Epilogue

The breeze from over the Tyrrhenian Sea brushed my face. The salty, citrus-scented air filling my lungs where I stood leaning against the wooden railing of my villa's veranda.

Staring out over the jagged cliff's edge, I watched the foamy white caps form then dissipate as they hit the rocky shore. The relentless beating of the water against the hard stones was a raw reminder of the unsettling, yet inevitable, creep of death.

I sighed and rubbed the space between my eyebrows. Such morbid thoughts didn't suit me. They were a cold, heavy pit in my stomach And yet…

The ice in my drink rattled as it settled in my Negroni Sbagliato.

As the sky filled with the blazing orange and purple colors of the sunset, my thoughts turned to Alfonso, as they usually did at this time of day. The sunset reminded me of him. Quiet and unassuming and yet still a beautiful burst of brilliant color and light.

I tilted my face toward the setting sun. Despite its fiery colors… there was no warmth. A chill ran over my skin, raising goosebumps on my arms, as if rising from the bitter coldness deep within.

A creak of the deck boards alerted me to someone's presence.

I pivoted and nearly dropped my drink.

"Hello, Gabriella."

His voice was the same dark, melted chocolate that I remembered.

My gaze narrowed. "You have a lot of fucking nerve coming here."

Unable to look at him, I paced away and tried to still my racing heart.

"I saw you at Alfonso's funeral... and I know you saw me."

I rounded on him, my fingers tightening on my glass. "Don't you dare say his name."

He stepped forward.

With my arm stretched out, I ordered, "Get out. Leave. Now."

He shook his head as he stalked toward me. "No, not this time."

With an outraged cry, I threw my drink at him.