“My Elli, my Elli,” he said again and again, kissing her tenderly and drinking her in with his eyes. “This was the reunion I dreamed of for eight years,” he whispered.
“With you, I know I can handle anything,” she said, stroking his face before her face fell. “God, Indio, I cannot bear to let him touch me again.”
“I know. I know. I hate the thought of it. But, listen, you have to do what you have to do to stay safe. Nothing is more important than that. Nothing.” Their gazes locked and she nodded, knowing what he was saying.
“When this is all over, I’m marrying you, Elliana Moretti, and we’re going to be the happiest people in the world.”
There were fresh tears then, but she smiled through them. “For a proposal, that was pretty damn good, Mr. Navaro.”
He chuckled, then looked regretful. “God, it kills me to say this, but you had better get back to the party.” He grimaced. “I hate that you’ve been involved in this sort of thing.”
“Don’t be. The first time, it was my choice. Adventure.” She grinned at him. It was the word they always used when they were younger when they set off to get into trouble.
“Adventure,” he said and kissed her again. They dressed slowly, and then Indio pushed up the window of the room. Elli giggled.
“Seriously …you’re going out of the window?”
Indio grinned and kissed her. “Adventure. I love you, Elli. I promise we’ll be together soon.”
He hooked a leg over the window sill, but Elli suddenly grabbed him. “Wait. Just know, Indio, that when he touches me, I’ll be wishing it was you. That you are the reason I breathe in and out every moment. I’ve always loved you, Indio. I always will.”
Indio kissed her again, holding her tightly. “Il amore mia, go now before I take you away from here and blow any chance we have of taking Aldo down. I love you. Never forget.”
And he was gone.
Elli lay quietly for as long as she dared, reveling in the sudden peace and joy she felt after being with Indio. It was only when fear crept back in again that she forced herself up and out of bed, into her now wrinkled dress, and back downstairs. Almost immediately, Aldo appeared, gripping the top of her arm hard. “Where the fuck have you been?”
Elli wrenched her arm away from him and gave him a supercilious smile. “Fucking another man of course. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
His eyes glittered with anger. “Why are you behaving this way?”
Suddenly, Elli wanted to goad him, such was her anger. This man was a psychopath. She knew that now. “Because, Aldo, you treat me like a whore. You should have warned me this was another orgy. You should have given me the right to decide whether I wanted to take part. Once again, you treated me like just another hole.”
Aldo’s shoulders slumped and he passed a hand over his face. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right, I’m so sorry, Elli.”
Elli was taken off guard by this sudden change. “Aldo …shall we go home? I’m tired.”
They didn’t speak on the drive home, but Aldo took her hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb. Elli fought the urge to pull it away.
To her great relief, Aldo went to sleep almost immediately, his arm locked around her waist, and Elli lay on her back staring up at the ceiling. All she could think of was Indio, making love with him, and the relief of knowing that underneath everything, he was still hers. He loved her.
She fell asleep still smelling his scent on her skin and reveling at the thought of his cum deep in her belly. But in the middle of the night, she woke to find Aldo on top of her, his cock inside her. Elli fought the urge to scream and kick him away, going along with the sex …even though every cell in her body was crying out that this was wrong. He’d never done this before—started to fuck her without her consent—and looking at him now, Elli wasn’t even sure he was awake. Aldo came hard, and to her horror, his hands slipped around her throat and began to squeeze. Elli began to panic as her air was cut off.
“Aldo, Aldo, wake up! You’re hurting me! Aldo …” Her voice was croaking as the oxygen began to run out.
To her great relief, the hands released her throat and she sucked in great gasps of air, sobs tearing out of her sore throat. Aldo, still delirious from orgasm, collapsed on top of her, burying his face in her neck and groaning, “Don’t leave me. Don’t ever leave me. If you do, I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you …god …Yvetta …please ….”
Elli’s body went cold.
Vivienne squinted at Elli as she came into work on Monday morning. “It’s summer. Why are you wearing a scarf?”
Elli gave her a too-sunny smile, knowing that alone would tip her friend off to there being a problem. “Fashion, of course. Hey, listen, I’ve got an idea for a new series. Can I take you to lunch to talk about it?”
“We can talk right now, if you want.”
Elli shifted uncomfortably. “I’d rather do it out of the office if you don’t mind.”
Vivienne’s smile faded and she nodded. “Gotcha. One o’clock okay for you?”
Elli gave her a grateful smile. “Perfect.”
In her office, she hung up her coat, then sat down. She grinned at the small potted plant and pulled it towards her. It didn’t take long to find the little bug that Indio had planted on the bottom of the pot. She lifted it to her lips.
“I love you,” she said in a low, amused voice, “I hope you’re listening because otherwise I just told an African violet that I loved it. Which is true, but I meant you, Indio. I love you so much.”
She had spoken in a low whisper, sure that if Aldo had bugged her office too, he would not have heard it. She had come to the conclusion that Aldo was watching her and that he was behind the stalking and the threats. He wanted to keep her scared and act the protector. It was just another way of controlling her.
God, how had this all happened in the last few weeks? But, somehow, Elli thought, now looking back, it had been inevitable. There had always been something about Aldo that had been undefinable. Now she knew what it was—he was insane.
Somehow, she managed to focus her mind on work until one o’clock rolled around and she met with Vivienne outside, at an out-of-the-way café.
Vivienne listened to what Elli told her with mounting horror. Elli looked at her after she’d finished.
“Do you think I’m crazy?”
Vivienne shook her head, still trying to process what Elli had told her. “Elli, playing Devil’s advocate here …do you think you should immediately trust what Indio is telling you?”
Elli flushed. “I can understand why you asked me that …but yes. Finding proof will confirm it, but yes, I believe Indio.”
“Jesus, Elli, then why are you still living with Aldo?”
“Because if I leave him, he will kill me.”
Vivienne blanched. “Isn’t he planning that already? Just leave and we’ll arrange protection.”
“There’s also Aldo’s investment in the magazine. He could pull the rug from underneath us and bring the magazine to its knees, and he knows it.”
“Screw the magazine! Your life is worth more. God, when I think I encouraged you to …” Vivienne suddenly reached up and plucked the scarf from Elli’s neck. The dark bruises on her throat were stark again her skin. “Oh my god, Elli …”
Elli put the scarf back on. “It was unintentional …. this time, he was asleep. He was appalled when I told him what happened.”
“This time …Jesus.” Vivienne dropped her head in her hands for a moment, then looked at her friend, her expression fierce. “Okay. Look, we get proactive. I’ll start the process of looking for another investor, quietly, and I think you could use some space to go do some snooping. We’ll set up a trip somewhere neutral—Paris, I think—and you fly there, then on to Uganda to investigate Aldo’s business interest over there. I’ll pay for that ticket out of my own pocket, so it doesn’t have to go through the magazine's accounts. I don’t want you there more than a couple of days, though. H
e’s obviously got spies everywhere.”
The waiter interrupted them then. “Excuse me, ladies, can I refill your drinks?”
They both nodded, and the waiter took their glasses. In a second he was back, but on the tray he left, there was a napkin covered something bulky. Elli and Vivienne looked at each other before Elli picked up the napkin. On the tray sat a burner phone covered with lilac-colored rhinestones. It looked so tacky that they both laughed and Elli grinned as it began to ring. Vivienne looked confused.
“Hey, baby,” Elli said as she answered the call. She mouthed an apology to Vivienne, who waved in assent
Indio chuckled. “Hello, gorgeous. I thought you would appreciate the bling.”
“You lunatic. I love you.”
“Love you too, cara mia. You look beautiful right now. Don’t turn around. I’m sitting behind you, two tables away.”
Elli felt warmth rush through her knowing he was so close. “Did you hear what we were saying?”
“Some. And I think I can help on two of those issues. One—your magazine will be fine. I’ll make sure of that. You have me as an investor for as long as you want me.”
“Oh, god, Indio, that’s wonderful. Thank you.”
“Don’t say my name, just in case, baby. The other thing …I’ll meet you in Paris and go with you to Uganda. There’s no way I’m letting you go there on your own. It’s too dangerous.”
Elli was silent for a moment. “Then I guess we take our first trip together.”
Indio chuckled. “In between all the snooping, I think we can find something to do. A little advice …wear a disguise. That sound corny, but Constanza will have people out looking for you. Book yourself into a hotel in Paris—not a suspicious and one—and I’ll hire someone to pose as you at the hotel, so if Constanza checks, he’ll think you’re there. Really, you’ll be staying at my apartment with me.”
“You have an apartment in Paris?”
“I do now. I have to go, baby, so that if any of Aldo’s men are watching, they won’t get suspicious. Paris, baby. Keep this phone at your office.”
“I will. I love you.”
“I love you, Elli Bella. Always.”
Elli ended the call, desperate to look around to see him. In a moment, a man passed behind her, and she felt warm fingertips brush the back of her neck and shivered with pleasure. She risked a look when he was almost at the corner and saw him turn and flash a smile at her before he disappeared. She looked back at Vivienne, who smiled at her, her eyes soft. “That’s more like it. That man makes you glow, Elli. I haven’t seen you like that for years.”
And Elli felt the joy radiate from inside her. She was loved by the man she had always adored. Nothing could get in the way of that …could it?
The idea came to her when she was eating dinner with Aldo that night. The tiredness and exhaustion that had dogged her was back, and for the first time, she wondered if Aldo was drugging her. Yes, it could be paranoia, but now that she thought about it, he always insisted on preparing their food himself—claiming he was a foodie and an amateur chef—and whenever they shared a drink in the evening, he would mix them for them both. The worst of her exhaustion always began soon after. So, tonight, she picked at her food and managed to ‘accidentally’ knock over her wine. Aldo leaped up, but she waved him down.
“Don’t worry about it, honey. I’ll get it. I just want some water.”
She darted to the kitchen before he could argue. She grabbed a glass and downed some water straight from the faucet.
She felt his arms slide around her waist. Automatically, her mind went to Indio and her promise that she would always think of him when she was with Aldo. And how could she not? The difference was night and day. To Aldo, she was a possession. To Indio, she was love. “Are you okay, baby? You didn’t eat much.”
“I’m good, just not hungry. I had a big lunch with Viv.” She turned in his arms and forced herself to kiss him. “Why don’t you go mix us some drinks while I clear away?”
Aldo frowned. “Elli, we have staff for that.”
She laughed softly. “Aldo, sometimes I like to feel we’re at least a little normal. I love cleaning up. It relaxes me. And you’ve never objected to me being …relaxed before.”
She looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes and smiled. For a second, Aldo stared at her as if trying to work out if she was playing him. Elli stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, lingering over the kiss. Aldo smiled and touched the worst of the bruises on her neck, his expression contrite.
“Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
Elli chuckled softly. “Oh, you’re forgiven.” She pressed her breasts against his chest and cupped his cock through his pants, shoving down her revulsion. “And, later, I’ll show you just how much.”
He tipped her chin up for another kiss. “Then you have a deal, little one. Scotch or vodka?”
Either, asshole, I’m not drinking it. “You choose. I won’t be long.”
Elli gave him a minute before silently following him to the drawing room. She heard the clink of the crystal decanter against the glass, and edging the door open a crack, looked in. Sure enough, Aldo was pulling something from his pocket, a vial of white powder, and adding it to one of the glasses.
Elli gritted her teeth. Motherfucker. She slipped back down to the kitchen, tidying up the dinner things, and then went up, forcing a smile on her face. She pushed open the door to see he had lit candles. Good. Dim light was what she needed now. Occam’s Razor, Elli thought to herself as she went to him and curled up on his lap. Or a version of it. The simplest way is the best way. She kissed Aldo, pretending for a moment that it was Indio, and, seemingly delighted, he kissed her back, his hands running over her body.
“Fuck me in front of the fire,” Elli said, and tumbling them to the floor, Aldo proceeded to strip her. The side table was just to the side of them, and as Aldo worked his way down her body, Elli reached up and switched the glasses. She took what she hoped was the non-drugged one and downed it, making a big deal of smacking her lips after. She gave Aldo a smile as he looked up. “Just getting relaxed, baby.”
Aldo laughed, and Elli held her breath to see if he would notice the switch in glasses. From the way he drained the other glass, she guessed not, and a surge of victory swept through her. She played her part like an Oscar winner as they had sex, then led him back to bed. She had to put up with him fucking her again before he fell into a deep sleep. She waited a half hour, then shook him.
“Aldo?”
Nothing. She shook him harder. “Aldo?” Louder. “Aldo?” She leaned in and screamed in his ear. “ALDO! You absolute fucking monster, can you hear me?”
Nothing. Her heart thumping and adrenaline rushing through her system, Elli sprang out of bed and pulled her robe over her shoulder before padded silently to Aldo’s office. She went to his filing cabinets first—locked, of course, but Elli hadn’t had Enzo and Indio as partners-in-crime for nothing. She grabbed a paperclip and picked the locks. She flicked through every file quickly—most of it she didn’t understand—but there was nothing incriminating that she could see. Frustrated, she managed to lock the cabinet, then scooted to his desk, opening his laptop. It was password protected, but Elli, grinding her teeth, typed both her and Yvetta’s names and she was in. Stupid, stupid Aldo. Your arrogance and complacency will be your undoing.
She had to search, but eventually she found a folder marked simply ‘girls’ and clicked on it. There were sub folders, two of which were marked ‘Elli’ and ‘Yvetta,’ and needing some courage, she clicked on Yvetta’s first. There were perhaps thousands of photographs of the woman, although in most of them she either looked unaware that she was being watched or looked uncomfortable. There was a haunted look in her eyes. Another sub folder was labeled videos, but when she clicked on it, there was only one. Elli checked the sound was turned down and listened for any noise in the house. Silence. She clicked on the video and had to stifle a scream. Yvetta, beautiful in her wedding d
ress, was backing away from the cameraman, terror in her eyes.
Elli turned the sound up a little, trying not to be sick. “No, please, don’t …please, please don’t.” Then a sickening sound as the killer stabbed Yvetta, driving the knife into her, and Yvetta’s agonized gasp of pain. Elli watched in horror as the killer eviscerated the young woman, her cries dying down as she lost consciousness, until all Elli could hear was the attacker’s pants for air. The video ended with a close up of the knife embedded in Yvetta’s stomach, blood everywhere. Had Aldo kept it as ‘evidence’ or had he kept it as a memento …did he masturbate to it? Elli knew the answer.
“Oh god …” Elli was shaking uncontrollably, but she had to know. She clicked on her own folder. Again, photographs, this time of her. Some she had seen already, sent to her by her ‘stalker.' “Cocksucking, motherfucking asshole,” she whispered. There was a video folder, but in this one, there were multiple videos, and as she looked through them, she realized that most of them were taken in her bedroom. Not the room she slept in here, in Aldo’s house, but the one in her tiny apartment in Venice. Others were taken in her bathroom, her living room, and even her office.
“Fuck,” Elli growled and clicked on one that read, “Almost …but not yet.” She gasped when she realized it had been the night they had played the kinky game of ‘guess what?’ She was lying naked, bound, blindfolded, and Aldo was running various objects down her bare abdomen.
Elli smiled grimly when she saw the knife in his hand. I fucking knew it, she thought. The sick, sick fuck. Aldo ran the tip down until it dipped into her navel, then she watched him turn to grin at the camera, raising the knife and making a stabbing motion repeatedly, only just stopping above her skin. She heard herself say, ‘A knife?’ and Aldo raised his finger to his lips to the camera, then made a shocked face. “Of course not, Elli. Who do you think I am? It was my watch.”
So, he was planning to kill her to get back at Indio? Tough luck, you sick motherfucker, she thought as she dug around in his drawer and found a flash drive. She copied everything she could to it, then shut the computer down. She scrubbed her fingerprints from everything in the room and went back to the bedroom. Aldo was snoring loudly, and she stood over him for a moment, wondering if she had the courage to kill him. Because right now, she wanted to more than anything in the world. You. You are the reason Indio and I were apart. Your sick fantasies cost Yvetta her life—you won’t take mine.
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