.

But only Xavier is heading this way in his three-piece suit.

I push myself up, shielding my eyes from the sun with my forearm as I squint at him. “Has something happened?”

“No.”

“But you’re home.”

He nods, slipping off his shoes at the edge of the blanket, followed by his jacket and tie. He beams even wider as I lie flat, laughing when he crawls over me, planting kisses along my arm, across my throat, and right onto my lips.

“I had to see you.”

My arms wrap around him, my fingers diving into his hair. “So I have you? All to myself? You don’t have to go back?”

He nips at my bottom lip. “Yes.”

“It’s so early. We have a whole day.”

“Mm. Whatever you want, let’s do it.”

“Anything?”

He sighs when I nuzzle against him, rolling until he’s on his back, with me draped over him like a blanket. “Yes.”

“I could make you cook.”

“I’ll do it, but you won’t like it.”

“I could drag you to another museum.”