His Wicked Game

by Ray, M. L.

  I miss you, Ferdie. We should be at that table with them, talking, laughing, loving. I miss you so very much, my love.

  Isa blinked back a few tears then brushed them away with an impatient hand. Stop feeling so damn sorry for yourself.

  She turned away from the restaurant’s warm lights and headed away from the crowds of people. She needed to breathe, to feel the night air on her skin. It was cooler now, although still warm, and she opened her coat as she found an empty little street by the canal. It was quiet here, only the distant sound of the city in the background and her footsteps echoed as she walked.

  She had barely reached the next bridge when she felt the hand on her shoulder, pulling her back into shadow, pushing her hard against the wall. The hand clamped over her mouth and the flash of steel before the knife was plunged mercilessly into her belly. Isa moaned at the agony of it, her eyes fixing on her attacker… not Arturo…

  In the seconds before she lost consciousness, Isabella wondered how she could have gotten it so totally wrong…

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  It was the early hours of the morning when Levi’s cell phone rang insistently, and he reluctantly roused himself from sleep. “Yes?”

  “Levi?”

  He was immediately alert. Cat Papini sounded almost hysterical. “Cat, what is it?”

  Beside Levi, Juno woke and sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What’s going on?”

  Levi shook his head. Cat was sobbing down the phone now. “Cat… sweetheart, take a breath. That’s it. Now, what…?”

  “It’s Isa. She’s been attacked, Levi, she’s been stabbed. They found her face down in the canal two hours ago.”

  “Jesus… is she…?”

  “She’s alive… just. She’s in surgery now.”

  Cold fear clenched Levi’s heart. “Oh, God, Cat… I’m so sorry, do you need me to come?”

  “Arturo is with me… he was with me when it happened. But… yes. Could you?”

  “Of course, sweetheart. Which hospital?”

  She told him and he reassured her he would be there soon. He explained everything to Juno, who paled. “Oh, God… poor Isa. Poor Cat. I’ll come with you.”

  Levi was ready to tell her no but something made him want her close. He dressed and went to wake Knox, only telling his brother and Nook that Isa had been ‘mugged.’ He really didn’t want them to feel like he did right now.

  Like history was repeating itself…

  He held Juno’s hand the entire ride in the water taxi then, as they raced through the hospital’s quiet corridors, Levi felt a crushing panic building in his chest. He remembered every detail of the night this had happened to Nook all those years ago. The terror of knowing they might be too late to save her…

  But the panic quelled when he saw Cat. She came to him and he hugged her. “She’s going to be okay,” she said in a quivering voice, “she’s… they’ve saved her. She’s still unconscious, but they say she’ll be okay.”

  The relief was overwhelming. Levi stood back as Juno hugged Cat, a little awkwardly as the two women did not know each other that well. Cat looked at Juno gratefully. “You’re really sweet to come.”

  Juno hesitated, shooting a glance at Levi before speaking. “My brother… he loved your sister.”

  Both Cat and Levi gaped at her and Juno half-smiled. “I didn’t know, not until very recently.” She reached into her pocket. “Ferdie wrote me a letter. I wasn’t supposed to open it until I’m twenty-five but I caved a week ago. I was upset about Fausta. So… he loved Isa. That makes you both my family.”

  Cat gave a sob and pulled Juno into another, firmer hug. Over their heads, Levi saw Arturo talking to the polizia. He saw Levi watching and raised a hand in greeting. When he’d finished talking to the detective, he came over.

  Levi saw his pale, shaken face. Arturo had been with Cat. He hadn’t been the one to hurt Isa… the relief in him that his friend wasn’t a killer was palpable.

  Arturo kissed Juno’s cheek and shook Levi’s hand. “This is terrible, no?”

  “Awful. What did the polizia say?”

  “After Isa was pulled from the water, she was briefly conscious, gave the paramedics a description of her attacker.” He glanced at Juno. “He was white… with red hair.”

  Juno gave a moan. “Tudor Welch.”

  “But why?” Arturo lifted his hands up, his eyes seemingly desperate, “why would Tudor Welch try to kill Isa? Did they know each other?”

  It was on the tip of Levi’s tongue to tell them all of Isa’s theory, but something stopped him. “I have no idea.”

  “Look,” Cat looked utterly spent, “all I care about right now is that my sister is okay. They might let me sit with her soon.”

  “I can come with you.”

  Cat patted Arturo’s hand. “You’re sweet but I think it’s better if…” She shot a look at Juno, “if it’s just family right now.”

  Juno nodded, understanding. She looked at Levi. “Why don’t you and Arturo go home? I’ll stay with Cat.”

  Levi frowned but nodded. “I’ll come get you later. I don’t want you out in the streets with Welch running around.”

  Levi and Arturo went out and found a café that was opening early. Arturo looked as drained as Levi felt. “Man, this is… mio Dio, I don’t even know what this is. I just don’t get why this Welch figlia di puttana would attack Isa.”

  Levi studied his friend. Underneath Arturo’s vivid green eyes, there were deep shadows. A man grieving, certainly and yet… Levi couldn’t quite bring himself to trust to ask the question he wanted to. Instead, he chose a different tack.

  “Arturo… do you remember a guy at college, your year, called Kevin Hawkes?”

  “Kevin…” Arturo frowned and Levi realized he was holding his breath, waiting for either the truth or a lie.

  “It sounds familiar, although I couldn’t put a face to a name. Why?”

  “Kevin Hawkes is Tudor Welch.”

  Arturo’s eyes grew wide. “No.”

  “Yep.”

  Arturo cursed. “So, he did go to school with me. Why didn’t I recognize him?” He appeared to be asking himself that, so Levi just shrugged.

  “From what Juno’s friends have told me, he’s had a bit of work done. Prettied himself up, if you call it that.”

  “And he’s… so this has to do with Juno? Or me?”

  “You?”

  Arturo leaned forward. “Maybe he thought Isa was Cat. Went after her, stabbed her because he thought it would hurt me.”

  “Why would he have beef with you, Arturo?” Levi kept his voice steady. Was Arturo about to tell him something important?

  Arturo sat back. “I wasn’t the most popular guy at college. I was a jerk back then, throwing my family’s money around. I’d heard tales of Federico Martello being the big man on campus, of course, but I wasn’t lucky enough to have his charm or his generosity when I tried to be the same as him, I got it all wrong. Rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. I learned my lesson. One must never imitate unless one knows the whole story.”

  He looked away from Levi then. “Levi… there is one thing I haven’t been honest about.”

  “Lucy Graziano?”

  Arturo nodded and didn’t seem surprised that Levi had guessed. “Of course, it was a one-sided thing and I doubt she even knew my name. Everyone knew she was in love with Ferdie and that he had ended things. When she killed herself…”

  There was genuine pain behind Arturo’s eyes now and he passed a hand in front of his face for a second. “Is it possible to love someone that much if you’ve never even spoken to them?”

  “I don’t know. I think love is whatever we feel in the moment. I’m so sorry, Arturo.”

  And he was. Levi could see now this was a man in pain, one who had never gotten over his first love. Arturo nodded. “Thank you, although I feel a fraud for behaving as if I meant anything to Lucy other than as a classmate.”
>
  He sighed and drained his coffee cup, signaling to the barista for another. Levi stared out of the window at the city as it began to wake. “Arturo… what scares me is that Tudor Welch won’t stop until…”

  “Juno’s dead?”

  Levi winced and Arturo held up his hands in apology. “Forgive me. He certainly seems unhinged. But don’t worry, between you, I and the ballet company, we can protect her.”

  “I hope so.”

  They returned to the hospital later. Cat smiled at them; her cheeks tear stained. Juno came to Levi and slid her arm around his waist. “She’s awake.”

  Isa was very groggy as they slipped quietly into her room. Cat took her sister’s hand in hers. “Hey, piccolo, look who is here to see you.”

  Isa’s eyes focused and drifted until she finally saw them. “Ciao.” Her voice was scratchy. Levi bent to kiss her cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  “Sore. Dumb.” She half-smiled at him, then looked past him at Arturo. “Arturo… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was ever…”

  “Ssh,” he bent to touch her face, “don’t worry about anything, Isabella. We’re all going to take good care of you now.”

  Isa’s eyes filled with tears. “I just don’t know why,” she whispered, “why did he want to kill me?”

  But none of them knew how to answer her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  As the morning drew on, Knox sat with his wife, sipping coffee on Levi’s balcony and trying not to keep checking on Nook’s mood. He failed.

  “Stop looking at me, I’m fine.” Nook sounded as irritated as Knox knew she would be.

  “Baby, I’m just worried that this all could bring bad memories back. And the docs are already worried about your blood pressure.”

  Nook sighed. “It’s just too horrible, is all.”

  “It is.”

  Knox’s phone buzzed with a text message. “She’s going to be okay. They’re going to spend the morning at the hospital with her and Cat, then come back this afternoon.”

  “Good.”

  He reached over and smoothed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “What would you like to do?”

  Nook chewed her lip. “I guess… we could… Jeez, Knox, I don’t know. I feel bad about sightseeing at a time like this.”

  “Then we’ll stay in.”

  “And go crazy.”

  He bit back a retort, knowing she was just distressed. “Then we’ll do our favorite thing.”

  Nook shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Don’t sound so excited.”

  She laughed then. “Sorry, I’m just not that hungry.”

  He met her gaze, and she flushed. “Oh, that favorite thing.”

  “Come here, woman.”

  He drew her onto his lap and pressed his lips against hers. His hand stroked the bump on her belly. “Is it weird that I want you to keep this little pot belly after the baby comes?”

  Nook smiled. “Nope. I’m more than happy to oblige too.”

  They both laughed. Knox stood and lifted her into his arms. “Oof.” He exaggerated her weight, and she giggled.

  “Shut up. Take me to bed, Zapata.”

  In the bedroom, he undressed her as she pulled his t-shirt over his head and they lay down next to each other. He trailed his lips along her jaw and down her throat.

  Nook stroked his hair as he sucked at her nipples, teasing each nub until they were sensitive and hard. His fingers stroked a pattern on her clit as his lips pressed a trail of kisses over her bump. Nook was almost four months now and showing even bigger than when she had had Tabitha. Knox loved her body like this—despite the pain and the nausea, she glowed from within, her dusky skin taking on an almost rose-gold glow.

  “Anyone told you lately how damn beautiful you are?”

  Nook grinned at him, and he marveled at how she still got shy when he said it to her. “Only about a million times, hubby.”

  “I’ll tell you every day.”

  He moved up and kissed her mouth as she hooked her leg around his waist and he thrust into her. She smiled up at him. “We might have to do this differently soon. I’m getting too big.”

  “Huh, was just going to say the same thing, I’m getting too big too.”

  “Eww, gross,” she giggled but then they got way too involved with kissing and making love to mess around.

  They showered together and after they dressed, Knox checked Levi’s refrigerator and grimaced. “We’ll starve in this place.”

  Nook, freshly dressed in Daisy Dukes and a flowing white shirt, rolled her eyes. “Let’s go out then. We can shop at the markets and stock your brother up, isn’t that we do in times of crisis?”

  “Good idea.”

  In the city, they wandered the streets, not following any particular route or plan, but gathering various foodstuffs and staples to stock up.

  “Trust us to fly half a world to go all domestic,” Knox half-grumbled, but he didn’t care, really. It was just nice to be with Nook, one-on-one, casual and relaxed. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her either, her long legs in those cut-off denims, feet pushed into her beloved and battered pair of purple Converse. She wore a bikini top under her white shirt, her dark hair loose and tumbling over her shoulders and no make-up on her lovely face. Knox saw the admiration of the locals as she passed, smiling hello at them shyly.

  The day was a hot one and Knox steered them towards a gelato shop before long. Nook grinned at him. “Always with the ice cream, sugar fiend.”

  “Also, I need to pee,” he said with a wink and she rolled her eyes.

  “You’re getting closer and closer to that adult diaper, old man.”

  They found a table outside, and after they ordered their desserts—pistachio for Nook, double chocolate for Knox—he disappeared into the café’s restrooms.

  Nook thanked the waiter who brought the gelato to them and stuck her spoon into the creamy cold sweet, swooning over the taste. She reached over, stealing a scoop from Knox’s dessert, grinning to herself. As she sat there, she suddenly felt someone’s scrutiny and looked up. A man with dark auburn hair was looking at her from across the street. He smiled and nodded and Nook, feeling awkward, half-smiled the looked away. She sighed to herself when she saw him crossing the street, realizing she was about to get hit on.

  “American, am I right?”

  Nook nodded. “Yes.”

  “Thank God. I’m holidaying alone and my Italian is dreadful. I’ve been here for a week and I just need to chat with someone.” He indicated the chair opposite her. “May I?”

  “I’m actually waiting for my husband. He’s just in the restroom.”

  “Ah. Husband.”

  She nodded, hoping he would take the hint.

  “He’s a lucky man.”

  Ugh. Nook felt uncomfortable but thankfully, she saw Knox approach out of the corner of her eye. “Here he is.”

  “Hey.” Knox had a smile on his face as he saw the visitor but Nook saw it didn’t reach his eyes. “Hey, buddy.” His tone implied this man was anything but.

  “Hey, there. Just talking to your lovely wife. I was saying I’m American, here alone, and it was just nice to meet another Stateside vacationer.”

  “Really? Well. Good to meet you.” Knox’s smile said all that the other man needed to know, apparently, because he nodded and smiled and moved away.

  “Aww, darn, he was hot.” Nook grinned at her husband’s obvious jealousy.

  He grinned at her. “I’ll call him back.”

  “No, don’t.” Nook poked Knox’s side and laughed. “Seriously, he was a bit of a creeper.”

  “He looked it.” He touched her face. “Not that I blame him for trying.”

  “Aww shucks.” Nook blew put her cheeks and crossed her eyes. Knox rolled his eyes.

  “So cute.”

  “Eat your gelato, it’s melting.”

  Knox picked up his spoon then stopped. “Did you steal s
ome of this?”

  Nook stuck her tongue out at her husband and they joked around as they finished their gelato.

  Afterward they walked some more and Nook insisted on going inside the staggeringly beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. “There’s a couple of Titans in here,” she said as Knox rolled his eyes, “you’re an artist, for the love of God.”

  “Literally for the love of God,” he said, nodding at the façade of the basilica. But once inside, his cynicism disappeared. There were a number of tourists, but there was a reverential silence within the church which gave it a calming atmosphere. The Titans—Assumption of the Virgin and Pesaro Madonna—were breath-taking.

  Nook wandered off to explore some of the smaller chapels while Knox was hypnotized by the artwork. There was a small chapel just off the choir area where she had the place to herself.

  “Chapel of San Marco. Hey, Mark, you are everywhere here in Venice.”

  She studied the delicate and intricate architecture, a sense of peace finding her. She absentmindedly rubbed her bump.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Nook gasped and whirled around and her heart began to thump painfully against her ribs. The red-headed man was behind her, and he was between her and the exit.

  He smiled at her but his smile did not reach his eyes. He had obviously taken her rejection and Knox’s attitude badly. “We meet again. Pure chance, I assure you.”

  “Excuse me.” She made to move past him but he stepped to his left, blocking her.

  “I’ve known a lot of beautiful women in my time, but they don’t hold a candle to you. It’s a pity you’re a bitch.”

  Nook’s reaction was automatic, and it was clear, as her knee connected with his groin, hard, that he hadn’t expected her to do that. As he groaned and bent double, she pushed past him, stopping and looking back. “I’ve known men a lot more pathetic than you, but not many. And you wouldn’t believe how I dealt with them. Grow up, asshole.”

  And she stalked off to find Knox. His smile faded when he saw her flushed face. “You okay?”

  “Just hot,” she said. Nook decided she didn’t want Knox thrown out of Venice’s most famous church for brawling and so she deftly maneuvered him out of the church and into the street.