365 Days

by Blanka Lipinska

  I frowned but nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  The rest of the way passed without incident. We took our time. The spa was luxurious and opulent. It offered a wide range of treatments and rituals, including options for pregnant women, so I could partake without worrying about the fetus.

  We spent almost five hours there. Hearing that, a man would have thought us crazy, but a woman knows how long it takes to really take care of herself. Scrubs, massages, facials, pedicures, manicures, and getting your hair done. Thinking about Saturday’s ceremony, I picked colors similar to that of my wedding dress. I needed to be 100 percent ready for the occasion. I trusted the hairstylist and told him to touch up my roots only. The man’s name was Marco, and he was as gay as it got. He dealt with the dye perfectly, so I decided to shorten my hair a bit, too. Smelling like heaven and totally relaxed, we took our seats on the terrace while a waiter served us dinner.

  “You’re not eating enough, Laura. This is your first meal today. You shouldn’t do that.”

  “Oh, give me a break. I constantly want to throw up. I wonder if you’d have an appetite if you felt like that. Besides, I’m already nervous with the wedding in just a couple of days.”

  “Got doubts? Remember: you don’t have to do this. A kid doesn’t automatically mean you have to get married, you know? And a marriage doesn’t have to be forever.”

  “I love Massimo and I want to marry him. And I want to tell him we’re going to have a child. I’m tired of keeping this a secret,” I said.

  After an appetizer, soup, the main course, and the dessert, I could barely breathe. We waddled back to the car and managed to get inside.

  “I’m nauseous again. This time from overeating,” I said, turning the engine on.

  I saw the lights of the black SUV in the rearview mirror and started driving, punching in the address Domenico had marked as Home in the GPS. The traffic was practically nonexistent by that time, and the highway was empty. I pressed the cruise control button and leaned my head on my arm, which was propped on the window. The automatic gearbox had this advantage (or disadvantage, depending on where you stand on such things) that you didn’t know what do to with your hands while driving. Well, one of them, at least. Olga was scrolling through her phone, completely ignoring me, and I felt sleepy.

  Driving along the slopes of Mount Etna, I watched the majestic mountain and the stream of lava running down its summit. The view was incredible and terrifying at the same time. My eyes on the spectacle, I didn’t notice the black SUV gaining on us. I turned to glance in the mirror, but in this moment the car lurched, hitting us from behind.

  “What the hell are they doing?” I screamed. The car bumped into the Porsche again, trying to push us off the road. I stepped on the accelerator in an effort to lose them, tossing my bag to Olga and calling out, “Find my phone and call Domenico!” With shaking hands, panicked, Olga rummaged through my bag, finally fishing out my cell phone. The dark SUV wasn’t backing down. Thank God the engine in the Porsche had more power. I had a chance to lose them.

  “Just dial the number! The phone is connected to the car speakers.”

  Olga did as she was told, and I listened to the ringing, praying for Domenico to pick up.

  “What are you doing there so late?” Finally my future brother-in-law’s voice reverberated through the car.

  “Domenico! They’re chasing us!” I cried.

  “What’s happening, Laura? Who’s chasing you? Where are you?”

  “Our bodyguards went crazy! They’re trying to push us off the road! What do I do?”

  “It’s not them. They called me five minutes ago, saying that they’re still waiting at the spa.”

  I felt a chilling wave of terror wash over me. I couldn’t panic. Not now. But I had no idea what to do.

  “Don’t hang up,” Domenico said.

  I heard him shouting something in Italian before getting back to me. “The security team is on its way. I’ll have your location in a moment. Don’t be afraid. They’ll catch up with you in a minute. How fast are you going?”

  Shaking with fear, I glanced at the speedometer.

  “Nearly 130 miles per hour,” I stammered, suddenly terrified with how fast I was driving.

  “Listen to me, I don’t know what car is chasing you, but if you thought it was one of ours, it’s probably a Range Rover. It can’t go as fast as the Porsche, so if you’re up to it, you can lose them.”

  I stepped on the accelerator and felt my car gaining speed, seeing the lights of the SUV shrinking in the rearview mirror.

  “In about nine miles there’s going to be an exit leading to Messina. Take it. My people are already on their way. The security team is around twenty miles behind you. After you take the ramp off, the road is going to be blocked by a tollbooth, so you have to slow down. But remember: if you can’t lose them until then, do not roll down the windows or step out of the car. The car is bulletproof so you’re safe as long as you’re inside.”

  “What? They’re going to shoot at me?”

  “I don’t know. All I’m saying is you stay inside. You’re safe there.”

  I listened to Domenico, hearing a ringing in my ears. My heart was pounding. I was holding on by the barest thread. Shooting a glance at the mirror, I saw the lights of the car following us slowly disappear. I picked up speed. Either I’m going to die in a car crash, or they’ll shoot me dead, I thought. Then a sign appeared on the road. The exit.

  “I can see the exit, Domenico!”

  I heard him saying something in Italian before speaking to me, switching back to English. “Good. My people are nearly at the tollbooth. A black BMW with four people inside. You already know Paolo. When you see him, stop as close to him as you can.”

  I started braking to take the exit from the highway, praying for Domenico’s men to hurry. Passing the turn, I saw the black BMW stopping, and the four men jumping out. I stepped on the brake pedal and the car skidded to a halt, nearly hitting the security detail.

  Paolo opened the door and pulled me out of the Porsche. I was shaking uncontrollably. He tossed me back inside, to the back seat, got behind the wheel, and drove through the tollbooth, tires screeching. I was doing my best to breathe steadily, to calm down my racing heart. I heard Domenico’s voice calmly explaining something to the driver.

  Where was Olga? I completely forgot about her. I looked up and saw her sitting in the front passenger seat, looking straight ahead. “You all right, Olga?” I asked, grabbing her by the arm.

  She turned abruptly, and her eyes were full of tears. She unfastened her seat belt and scrambled to the back seat, pressing herself into my arms, crying. “What the fuck was that, Laura?”

  We sat hugging each other, tears streaking down our cheeks, and shaking as if the interior of the car were minus twenty degrees. I felt how absolutely terrified she was. I had never seen her like that. Despite feeling like that myself just a moment ago, I knew I needed to support her now.

  “It’s okay. We’re safe now. They only wanted to scare us.”

  I didn’t really believe that, but I had to calm my friend down.

  Domenico was already waiting for us when we got back to the mansion. As soon as the Porsche ground to a halt, he opened the door for me. I slid out, falling into his arms.

  “Are you all right? How are you feeling? The doctor is on his way.”

  “I’m fine,” I breathed, holding him tight.

  Olga stepped out of the car and snuck into our embrace, joining us.

  Domenico took us to the grand lounge on the ground floor. The doctor arrived twenty minutes later, checking my blood pressure and giving me some heart pills. I wasn’t hurt. Then he turned his attention to Olga. She still couldn’t cope with what had happened, so he gave her some tranquilizers and sleeping pills. Domenico took her to her bedroom. When they disappeared, the doctor told me to see a gynecologist right away, to check if the child was okay. I felt all right, as much as one can feel fine after experiencing somethin
g like that, and I was sure the baby was okay. The collusion with our car wasn’t that serious. The seat belt only grazed my collarbone, not really tightening over my belly, but better to be safe. Domenico returned after a while, and the doctor said goodbye and left.

  “Listen to me, Laura. You need to tell me what happened. All of it.”

  “We left the spa, the valet passed me the keys to the car—”

  “What did he look like?” he cut in.

  “I don’t know. Like an Italian. I didn’t take a look. When we got into the car, a dark SUV started following us. I thought it was the security. Then we drove to the highway and it all started. You know the rest. I talked to you the whole way.”

  Domenico’s phone rang, and he left the room, fuming. Worried, I followed him. Domenico nearly ran through the main entrance, heading toward my bodyguards, who were just parking their car on the driveway. When the men stepped out, he slammed his fist into the first one’s face, toppling him to the ground, and then did the same to the second one, kicking him as the man went down. The men from the BMW parked a couple of feet away stepped in and held the driver to the ground, while Domenico pummeled him with his fists, furious.

  “Domenico!” I screamed, terrified at what I was seeing.

  He slowly rose from the ground, leaving the poor man unconscious, and headed my way.

  “My brother will kill them anyway,” he said, wiping his hands on his pants. “Come. I’ll take you to your room.”

  I sat down on the bed while Domenico went to the bathroom to wash his hands. I felt my medication starting to work, feeling dazed and sleepy.

  “Don’t worry, Laura. This will not happen ever again. We’ll find whoever chased you.”

  “Please, promise me you won’t kill them,” I whispered, looking Domenico in the eyes.

  His face crumpled in an ugly grimace as he leaned against the doorframe.

  “I can promise you that, but the decision is Massimo’s. Don’t worry about that now. The most important thing is that you’re all right.”

  I heard knocking on the door. Domenico went to open it and returned with a mug of hot cocoa.

  “Normally I’d have given you some alcohol,” he said, putting the mug on the nightstand. “But the situation is what it is, so you’re left with milk. I’ve got to go now, but I’ll wait until you change and lie down in bed.”

  I went to the wardrobe and put on Massimo’s T-shirt, went back to the bed, and slid under the duvet.

  “Good night, Domenico. Thank you for everything.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, going down the stairs. “Remember, there’s a button by the bed. If you need anything, just press it.”

  I rolled over and turned the TV on, used the remote to switch off all the lights, and put my head on the pillow. I started to watch a news channel, but fell asleep quickly.

  I woke up in the middle of the night. The TV was still on. I turned to grab the remote, which lay on the nightstand, and froze. The armchair next to the bed was occupied. It was Massimo, watching me closely. For a moment, I stayed still, unsure if I was still asleep or if this was really happening.

  A few seconds passed before Massimo rose, only to fall to his knees by the bed, resting his head on my stomach.

  “I’m so sorry, my love,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around me.

  I slipped from his embrace, got out of bed, and knelt on the floor by him, hugging him tightly. “You can’t kill them, okay? I’ve never asked you for anything, but now I’m begging. I don’t want anyone else to die because of me.”

  Massimo didn’t speak, keeping perfectly still in my arms. We stayed like that for a very long time, with me listening to his calming breath.

  “It’s my fault,” he said finally, pushing himself away and lifting me in his arms.

  He lay me in bed, covering me and sitting down at my side. I shook off the remaining sleepiness, watching him. It was clear Massimo had come in a hurry. He hadn’t even had the chance to change clothes and was still in his tuxedo. I caressed the lapel of his jacket.

  “Was there a party?”

  The Man in Black dropped his head, pulling at his bow tie.

  “I’ve let you down. I promised I’d protect you and that nothing bad would ever happen to you. I went away and you’ve just barely avoided death. I don’t know who sat behind the wheel of that car or how this all happened, but I swear I’ll find the one responsible,” he growled, and rose.

  “I don’t know if it is a good idea for you to say here, Laura,” he said. “I love you more than anyone else in the world, but I can’t bear the thought of you losing your life because of me. By bringing you here I acted like an absolute egoist. And now, with the situation so unstable, I can’t be sure of anything.”

  I looked him in the eyes, terrified of what I was hearing.

  “I think you need to leave for a while. There are going to be a lot of changes, and until they happen, you’re not safe in Sicily.”

  “What are you saying, Massimo?” I cried, jumping to my feet. “Now you want to send me away? Two days before we’e supposed to get married?”

  He spun around, shooting out his arms and grabbing me tightly by the shoulders.

  “Do you even want that? Maybe I really should be alone, Laura. I chose this life. I didn’t give you a choice. I’m condemning you to be with me, to be in constant danger.”

  He let me go and started walking toward the stairs. “It was stupid of me to think it could end any other way. That we could be together.” He paused and turned his head toward me. “You deserve someone better, baby girl.”

  “I can’t believe it!” I cried out, running to catch up with him. “Now you start thinking about me? After two months? After proposing to me? When I’m about to have your child?”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  We all have someone in our lives who believes in us more than they probably should.

  For me, such a person is my sister by choice—Anna Mackiewicz.

  Thank you, darling, for effectively and regularly pushing me to publish this book.

  Thank you for believing in me.

  Mom, Dad—thank you for raising me to be who I am. A person who can talk about sex, love, and emotions.

  I love you so much!

  But I owe the biggest thanks to the man who left me, broke my heart, and inspired me to act, making it possible for you, dear reader, to hold this book now.

  KM—thank you.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright for Polish Edition © 2018 by Edipresse Polska SA

  Copyright for text © 2018 by Blanka Lipińska

  English language translation copyright © 2021 by Filip Sporczyk

  Originally published in Poland in 2018 by Wydawnictwo Edipresse Polska as 365 Dni

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  Interior design by Dana Sloan

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

  ISBN 978-1-9821-7430-9

  ISBN 978-1-9821-7431-6 (ebook)