his dark brown hair, making it a mess. The voice has a point though: right now he feels like his heart was ripped out of his chest.
Chapter 9
GRACELYNN HOPES TIME AWAY from Gio will help her process everything; but when she arrives at the motel she knows she made the wrong decision. A rundown shack of a motel stands in front of her. Red shutters fall off metal windows, the siding is ripped and missing in many places and the sign is about to fall off the pole. Everything screams sleazy, just as Gio described. But she has no choice, not now as she’s come this far. She gathers her items and steps out of her car, slowly entering the motel. She walks toward a dilapidated front desk, where a man with the tag, “Ron, Manager” checks her out from behind the desk.
“Excuse me, if you’re done gaping at me, I’d like a room for a few days.” Oh God, what did she get herself into? Just looking around makes her squirm. The dirty-colored carpet is outdated by twenty years and smells horribly of smoke and other probable things.
“Oh yes, I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you, that’s all. It’ll be forty-five dollars a night or you can get a better price if you pay by the week, whichever you prefer, little lady,” he tells her with rancid breath.
“Ron, is it?”
He nods his head and she continues, “Well, Ron, I’m not your little lady and I’ll pay by the night, thank you.”
She grabs the money from her purse and hands it to him.
“Room 245 is yours,” he tells her as he hands her the key. “It’s at the side of the building. One of our nicer rooms.”
She thanks him and goes in search of her room. After wandering through a few hallways and almost getting lost, she finds her room. The moment she enters it, she starts coughing. What the hell? This is the best room he has, her ass! The room stinks of cigarettes. The once white-painted walls are chipped and yellowed. Dark stains cover the yellow-colored carpet. A bed with golden bedding and two severely outdated nightstands are showcased with eighties-themed lamps to accent the room. She wishes she had a black light because she’s certain nasty things lurk below the sheets.
She enters the bathroom, and immediately grows even more disgusted. The entire bathroom is lime green, even the toilet, which is chipped and stained. The shower stall next to the toilet has mold all along the edges with a filthy shower curtain. The one small light and mirror hang haphazardly on the wall.
How the hell will I get some sleep here? I should’ve listened to Giovanni!
She remembers her lavender oil. She never goes anywhere without it. She leaves the bathroom, not touching anything. She finds her oil in her purse and dabs it on her wrists. Not only does it help her nerves, but it helps with the rancid smell of the room as well. She places the oil back in her purse and notices Gio’s card and picks it up to read it: Giovanni Antonetti, Manager of Antonetti Suites. His work number, email and personal cell number. She flips the card over and notices a handwritten note on the back.
Gracelynn,
I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. I would prefer if we could figure this out together; but I’ll let you have your space, for now. I’ve added a few places you may enjoy to visit while you’re here on vacation.
Giovanni
This man is seriously messing with her head. And speaking of her head, oh fudge! She’s forgot to call or even text Ben and Cassie. She searches for her phone. When she finds it, she calls Cassie right away, but it goes to voicemail. She leaves a message asking her to call her back and does the same for Ben since he doesn’t answer either. She flops her iPhone on the nasty bed.
She tries to rid her mind of Gio being kind and polite with her even when he didn’t know she was family. Before he knew she was married to his brother. A brother he never knew he had.
With all the pain that she’s experienced the last few days, the emotional stress of it has her
Chapter 9
GRACELYNN HOPES TIME AWAY from Gio will help her process everything; but when she arrives at the motel she knows she made the wrong decision. A rundown shack of a motel stands in front of her. Red shutters fall off metal windows, the siding is ripped and missing in many places and the sign is about to fall off the pole. Everything screams sleazy, just as Gio described. But she has no choice, not now as she’s come this far. She gathers her items and steps out of her car, slowly entering the motel. She walks toward a dilapidated front desk, where a man with the tag, “Ron, Manager” checks her out from behind the desk.
“Excuse me, if you’re done gaping at me, I’d like a room for a few days.” Oh God, what did she get herself into? Just looking around makes her squirm. The dirty-colored carpet is outdated by twenty years and smells horribly of smoke and other probable things.
“Oh yes, I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you, that’s all. It’ll be forty-five dollars a night or you can get a better price if you pay by the week, whichever you prefer, little lady,” he tells her with rancid breath.
“Ron, is it?”
He nods his head and she continues, “Well, Ron, I’m not your little lady and I’ll pay by the night, thank you.”
She grabs the money from her purse and hands it to him.
“Room 245 is yours,” he tells her as he hands her the key. “It’s at the side of the building. One of our nicer rooms.”
She thanks him and goes in search of her room. After wandering through a few hallways and almost getting lost, she finds her room. The moment she enters it, she starts coughing. What the hell? This is the best room he has, her ass! The room stinks of cigarettes. The once white-painted walls are chipped and yellowed. Dark stains cover the yellow-colored carpet. A bed with golden bedding and two severely outdated nightstands are showcased with eighties-themed lamps to accent the room. She wishes she had a black light because she’s certain nasty things lurk below the sheets.
She enters the bathroom, and immediately grows even more disgusted. The entire bathroom is lime green, even the toilet, which is chipped and stained. The shower stall next to the toilet has mold all along the edges with a filthy shower curtain. The one small light and mirror hang haphazardly on the wall.
How the hell will I get some sleep here? I should’ve listened to Giovanni!
She remembers her lavender oil. She never goes anywhere without it. She leaves the bathroom, not touching anything. She finds her oil in her purse and dabs it on her wrists. Not only does it help her nerves, but it helps with the rancid smell of the room as well. She places the oil back in her purse and notices Gio’s card and picks it up to read it: Giovanni Antonetti, Manager of Antonetti Suites. His work number, email and personal cell number. She flips the card over and notices a handwritten note on the back.
Gracelynn,
I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. I would prefer if we could figure this out together; but I’ll let you have your space, for now. I’ve added a few places you may enjoy to visit while you’re here on vacation.
Giovanni
This man is seriously messing with her head. And speaking of her head, oh fudge! She’s forgot to call or even text Ben and Cassie. She searches for her phone. When she finds it, she calls Cassie right away, but it goes to voicemail. She leaves a message asking her to call her back and does the same for Ben since he doesn’t answer either. She flops her iPhone on the nasty bed.
She tries to rid her mind of Gio being kind and polite with her even when he didn’t know she was family. Before he knew she was married to his brother. A brother he never knew he had.
With all the pain that she’s experienced the last few days, the emotional stress of it has her
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