376 The Rose (2)

Lia sighed from the other end of the line and Giovanni closed his eyes. The sound of her voice was like air to his oxygen-deprived lungs. There was pain and relief at the same time. He couldn't believe that after all these years, she still had this effect on him. He hated her, he hated that he did, and he hated that he had to.

"Listen…" she hesitated, her voice beautifully soft and almost whispering. "I don't have much time. I just wanted to tell you I didn't have anything to do with this."

He could sense the two pairs of curious eyes that his brother and his nephew threw his way. They knew all about her, there was no need to hide. And at this point, he could care less if they saw and hear him having a phone call with her. Yes, there was no need to hide, and yet he felt the need to escape—lock himself in a room and just play the voice on repeat.