Tony
I hate lying to Kate, but if she knew what was really going on, I don’t know that she would ever leave the apartment. She’s strong—probably much more than I give her credit for—but there are so many balls in the air I think the unknown would drive her nuts. The last thing she needs to know is that Matteo is in this city waiting to find me. The worst part is that he’s going to go through Kate to make that happen.
Jasper has beefed up his team, and we have everything in place to ensure her safety with the exception of putting her in a locked tower. There’s no way she would go for that even though I wouldn’t mind being locked away with her. Just the two of us alone forever? Yeah, I could do that.
Even Kate’s dad has been working day and night to keep her safe. He’s kept his connections with Agent Thompson and other law enforcement agencies who have been investigating Matteo’s whereabouts. Everyone has come up empty-handed until now.
Jasper just got word that some men who reportedly work for Matteo have just entered the city via a private jet from the Caymans. His guess is Matteo is already here, or not too far behind. Either way, he’s hiding out somewhere and probably using a different name. I knew this day was coming; I can only hope we find him before he gets to Kate.
“Are you okay?” Kate squeezes my hand and I forget for a brief moment that we’re in a taxi together. One of Jasper’s men is following behind us, even though Kate isn’t aware of it. Another is already inside the restaurant, and several are keeping surveillance outside to make sure nothing happens.
“Yeah, I’ve just got a lot on my mind.” I kiss her forehead, smell the sweetness of her hair, and pull her close. Kate rests her head on my shoulder, and I continue to stare out the window that has kept me preoccupied for the last several minutes.
I’ve suggested to Kate that we get a driver. It sure would be easier for me to keep tabs on her. We would hire one of Jasper’s men, and the car would be equipped with the latest technology and equipment to keep her safe. It’s essentially the same vehicle used by the president of the United States. Unfortunately, Kate won’t have any of it. She thinks it’s too pretentious and loves her damn public transportation. If only I could change her mind without letting her know what’s going on so close around her.
There are so many things that have happened since I left Italy. When I was pulled from my grandmother’s basement and taken to the hospital, I was barely alive. In fact, if the agents hadn’t stormed in when they did, I wouldn’t have made it. When I was finally stabilized in the hospital in Rome, they transferred me to England. Once I woke up, I got in touch with Jasper and put him on the case to find my cousin. He’s been trying to locate him for over a year, and every time we think we’re close to Matteo, he disappears. It’s so frustrating. This man is like a fucking chameleon. He can blend in anywhere.
Jasper and I have even tried to smoke him out by getting my olive oil factory up and running again. I changed the ownership to Jasper so it would be harder for Matteo to find me, but still allow Jasper to run the entire operation. There’s been a few times that some of Matteo’s men were spotted lurking in the area. We can only assume Matteo was having the place scoped out in hopes of locating my whereabouts. I think he’s doing the same thing I’m doing to him—trying to stay hidden. The only difference is I want to locate him so I can have him jailed or killed. I’d prefer the latter, but would settle for him spending a lifetime in some heavily guarded prison.
I haven’t even begun to let Kate know I was in the witness protection program and living in California for six months before I came looking for her. I’m not sure how she would react, and the thought of putting her in jeopardy kept me away for entirely too long. It was important that I had all my ducks in a row and could ensure her safety before coming back.
I worked with Agent Thompson to get in contact with Kate’s dad, Charles Anderson. I apologized for the mess I got her into while she was in Italy. He was pretty ticked off at me and had a few choice words, but in the end, he was civil and pleasant. I was caught off guard when he asked me to come to New York. He stated that Kate was a wreck and hadn’t been herself since she left me for dead. Having me back might do her some good. We began working together to protect Kate and keep her safe once I returned. Charles had his own team of men in place to find Matteo, and we merged notes.
At the beginning of April, Charles called me out of the blue and said I needed to come back. His daughter was spiraling into depression, and he couldn’t watch her suffer any longer. I decided to come back on the date I told Kate we’d reunite. I had hoped she would remember and go to the Empire State Building, but I wasn’t sure. If I didn’t find her there, I would’ve showed up on her front porch. Nothing could keep me away from Kate. Somewhere along the line, when I least expected it, Kate took hold of my heart and never let go. Little does she know; she owns me, and I never want to spend another second without her in my arms.