Elli handed Lucy back to Ori and stepped in front of them. “No. Don’t hurt them, please Aldo …if you want me, I’ll come with you.”
“No, Elli,” Ori whispered, her voice breaking and her eyes riveted to the gun pointed at Elli. “Please, no.”
“It’s okay, Ori …” Elli was very calm. “I assume you’re here for me …so take me, Aldo. Do what you want with me, but leave them alone.”
Aldo put his head to the side as if thinking. “You seem to think you’re in charge here, Elli, but I’ll give you a break. I’ll let the lovely Mrs. Bartoli and her child live …if you’ll play a little game with me.”
“Whatever you want …”
Aldo made a face. “Of course, I don’t want my little game to be interrupted by the people Mrs. Bartoli would surely warn.”
Oh, god, no. “Please, Aldo …”
Aldo looked at Mario. “Wound, but don’t kill Mrs. Bartoli, would you please?”
“No!” Elli screamed, but Aldo pulled her out of the way, and Ori, knowing what was going to happen, shoved her daughter into Elli’s arms. Mario shot Ori, the bullet slamming into her shoulder and knocking her back against the cold tile. As she fell, her head cracked against the hard marble of the sink. Ori slumped to the floor, bleeding. Elli whimpered, and Lucy began to cry. Mario checked Ori’s pulse.
“Alive.”
Aldo nodded. “Good. Take the child, Mario.”
The guard stepped forward to take Lucy, but Elli was ready for him. Stamping on Aldo’s instep, she kicked out of his hold and drove her knee into Mario’s groin. The bodyguard buckled, and she used her knee to smash his forehead.
Aldo grabbed her and Elli felt the sting of a hypodermic needle in her neck. No …he was drugging her again. The effects were almost instantaneous. Aldo took Lucy from her arms and placed her next to her unconscious mother. Elli slumped to the ground, and Aldo picked her up just as Mario came around. Aldo bent down again and retrieved the bodyguard’s gun. He shot Mario without hesitation, putting a bullet into the man’s head. “Loose ends.”
As she finally gave into the drugs, Aldo smiled at her. “If only your death were going to be that merciful, Elli, my darling.”
Not knowing if she would ever wake up again, Elli’s last thought was of Lucy, Ori, and her darling Indio.
Indio excused himself from the host’s wife and went to find Elli. He found their table and saw Maceo talking to another friend. “Hey, where did Elli and Ori go?”
Maceo grinned. “Diaper duty.” He glanced at his watch and his smile faded. “Quite a while ago now.” He got up. Indio tamped down the feeling of panic. Elli’s bodyguard was gone, so he was with them, and they were okay, right?
Indio and Maceo walked quickly to the bathroom, and just as they drew close, Maceo heard his daughter screaming. He shared a panicked glance with Indio and both men started to run.
They burst into the bathroom as Ori, her head bleeding and her shoulder gushing blood, reached for her daughter with her good arm. “Ori!” Maceo dropped to her side and she leaned into him as he put his arms around her. She looked out of it, but she gazed up at Maceo, then Indio, who was checking Mario’s pulse and trying to quell the scream inside him. Where was Elli?
Indio knew even before Ori managed to choke out the words. “He took her, Indio. Aldo Constanza has Elli.”
Elli came around, her mind whirling and her breath shallow, just as Aldo had finished dressing her. They were in the back of a van with darkened windows and outside she could hear the sounds of revelers. The Masquerade Ball had spilled out onto the streets of her city. She looked down at her body—he had dressed her in a wedding dress, and Elli could see now, with a jolt of terror, that it was identical to the one Yvetta was murdered in.
This was it. She was going to die and she’d never see Indio again.
Aldo kissed her, and she spat in his face. “True colors,” he laughed. “You always were a little savage.”
He hauled her into a sitting position. “Now, Elli, we’re going to play a little game. A game of hunter and hunted. I’ll give you a fair head start, of course, but the moment I catch you, my dearest, sweet Elli, is the moment I will end this and kill you. And I will kill you, Elli. You know that. But I will give you a fair head start. Give you the slightest hope, just so I can snatch it away the second my knife slices into your beautiful body. So, go …”
The drugs in Elli’s system were making her senses whirl and she couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying. Her vision was doubled. Her chest felt tight with fear and terror …what was he saying?
“Go …go now, Elliana …and just remember this …you won’t see me coming.”
He pushed her from the back of the van into the crowd of people, who carried her along in their throng. Elli was in the midst of a full-blown panic now, terrified that Aldo would kill her; more terrified that she wouldn’t find her way back to Indio before he did. She had no way of knowing that at that same moment, Indio was frantically watching the CCTV from the security room of the hotel.
“There.” Indio pointed at a blacked-out van, watching in horror as he saw Aldo carrying an unconscious Elli to it and throwing her into the back. He isn’t even trying to hide now, Indio thought. And that’s what makes him lethal. They managed to track the van to the edge of Piazza San Marco and Indio was staggered to watch Elli being released—wearing Yvetta’s wedding dress. In a few moments, he watched Aldo, wearing a grotesque cupid’s mask, get out of the van and follow her. In his hand, a glint of steel.
Cursing loudly, Indio and the security team at the hotel set off at a run, the host shouting that he would call the polizia for them.
Indio didn’t hear anything but the roaring of blood in his ears. Aldo was going to kill his Elli. He was hunting her down and would butcher her publicly, not caring if he was arrested or killed. All Aldo could see now, Indio knew, was Elli’s blood on his hands.
Indio could barely breathe as he raced through the night to save his love.
Elli grazed her arms as she stumbled down another alleyway. Her head was beginning to clear and she knew she would have a better chance of surviving if she hid back amongst the revelers. She staggered down the alleyway, almost sobbing as she saw a crowd at the end of it. But as she reached the end, Aldo stepped into the light. His mask was a grotesque, malevolent cupid’s face and his large body filled the entrance to the alley. Elli ran straight into him, and he grabbed her and pushed her again the wall.
Behind him, revelers danced and sang, leaving no one to hear her agonized gasp as Aldo, without hesitation, drove the knife into her belly. All the breath was knocked from her lungs as he ripped the knife from her and stabbed her again. Elli looked down in disbelief to see her blood pooling across her dress, gushing from the vicious wounds. As her killer stabbed her again, she cried out, and he put his free hand over her mouth.
“Ssh, ssh, beautiful Elli. It’s all over now.”
Weakening, Elli reached up and pulled the mask from his face. Aldo Constanza, his face one of utter cruelty, held her as he plunged the knife into her again and then lowered her to the cold ground. Elli’s chest felt tight and she could smell the blood. She moaned, and her back arched as he stabbed her again. Aldo laughed, but his face twisted into a snarl.
“You shouldn’t have loved him, Elli. You were mine, just as Yvetta was mine. When I found out that his one true love was alive and living in Venice—I had to have you.” He touched her face. “From the first moment, I wanted to feel your blood on my hands, but I had to play the long game, make Navaro feel as if he’d won—that he could love you and be happy. The fool. I intended to kill you from that first moment, Elliana. That first moment when my car drove straight at you and you slipped on the ice. It was so easy. Fucking you was a bonus. But this, my sweet girl, this was always the end game. Goodbye, Elli.”
And he raised the knife to finish her.
Indio, desperate now, raced through the streets of Venice, frantic to find her. Everything we
nt through his –mind—what if she fell into the Lagoon? What if she slipped and hit her head?
What if Constanza found her before he could?
God, no. He rammed his way through the crowds, down dark alleys, and over bridges to find her.
When he turned into the final alley before rejoining the throng, his blood froze. Elli was on the ground, and Aldo Constanza, his weapon raised, was about to kill her. Even from this distance, Indio could see her red blood stark against the white dress. Oh, please, no …Indio snatched his pistol from his waistband and, without hesitation, he aimed the gun at Aldo.
“Constanza! Drop the knife, now!”
Constanza looked up and grinned. He stood, dropping the bloody knife. Keeping his gun trained on him, Indio stalked forward.
“She’s already dead, Navaro. I did what I intended. I killed the love of your life. Look at her bleed, Navaro …she died in agony.”
Indio knew he was trying to get him to shift focus—but Indio knew if he did, they were both dead.
Hold on, my love, please …
“It’s too late, Navaro …you’ve lost. She’s losing too much blood. You can’t save her. Admit defeat.”
“Shut the fuck up, Constanza.”
Aldo Constanza was gleeful now, giggling like a child. “You know I fucked her, right? God how I fucked her …in every room of the house you built me. She sucked my cock, and I ate her cunt …whore …”
Indio shot Aldo between the eyes without warning and Aldo dropped, his big body slumping over Elli, who moaned softly. God, she’s alive. Indio dropped to his knees and pushed the dead man away from his love. He didn’t waste time talking, knowing every moment counted now. He simply scooped her up with the words, “Hold on, my darling love. Hold on for me, please.” Then he was running through the crowds—running to save her life.
Every moment he expected the doctor to come and tell him, “We did everything we could, but I’m afraid she didn’t make it.”
Every moment he expected to sense the moment that Elli died. Indio closed his eyes, praying, exhausted and desolate. He tried to reason—tried to tell himself it was a longshot and that she was too hurt. To distract himself, he’d called the police and told them everything, and now there was a detective with him, relaying all the information his detectives had found. Aldo Constanza was confirmed dead. His fingerprints all over the knife that had ripped Elli apart. The detective with Indio now was empathetic and respectful. Indio knew his own face was a mask of pain now. So many masks. So many lies.
So much horror. If he’d only gone against what Enzo Moretti had told him all those years ago and made it clear to Enzo that he, Indio, would love and care for Elli better than anyone and that he was in love with her. He should have tried harder. Elli wouldn’t be so hurt now. Yvetta would be alive, married to someone who truly loved her, who didn’t love someone else, and she would have a whole bunch of beautiful kids.
He and Elli would be married and he would have given her everything. Their children would be playing in the fields and olive groves around their house in the country. God, Elli …I love you more than life itself …please come back to me.
Elli drifted back into consciousness, then immediately wished she hadn’t. Opening her eyes to bright white light was agony. Her soul felt disconnected from her body. There was pain—not as much as she would have expected from being cut open—but low-level discomfort and stiffness.
Her mouth was tinder-dry and sore, and she gave a little moan as she moved. Vivienne came into her field of vision, then, her elegant features thinner and shadowed with grief.
She smiled down at Elli, her cool hand on Elli’s forehead. “Well, hello again, pumpkin. Good to see you.” The tears in her eyes belied the gentle humor. “Thank God you’re okay, sorella.” She used the Italian word for sister.
“What happened?” Her voice came out as a croak, and, before answering her, Vivienne held a cup of water to her mouth so she could drink.
“You were drugged, then while you were trying to get help, Aldo Constanza stabbed you almost to death. Indio killed Aldo and got you here.”
“Indio?” Elli’s head whirled, trying to wrap around the barrage of information. “He’s here?”
Vivienne nodded, her face showing signs of tension. “He’s been a mess. He was devastated when he brought you in. The doctors warned us you might not make it …it took me a week to persuade him to change his shirt—it was covered in your blood. He never left the hospital.”
“A week? How long have I been out?”
Vivienne stroked her hair. “You’ve been in a coma for a month, darling. At first, they gave you a five percent chance of making it and told us to prepare ourselves. The knife severed your abdominal artery and you lost almost half your blood volume. It’s a miracle you made it, Elli. A miracle. What do you remember?”
Elli stared at the ceiling. “Aldo stabbed me. He was so cold. He told me he meant to kill me all along, as revenge on Indio …” She gave a humorless laugh. “Revenge for ‘forcing’ Aldo to kill Yvetta. Aldo’s face when he stuck that knife in my gut …I’ll never forget it. Such hatred.”
Vivienne dropped her head into her hands and gave a little sob. “When I think I encouraged you to be with him …I can never say sorry enough, Elli.”
Elli reached out and took her hand. “Viv, he fooled us all. He was clever and manipulative. You know that first day, when I almost got hit by a car, slipped, and he helped me? It was his car that nearly hit me. He already knew who I was; he knew Indio and I had history and that we loved each other—love each other …please, Viv, I need to see him now.” Her voice broke and she began to cry silently.
Vivienne held her, pushing the call button. When the nurse came in, Vivienne smiled at her. “Would you send someone to get Mr. Navaro, please? He’ll be in the cafeteria—look for the beautiful man who looks like a wreck. Tell him the love of his life wants to see him.”
Two years later …
“You evil little monster.”
Elli stifled a laugh as Lily Storm launched herself at Dario Bartoli, who had just turned a very cold hosepipe on her. Dario grinned unrepentantly as Lily chased around the garden. Ori poked Elli in the ribs. “Don’t encourage him, Els.”
“Nah,” Jess Storm grinned at them both. “He’s fine. Lily could do with a soaking.”
Her daughter overheard her. “Mom!”
The parents all laughed at the betrayal in her voice. They were sitting at the long wooden table in Elli and Indio’s garden, the men cooking on the outside grill and waving away offers of help from the women, who shrugged and left them to it. Elli looked at her friends and felt lucky. Lucky to be alive, lucky to be with these wonderful people, and lucky to have her love at her side. Indio saw her gazing at him and came over to steal a kiss.
“This bikini top is coming off the minute we’re alone,” he said in a low whisper, but Tandy, sitting next to Elli, rolled her eyes.
“Isn’t there some scientific theory that says couples move out of that nauseating loved-up phase after two years?”
Elli grinned. “Will never happen,” she said as Indio shook his head. “Nope, not a possibility.”
“Same here.” Jess put her hand up and then glared playfully at Theo until he agreed with a grin.
“Didn’t happen for us.” Maceo wrapped his arms around his wife’s neck. Ori had only just recovered from being shot, having had extensive physiotherapy, but it hadn’t dampened her joie de vivre. She grinned at Tandy now.
“You wait. It’ll be your turn soon.”
“Ha, never,” Tandy said and got up to chase the children around the garden.
The sun was setting when their friends finally left, driving the two hours back to stay in Venice. Elli and Indio took a stroll down through their olive groves and row and rows of grapes on the vine. Elli leaned against her husband, and he hooked his arm around her neck, crushing her lips under his. “God, I love you, Mrs. Navaro.”
She grinned. “Well
, you better …what a fantastic day.”
“I know. Days like this …well …”
Elli stopped and looked up at him curiously. “What?”
Indio sighed, his green eyes bright and hopeful as he looked out over the countryside, then back at his beloved wife. “They make me excited. Excited for us and for what the future might bring.”
He looked down and stroked her belly. “One day …”
Elli nodded. “We’ll get there, Indio. I want to give you a dozen beautiful kids who look just like you.”
“I’d much prefer they look like you, especially the girls,” he laughed. Elli smiled and pulled him down on the ground, kissing him and tangling her fingers in his hair. Indio covered her body with his and pushed her skirt up, pulling her panties down her legs as she giggled at his wicked grin.
“Okay, well, seeing as we’re having a dozen …oh, god, Indio,” she gasped as his fingers stroked her clit, then dipped inside her. “Let’s say we’ll settle for six of each and …oh, oh ….”
She didn’t finish her sentence as, with one long stroke, Indio’s cock was inside her and she forgot what they were talking about as they made love in the sultry Italian dusk.
The End
Thank you for reading Dark Masquerade!
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Vengeful Seduction
A Submissives’ Secrets Novel
A young woman finds herself as the nurse to an old, male billionaire. He leaves everything to her when he dies, infuriating the billionaire’s one grandson, who’s had nothing to do with him for the last twelve years.
The grandson decides to seduce the nurse and get her to marry him. He plans to be utterly charming right up until the moment they say ‘I do,’ then be so neglectful of her that she’ll cheat on him. To ensure his plan works, he pays a friend of his to offer her comfort and support, making sure she’s poised to fall straight into his friend’s arms. Then he can divorce her and get most of his grandfather’s money back.
Her Dark Melody Page 32