The Playboy of Rome

They talked for a few more minutes before she gave in and said that his sisters could do the appetizers, but the entrées were her and Dante’s responsibility.

As she hung up the phone, her mind was racing. That was when she realized they hadn’t picked up the collage of photos of the restaurant through the years to hang in Massimo’s room at the vineyard. A quick call assured her that the order was complete, but she’d have to get there right away. In twenty minutes, they closed for the weekend. She tried calling Dante’s cell phone but it went straight to voice mail.

A glance at the clock told her that she didn’t have time to wait. She needed to go right now. She wouldn’t let Dante down in front of his family. Not when he was so anxious to fix things with his father. This gift was from the both of them, but it was more Dante’s idea than hers.

Spotting the keys to Red on the counter, she wondered if Dante would mind if she borrowed the car. After all, this was an emergency and he had let her drive it when they were in the country. What could it hurt? The shop wasn’t too far away.

Before she could change her mind, she grabbed the keys and headed out the door. Her stomach quivered with nerves as she fired up the engine. As she maneuvered Red down the street, heads turned. She could only ever dream of having a luxury sports car for herself. Without even checking, she knew that the price tag on this gem was not even in her realm of possibilities...ever.

In no time, she placed the large framed collage in the passenger seat. Being cautious, she used the seat belt to hold it in place. She didn’t want anything to happen to the gift. It was perfect. And she was certain that Massimo would treasure it.

Mentally she was listing everything she needed to start preparing as soon as she got home. The fact that there would be a hundred-plus people at this “small” gathering totally boggled her mind. When she and Jules had a birthday party, it usually ended up being them and a handful of friends—less than ten people total. The DeFiore clan was more like a small village.

She would need at least four trays of lasagna alone. Thankfully the restaurant was kept well stocked. When they’d talked about the party previously, Dante had told her to take whatever she needed and just to leave him a list of what she used. That was a big relief—

The blur of a speeding car caught her attention. Lizzie slammed on the brakes. Red immediately responded. Her body tensed. The air became trapped in her lungs.

The blue compact car cut in front of her, narrowly missing her.

Lizzie slowed to a stop. She blew out the pent-up breath.

Thank goodness nothing had happened to Red. Dante would have freaked out if she’d damaged his precious car. The man truly loved this fine vehicle—

Squeal!

Thunk!

Lizzie’s body lurched forward. Her body jerked hard against the seat belt. The air was knocked out of her lungs.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“THAT’S NOT POSSIBLE. Lizzie wouldn’t be out in Red.” Dante gripped the phone tighter. “You’re sure it was her?” He listened intently as though his very life depended on it. “What do you mean you don’t know if she’s okay?” His gut twisted into a painful knot. “I’m on my way.”

Was it possible his newly hired busboy was mistaken? Lizzie had been in a car accident with Red? The kid didn’t know Lizzie

very well. He had to have her mixed up with someone else.

Dante strode toward the elevator of the corporate offices after his meeting. He could only hope the hired car would be waiting for him. When the elevator didn’t come fast enough, he headed for the stairwell. Lizzie just had to be okay. His feet barely touched the steps as he flew down the two flights of stairs.

After nearly running into a half-dozen people, he made it to the street. The black car was waiting for him. When the driver went to get out to open his door for him, Dante waved him off. There wasn’t time for niceties. He had to know if Lizzie was okay.

It seemed to take forever for the car to get across the city. He tried calling her. She didn’t answer at the apartment and she didn’t pick up her cell phone. Dante’s body tensed. Was the kid right? Had she been in an accident? Was she hurt?

Then feeling utterly helpless, Dante did something he hadn’t done since he was a kid. He sent a prayer to the big guy upstairs, pleading for Lizzie’s safety.

What had she been doing? Where had she gone? And what was she doing with Red? He couldn’t come up with any plausible answers. All he could do was stare helplessly out the window as they slowly inched closer to the accident site.

“This is as close as I can get, sir. Looks like they have the road shut down up ahead.” The driver sent him an apologetic look in the rearview mirror.

“Thank you.”

Dante sprang out of the car and weaved his way through the throng of people on the sidewalk, sidestepping a cyclist and a few strollers. He inwardly groaned. Just his luck. Everyone seemed to be out and about on such a sunny day.

And then he saw the familiar candy-apple-red paint, but his gaze kept moving, searching for Lizzie’s blond hair. She wasn’t by the car. And she wasn’t standing on the sidewalk.

And then he spotted the ambulance. His heart tightened.

Please. Please. Don’t let her be hurt.