Under Her Skin

by Michelle Love

  Arturo stared at Hero unhappily, and she returned his gaze steadily. “I don’t like this.”

  “It’ll all be totally in public.”

  “What if he wants you to go somewhere else with him? If you say no, he’ll get suspicious, I’m telling you.”

  Hero took a deep breath in. “Then we’ll have a detective follow me.”

  Arturo closed his eyes. He was haunted by the image of Hero, in a pool of her own blood, her belly torn open, her eyes closed forever.

  Stop it.

  “No. There are too many things that can go wrong.”

  “Turo.” Hero stood and put her arms around him. “He, whoever he is, has my sister and the police have no clues. We have to do this. We have to investigate every one of our friends and colleagues one by one. No one is going to help us with this.”

  Arturo pulled her close. “If anything happens to you…”

  “It won’t. I’m pretty scrappy. The dude in the Patrizzi apartment…I just didn’t see him coming. This way, we’re tackling it head on. We’re prepared.”

  Arturo tangled his fingers in her hair and was silent for a long moment. “Promise you won’t put yourself in danger.”

  “No more than I have to.”

  “It takes a second, a momentary lapse, and then you’re bleeding out, and I lose you forever.”

  “Not going to happen.” Hero nodded confidently, and Arturo knew she would not be persuaded otherwise.

  Chapter Twenty

  George Galiano looked up from his newspaper to see Hero Donati stalk into the restaurant, followed by an angry-looking Arturo. Arturo grabbed her arm, and she whirled around on him. “Don’t. I told you, it’s over! Leave me alone!”

  “Please don’t do this, Hero, I love you…I’m sorry.”

  Hero pushed Arturo away as he reached for her. “No…I don’t want this. Please, leave me alone…please…” She began to cry, and Arturo ran his hand through his dark curls. He looked utterly destroyed.

  “I can’t believe this is over…”

  Hero shook her head, tears pouring down her lovely face. “It should never have started.”

  Arturo stared at her for a moment longer, then turned on his heel and stalked out.

  Well, well, well.

  George made sure he was the first one to approach a sobbing Hero, steering her into a private booth. “Bella, please, sit down and calm yourself. Could we have a brandy over here, please?” He smiled at a worried-looking waitress who nodded and took off.

  He sat down next to Hero, his arm around her trembling body. He stroked her long dark hair back over her shoulder. “Come now, lovely Hero, please don’t cry.”

  “It’s over, it’s over…” She kept repeating and shaking her head, but finally, he got her to take a few deep breaths and calm herself. She sipped the brandy he had ordered her.

  “Okay?”

  “God, I’m so sorry…thank you, George. What must people think of me? It’s just…”

  George smiled at her, taking her hand. “What happened?”

  She met his gaze. “He was…getting too possessive. I’m not sure if I should tell you this but…I’ve been getting threats. Death threats.”

  “Mio Dio, no.”

  Hero nodded. “They—whoever they are—have taken my sister. I’m supposed to hand myself over to whoever it is, and they’ll let her go.”

  “And you?”

  She met his gaze, the terror in her lovely brown eyes searing. “I’ll be killed.”

  “But why for heaven’s sake?”

  She shook her head, tears dropping down her cheeks. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

  “And Bachi is what? Telling you how to run your life?”

  “He said…God…I don’t even think he meant it now, but just hearing the words come out of his mouth…”

  “Tell me.” George leaned forward, and she searched his eyes.

  “He said…if it meant me dying, he…would let Imelda die.”

  George sat back, sucking in a deep breath. “I can see his point, but you still must have been shocked.”

  “I was. I challenged him…and that’s when things got bad. He practically wanted me to be a prisoner in my own—hell, not even my own home, but his. He took my phone, wouldn’t let me call my parents in the US…the last week has been nothing short of hell. God, I really shouldn’t be telling you this. I should go.”

  Hero stood, flustered and flushed, but George caught her hand. “No, don’t go. At least until you’ve calmed down. I can find you somewhere to stay tonight.”

  “No, really, it’s fine. Thank you.”

  “Hero.” George stood, dwarfing her tiny frame. “Allow me to help. However much you might think it, this is not a safe place for a beautiful woman on her own.”

  Hero looked wary for a moment, then her shoulders slumped. “Fine.”

  She allowed him to steer her out of the restaurant and into his car. “I’ll take you to a hotel outside of town. That way, you can find some peace.”

  “Thank you.” She still seemed a little nervous, looking around as they pulled away from the sidewalk. George kept glancing over at her. Was she scared that Arturo might see them? Was she scared of him?

  He smiled to himself. He had waited weeks for this moment, to be alone with her, vulnerable and distressed. He tapped in a number on his cell phone, switching it to hands-free as he drove. “Yes, this is George Galiano. I need your best hotel suite. Yes…today. I have a friend in need of it. Thank you, we’ll be there directly.”

  He ended the call and looked at Hero, who was calmer now and silent. She looked pale. “The Villa Helena has a suite for you.”

  “I can’t thank you enough.”

  “I’ll arrange for your things to be brought over from Villa Bachi.”

  Hero sighed. “I never thought when I came here that this would be my life.”

  George put his hand on hers, and she stiffened but didn’t pull away. “I believe I’ve said this to you before, Hero. Arturo Bachi isn’t your only option.”

  Hero didn’t say anything then. After he’d installed her in the suite at the Villa Helena, he kissed her hand and left her alone. Going down to reception, he slid a one-hundred euro note to the receptionist, a cute young blonde who he’d fucked on more than one occasion. “I want to know her every movement, every phone call out, everything. If she has any visitors,” he said, and the blonde nodded, simpering at him. He’d take her out as thanks, plow that sweet cunt of hers, and pretend she was Hero. Soon, he wouldn’t have to pretend.

  Because George Galiano always, always got what he wanted, and by God, he wanted Hero Donati, and he would do anything to have her, even if it meant taking her against her will.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “He’s having you watched by the hotel staff.”

  Hero sighed. “I thought as much. Did he send one of his goons for my clothes?”

  Arturo laughed darkly. “He wouldn’t dare. He’ll come himself to rub my nose in it.”

  “God, he’s such a creep.”

  “I’m sorry, baby. Look, we can call this off anytime, you know that.”

  Hero smiled down at the burner phone she was using. “I do know that, but while Melly is still missing, I’ll do anything. Turo,” she faltered a little, “getting a read on George might mean…me going along with what he wants…to a point of course.”

  Arturo was silent, and Hero felt her heart clench. “Baby, I love you, only you. But I might need to appear to be…God…submitting to his ‘charms.’ So gross.”

  Arturo gave a half-laugh, and she relaxed a little. “Be careful, Hero, I couldn’t bear the thought of him touching you. What’s your read on him so far?”

  “Creepy asshole, hates you, wants to fuck me just because I’m yours—or, to his knowledge, your ex. Following my gut? I just don’t know yet. I need to get a little more information. See if he gives anything up.”

  “Mio Dio,” Arturo sighed. “Do what you have to do, cara
mia, but please, take care.”

  “I will. What’s your plan?”

  “Going to my uncle. Besides you, he’s the only person I trust to be honest with me.”

  Hero bit her lip. “You’re going to talk to him about Pete?”

  “Yep. God, I hate, hate, hate that I have to question my oldest friend’s motives. He’s been nothing but a rock to me.”

  “I know, baby, I’m sorry.”

  “But, like you, I have to follow my gut, if only to rule him out.”

  She sighed. “I know.”

  “Listen, the rooms next to your suite have my people in them. You get scared at all—scream. They’ll be right there.”

  Hero sighed. “God, I miss you already.”

  “And I you, my darling. Do we really have any idea what we’re doing?”

  Hero gave a half-sob, half-laugh. “No. But we have to do something, and this is it.”

  “I know. You should hear some of the ridiculous notions going around my head about who could be targeting you and me.”

  “Like?”

  Arturo hesitated. “Like…Tom. What if he faked his death? What if…blah blah blah. You see? Ridiculous—and I feel bad for even thinking that about your husband. I’m sorry.”

  “No, I get it. I’m having crazy thoughts like that as well. I didn’t get to see Tom and Beth buried, so there’s always going to be that lack of closure for me. But they’re just that—crazy thoughts. …And Arturo?”

  “Yes, cara mia?”

  “You are my husband now.”

  Arturo laughed, a deep, rich sound which warmed her soul. “You bet I am. I love you.”

  “I love you, baby. Sleep well.”

  “Goodnight, il mia amore.”

  Arturo wasn’t surprised when George Galiano showed up at Villa Bachi the next morning. George’s smile was insidious.

  “I come on behalf of a friend to ask you to send her belongings on to her. She asked that I take possession of them as she doesn’t wish for you to know where she is.”

  Arturo ground his teeth together and had to remind himself this was all a ruse, or else he would have punched the smug smile off of George’s face. “Drop the bullshit, Galiano. Hero can fight her own battles; she doesn’t need you.”

  George smirked a little. “You abandoned her in tears in a restaurant. She’s utterly humiliated.”

  “And what do you know about Hero? You’ve spoken what? Three times since she’s been here? Stay out of things which don’t concern you, George. Now, are you going to tell me where she is?”

  “No, I think she’d rather you didn’t know. From what I hear, she’s already going through a tough time.”

  Arturo went very still. “And what do you know about that?”

  George smiled. “Hero told me everything. Seems you just can’t keep your women safe, can you, Bachi? First Flavia, now Hero.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to Hero.” Arturo kept his cool, but his knuckles were going white as he curled his hands into fists.

  “I certainly hope not. What a waste it would be, such beauty. This community couldn’t take another tragedy.”

  George was enjoying this, but Arturo couldn’t tell whether his enjoyment was from goading Arturo or from the thought of hurting Hero. He prayed it was the former.

  “What do you want, George?”

  George’s smile disappeared. “Nothing you could give me. I’ve come to expect nothing from you. As should that lovely girl. You’re a cancer, Bachi. You ruin lives. You deserve every bit of pain that comes to you. Maybe Hero would be better off dead.”

  Arturo lunged for him. George sidestepped him neatly, and Arturo went sprawling. As he clambered to his feet, George chuckled. “You know what, Bachi? My mission from now on will be to poison lovely Hero against you. Given the state she was in yesterday, it’ll be a cakewalk. You’ll see. That beauty will be in my bed soon enough, and once again, you’ll be left with nothing. Any wonder your women always choose me?”

  He stalked out, and Arturo heard him laugh as he left the house. Arturo got to his feet slowly, dusting himself off. It had taken all of his will to fake that lunge, send himself sprawling to the floor, humiliating himself in front of his old enemy.

  He picked up the burner phone and called his wife. “He bought it,” he said and began to smile.

  “My dear, I’m afraid I don’t think Bachi will be sending your belongings to you. He’s behaving like a child, petulant and selfish—as always.”

  Hero nodded, sighing. “Well, it was only clothes, George. There are plenty of stores. I’d rather not risk a confrontation with him. I’d rather not see him at all.”

  George sat down on the suite’s couch. Hero took a seat opposite him. “You’ve been very kind, George. I can’t thank you enough. I just have to figure out what my next move will be.”

  He nodded. “I would like to help you if you’ll allow. Perhaps we could send out some detectives to find where your sister is being held.”

  Hero’s heart began to thud a little quicker. “Arturo already did that. There was no sign of her around Como or Milan.”

  “Perhaps Bachi doesn’t have the contacts I do.” George’s smile was snake-like, and Hero felt a cold shot of adrenaline through her stomach.

  Careful, careful now…

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean…he is more…discerning about who his business contacts are. I’m not naïve like him. I go where the money is and sometimes that means…”

  “The underworld. Why would someone in the underworld want me dead?”

  George studied her, his eyes like gimlets. “There is always a good reason to kill a beautiful woman, Hero.”

  His words felt like a knife in her gut. Ironic, she thought, seeing as he is now my number one suspect for wanting to knife me in the gut. “Would you kill me, George?” Her voice was soft.

  His expression changed immediately. “My dearest Hero, no, that is not what I meant! I wasn’t talking about myself, rather, the world in general.” He sighed. “So much jealousy in this world, so much entitlement. ‘She is mine. If I can’t have her, no one can, etcetera, etcetera.’ We see it every day on our television news. Dear one, no, I only meant…there doesn’t appear to a limit to the reasons why.”

  Huh. He had a point, but it still made her feel sick. In a flash, he was sitting next to her. She tried not to flinch as he stroked her hair back behind her ear. His eyes were intent on hers, and she looked back steadily.

  “You are truly exquisite,” he murmured. “It would be a tragedy if any harm befell you, Hero Donati. A tragedy. I will not let that happen.”

  Oh, God, he’s going to kiss me. Go along with it. Fake it. Don’t throw up. But instead, George picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. She breathed out shakily, letting him hear her nerves, hoping he would think it was desire.

  His arrogance won out. “Darling one, I will call on you…later. If I may, that is? For supper?”

  She forced a smile on her face. “Sure.”

  He did kiss her then, just a light brushing of lips against hers. Hero clenched her fists but didn’t pull away. “Later, then.” His voice was full of meaning.

  Hero smiled. “Later.”

  She waited until he had closed the door and heard the elevator ping down the corridor, before she scooted out and knocked on the room next to hers. Gaudio opened the door.

  “Hey there.” His big grin made her feel a lot more secure.

  “Got a problem,” Hero said after hugging him. “I might need you to do some serious acting for me tonight to get me out of, well, um…having to sleep with George Galiano.”

  As Gaudio’s eyes opened wide, she grinned and nodded to a chair. “Have a seat. This might take some planning.”

  “No fucking way.”

  Hero chuckled. “There’s no way I’m actually going to go through with it. I’ve worked it out with Gaudio. He’s going to interrupt at the appropriate moment.”

  Arturo sighed. �
��I hate this. I hate not being with you, not being able to protect you.”

  “Don’t worry about me, baby. Have you called your uncle?”

  “I have. He’s not doing so good. Peter has been over with him and says if I want to see him, I’d better do it soon. My last remaining family.”

  “Not true, sweetie, but I know how you feel. I just keep thinking of Melly. I feel in my bones that she’s still alive, but what she’s going through, I just can’t imagine. She’s tough, but whoever this psycho is…”

  “I know, sweetheart. You have to do whatever you can to find your sister. Hero, I love you. I trust you. That the man’s hands will be on you…Jesus, I want to kill him. But I trust you.”

  “I will never, ever betray that trust.”

  George had obviously dressed for a seduction. Hero tried to smile at him as he glided into the room. He reminded her of Al Pacino in Scarface. The effect was slightly comical, and Hero channeled her amusement into a welcoming smile.

  “You look handsome.”

  He kissed her. “And you look ravishing.” He ran his hand down the side of her slinky red dress; Hero tried desperately to not squirm away. “I have to admit, I’ve been thinking about this ever since you came to Como, Hero. The same as every man here.”

  Hero smiled and turned to get her purse. When she turned back, George was closer than she had realized, and he pulled her into his body. God. She could feel his erect cock against her belly, and her stomach flipped in disgust.

  “Shall we go down to dinner?”

  He smiled his snaky smile. “No, I changed the order. We’re eating here.”

  A knock at the door and he opened it. Three waiters silently pushed three trollies into the room and then left just as quietly. Hero frowned. “Are you that hungry?”

  George chuckled. “Just this trolley is our supper, dear one. The rest…is for later.”

  Oh, dear God, what the hell is he playing at? Hero gave a nervous glance to the adjoining door; she hoped like hell Gaudio wouldn’t miss his cue.