Page 113 of Contempt

The nurse didn’t know.

Neither would her father.

But it might give her at least twenty or so minutes to get ahead of her father, and anyone he might think to send after her if he caught onto her plans. That was all she needed—a head start to help Renzo.

Lucian wouldn’t understand.

Not now.

The nurse smiled. “Will do. I’m sure he appreciates you being here, Lucia.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Inside her head, though, she was thinking lay that guilt on a little thicker, please. “Thanks again.”

Before she could talk herself out of it, Lucia headed down the corridor. She just stepped out of the double doors for the section when she finally found Christian’s contact in her phone. The asshole had even put in a winking emoji next to his name and number like that was supposed to be cute, or something.

It wasn’t.

Fucking annoying, really.

Lucia hit the call button before she could think better of it, and then put the phone to her ear. She kept walking toward the bank of elevators waiting at the end of the hallway as the call rang two, and then three times. She was sure it was going to go to the voicemail, but halfway through the fourth ring, he picked up.

Because just like she thought … yeah, Christian was that kind of man. He’d rub the salt in the wound. He’d be the asshole to spit on the grave. He’d kick a man while he was down.

Today, that man was her father.

And the love of her life.

So yeah, fuck him.

“Lucia?” Christian asked carefully.

She heard it in his voice—the hesitance. Like maybe it wasn’t going to be her on the other end of that call, but it was.

“Hey,” she said, desperately trying to keep her tone calm. She didn’t think it would help her cause for him to know she was panicking, and her heart felt like it was about to come right out of her chest. She never had been able to deal with anxiety well. But who could? “This is Christian, right?”

“It is. Why are you calling me, bella?”

Oh, he was still on the sweet nothings, huh?

Good.

“I’m heading for the airport today,” she lied. “Heading back to Cali, but I didn’t know if I would get the chance to see you again. I haven’t even seen my family today, but I think I’ve seen enough of them to do me a while, anyway.”

“Why’s that, donna?”

“Bad history. I’m ready to leave.”

“Ah, I understand. So, why the call today?”

Lucia wet her lips, and prayed her lie came out as easily and smoothly as she heard it in her mind. “I was hoping we might be able to meet up. I didn’t get the chance to speak to you again, and I might not get to see you when I’m in Cali?”

“I was done with the art print business,” he admitted. “Surely, your family has called you today, haven’t they? Don’t they want to spend some time with you?”

Yeah, there he went.

Testing the waters.

“I ignored their calls earlier,” she said. “I mean, if you’re busy, then maybe we can figure something else—”