Under Her Skin

by Michelle Love

  The food was, she had to admit, exquisite. A light dish of marinated salmon, a side salad, and crisp, flame-grilled asparagus. George poured white wine for them. Hero studied him. He really was the most arrogant man she had ever met. She knew he felt sure they would be having sex later.

  Not happening, my friend.

  The thought of him touching her made her want to throw up.

  But she smiled and conversed politely, trying to get the measure of him. The more he spoke, the more she was convinced he was too damn stupid to have come up with everything her tormentor had put her through, and moreover, he was too vain to get himself into any bloodletting. He couldn’t live the lifestyle he wanted from behind bars.

  After dinner, Hero got up. “Shall we take our wine to the balcony?”

  George smiled. “I don’t think so, Hero. Come now. We both know why I’m here.”

  He got up and took her hand. “Come see the toys I have for us.”

  Toys? Oh…shit.

  He lifted the silver platter covers to reveal a plethora of sex toys, lube, condoms…rope. “We can have a good time tonight, Hero. And just think of it…when I tell Arturo that I fucked his beautiful ex and the things she allowed me to do to her…you’ll enjoy his pain, no doubt.”

  Hero tried to smile through the nausea. “Let me just go … freshen up.”

  “Of course. Don’t be too long.”

  Hero played along, sliding her finger under his tie and letting it slip across her hand. “Oh, I won’t.” It’ll only take a second to padlock my chastity belt. Her nerves were making her want to giggle, and she fled to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She snagged the burner phone from beneath the cabinet. “Gaudio…thirty-second warning.”

  “You got it.”

  Hero stuck the phone back and flushed the toilet, running the shower. She had put on sexy, but not transparent underwear, just in case things needed to get that far, but she couldn’t bring herself to strip. She sucked in a deep breath…and went back out to see George, already shirtless, waiting for her. He held out his hand. “My dear…”

  They both jumped as the fire alarm went off, screeching through the hotel. A look of pure frustration crossed George’s face, and he reached for her again. “It’s probably just a drill—”

  Hero was already running toward the door. “I’m not taking that risk!”

  Gaudio, I damn well love you.

  She ran out, followed by a cursing George, tugging his shirt on. She made eye contact with Gaudio, who was helping people down the stairs and nodded, a tiny movement of her head. He winked at her.

  Downstairs, the guests of the hotel were milling around in the evening air. It was cooler now, but Hero’s adrenaline was racing. George wasn’t letting her out of his sight. Once the alarm was found to be false, and they were allowed back into the hotel, he’d want her back to join him in his sordid little game.

  Hero was quite aware of what he was doing. He wanted to brag to Arturo that he’d done things with Hero that Arturo never had—wait. Hero began to smile to herself. There was her answer right there. Go big or go home.

  As she expected, they let them back in. Gaudio looked at Hero, but she shook her head, mouthed, “It’s okay. I got this from here.”

  Back in the suite, Hero trailed her fingers over the dildos, riding crops, the paddles. She picked one up and studied it. George’s eyes were alive with excitement. “Shall we?”

  Hero put her best bored look on her face. “Is this it?”

  That stumped him. “Sorry?”

  She threw the paddle back on the trolley and looked up at him. “It’s a little…tame for my tastes.”

  George rocked back a little. “Tame?”

  Hero laughed. “Paddles, George? Riding crops? I outgrew them when I was fifteen.” She sighed a bored, irritated sound and sat down. “What else you got?”

  She had him. He had to save face in front of her. Hero prayed he wouldn’t get nasty; she still had to be one hundred percent convinced he didn’t know where Melly was, but as the minutes ticked by, she looked at the man in front of her and saw only a petty little toddler. George was no more a killer than she was.

  George nodded. “I understand. I was testing your…taste for things. I thought, if I really told you what I like, you would get scared.”

  “What do you like, George?”

  He smiled. “Maybe we should save this conversation for another night. The fire alarm killed the mood.”

  “It has.” She stood and went to him, placing her hand flat against his chest. “Thank you for a lovely supper, George, but I think, for now I just want to focus on getting my sister back. After she’s safe, well…”

  George nodded. He pressed his lips to hers briefly. Hero broke away but smiled to soften the blow. “Goodnight, George.”

  “Good night, bella Hero.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  She waited a good ten minutes after he’d gone to call Arturo. “Hey, gorgeous.”

  “Hey, cara mia. Listen, do me a favor. Double lock your hotel room door for me right now.”

  Hero’s hackles went up, and she did what he asked.

  “Now, close the drapes.”

  “Done.”

  Arturo gave a little laugh. “Now, come to the adjoining door to Gaudio’s room.”

  She did and as she opened her side of the door, the other door opened, and she burst into laughter as Arturo came through the door, grinning at her.

  “Gaudio called me…”

  “How did you get in without being seen?” She threw her arms around him and kissed him until they were breathless.

  “I have a friend with the Vigili del Fuoco, the fire service. They let me borrow a uniform, so when they were called to the false alarm…”

  Hero laughed. “You’re a genius. And I just so happen have a fire in me, Signore Fireman, and I need you to put it out.”

  Arturo grinned. “God, I missed you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, me, too. Fuck me, Bachi, right now.”

  Arturo swept her up into his arms and took her to bed. “I like this dress, Hero. I’m just sad he got to see it first.”

  “Rip it off me,” she ordered. “I can get another red dress just for you.”

  Arturo did as she asked, tearing open the zipper and pulling the fabric off her. She was pulling at his sweater, yanking it over his head, desperate for him to be naked. Soon, their clothes were off, and Hero opened her arms to him. He hitched her legs over his shoulders and buried his tongue deep inside her, making her squeal.

  “You must never spend another night away from me,” he ordered, and she laughed.

  “Keep doing that, and I won’t want to, baby. Oh, God, yes, that’s it, right there…oh…”

  He went down on her until she was weeping with ecstasy and then drove his engorged and pulsating cock deep into her cunt, reaming it into submission as Hero writhed and moaned below him. His kisses were almost feral in his hunger for her.

  “Hero,” he panted, as they both approached their climax. “Marry me, for real, right now, tonight…”

  Hero couldn’t answer right away; her breath was taken away by the force of her orgasm, and she cried his name out again and again. Once they had collapsed back on the bed, she grinned at him. “The answer is yes, by the way, but I think we might have trouble finding someone to marry us at…” She glanced at the clock. “Three a.m.”

  “Watch me wake people up.” He reached for the phone, but she stopped him.

  “Don’t. Tomorrow I’m going to Milan to meet with the consulate advisor. Come with me. We can do it there.”

  Arturo smiled, his delight obvious and real. “We’re getting married.”

  “Yes, we are. For real.” She kissed him, then sighed. “I have no right to be this happy when Melly is still missing.”

  “Hey,” he stroked her face. “You deserve your happiness. Melly would want you to be happy. But we’re not giving up on her, I swear to God. Did you get anything from Galiano?�
��

  Hero shook her head. “Turo, there’s something quite…pathetic…about him. It’s like he’s trying to prove to himself that he’s better than you. I honestly think he hasn’t got a clue about Melly or the threats against me. He simply hasn’t got the darkness for this. He’s spiteful and petty and an utter douchebag. But I don’t think he’s a killer.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Arturo shook his head. “God, that leaves Peter…but I can’t bring myself to ask the questions.”

  Hero thought about it. “What if I ask? Not directly, of course, but…did you tell Peter about our ruse?”

  “No, he thinks we’ve broken up, too.”

  “Gotcha. Then maybe I should reach out to him as your broken-hearted ex.”

  Arturo’s mouth set in a line. “Putting yourself in the firing line again.”

  “Only if Peter…you know…”

  She watched as a million emotions flitted through her lover’s eyes. “Turo, for what it’s worth, I can’t imagine it’s Peter. He just doesn’t seem like the type, and why would he turn on you after all these years? For money, power? I don’t buy it.”

  “Me either. He knows…God, he knows that if it was a choice between having you safe and alive or having the business, he could have it all. So why? Why would he do this?”

  Hero nodded. “I agree. If he wanted me dead, he could have just done it quietly, and still gotten the same result. Why would he keep calling me and risk discovery? No, I don’t buy it’s Peter either.”

  They sat in silence for a long time, both lost in thought. Finally, Arturo turned to Hero and shrugged. “Then who?”

  But she had no answer for him.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  When Hero woke in the morning, Arturo had gone. He’d left a note for her.

  It’s unlucky to see the bride before the wedding…also, we don’t want Galiano to catch us.

  Meet me at the City Hall in Milan at six p.m. A car is waiting to take you to the consulate and will bring you to the courtroom afterward.

  I love you so much, Hero. See you at the end of the aisle.

  A

  xo

  She smiled to herself. After she’d showered and dressed, there was a knock at the door. A woman with a dress bag smiled at her. “Signore Bachi sent this over.”

  Hero thanked her and took the dress bag. Inside was the sweetest little white dress with another note.

  Forgive my presumption. When all this is over, we’ll do this again, and you’ll have everything you ever dreamed about. But for now…this reminded me of you. A xo

  The dress was perfect—nothing over the top—just a light cotton dress that fell to just above her knees, a scoop neck, and sweet bell sleeves. It was perfect. Another two knocks on the door, and she had little white pumps with delicate beading and a thin gold chain which fell between her breasts. He knows me in his bones, Hero thought as she studied her reflection. He knows me so well already.

  She felt vaguely tearful, and for a moment, scared. She grabbed her purse and pulled out her wallet, taking from it the photo of Beth and Tom. “I miss you both so much, but I’m going to be happy. I’m going to live the lives you should have had in your honor, my loves. I’ll never, ever forget you. You are part of me.”

  She kissed the photo and traced the cheek of her lost daughter. “Sweet pea…maybe you’ll have a brother or sister soon.”

  A few tears escaped then, and she quickly put the photo away. Another knock at the door, but when she opened it, her smile faded. “Oh.”

  George smiled at her. “And good morning to you, too. You look sensational.”

  Hero quickly recovered. “Dressing for summer. Hi, George, how are you?”

  “Wondering if you’d like to spend the day together.” He walked in without being asked, and Hero felt her body tense with irritation. She arranged her face into a friendly smile.

  “I’d love to, but I have to go talk with the American Consulate in Milan. My car should be here in a while.”

  George waved his hand. “Cancel it. I can take you.”

  “No, thank you. They’re used to seeing me with Arturo, and if I turn up with another man, they might think…well…”

  “Ah, I see. They might suspect you flit from man to man and aren’t a reliable witness?”

  Hero’s eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t where I was going, but thank you, that’s very comforting.”

  George wasn’t in the least bit sorry for his slight. Ah, Hero thought, still smarting from me outplaying him last night. She sighed to herself. Go away, little boy, I don’t have time for your games.

  “Well, can I at least reserve some time for dinner tonight? Then perhaps we can continue the conversation we had last night.”

  “Not tonight, George. I’ll call you. Now, I have to be going, so would you excuse me?”

  His eyes narrowed, and for a second, Hero could see real rage flaring in them. As quickly as she saw it, it disappeared. “Of course,” he said, smoothly. “I look forward to your call.”

  In the car to Milan, Hero tried to concentrate on what she would ask the man at the consulate, but soon, all she could think of was Melly. Where was she? Was she in pain? Was she hurt? Was she alive?

  God. And here I am getting married without her. The guilt weighed heavy on Hero, but at the same time, she didn’t want to wait a moment longer to be Arturo’s wife. It felt like the safety harness she needed to get through all of this.

  Besides all the hurt, the fear, and the terror, she had found something real, something shining amidst the rubble of her life. The love of her life. Or rather, another love of her life. Hero couldn’t weigh Tom and Arturo’s love against each other—they were completely different, and she knew in her marrow that Arturo would honor Tom’s love for Hero as he did his own. She wished with all her heart that they could have met. Would they have liked each other? She hoped so. Tom was so easy going and Arturo so charming.

  Hero closed her eyes. Sometimes, just sometimes, I wish life could be easy. That Arturo and I could be happy in our love without all of this pain, this hurt. Without this psychopath targeting her for God knows what reason. Whoever you are, just know, I’m not giving up. I get my happy ending this time, asshole, whether you wish it or not.

  Her resolve hardening, she opened her eyes and stared out at the beautiful countryside passing by for the rest of the journey.

  Driving to the office he shared with Peter, Arturo made a decision. He would ask Peter outright if he wanted the business, and if Peter replied that he did, he would offer it to him. Give him everything he wanted. If the killer still pursued Hero after that…they were dealing with an unknown entity.

  It would be a start. He would read his best friend and make a decision based on gut instinct whether Peter was lying or capable of hurting the woman Arturo loved. Or the women he loved and had loved. Peter had never liked Flavia much, but as a loyal (supposedly) friend to Arturo, he’d never expressed it to his face. But would he have murdered her? In such a personal, intimate way? If he wanted her dead, he could have easily arranged a hit and run or a random mugging. Flavia’s killer wanted Arturo to know that he enjoyed killing her; that for him, it was an animal, sexual desire for her blood.

  Arturo shook his head, trying to clear it of the images that plagued him. Flavia’s body morphing into Hero’s, bloodied and brutalized. No. Not this time, motherfucker.

  He smiled at Marcella as he went into the office. “Buongiorno, Marcie. Is Peter in yet?”

  “Sure is. Want some coffee?”

  “Later, thanks.”

  Arturo walked down the hallway to Peter’s office. His friend looked up and smiled. “Hey, I didn’t expect to see you.”

  “Why not?”

  “I thought you needed some time after the break-up. It seemed you took it pretty hard.”

  Arturo half-smiled. “I needed the distraction.”

  Peter nodded. “Fair point. Want to go over some numbers for the Patrizzi?”

  �
��Not just yet. There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

  Peter looked interested. “Oh?”

  Here goes.

  “Pete…do you want my business? Or, rather, the family’s business? Is it money you want or position?”

  Peter was silent for a moment, his gaze searching Arturo’s face for a reason behind his question. “Turo…”

  “Just tell me. Do you want my business? If you do…it’s yours. Just say the word. There are things more precious to me in this world than that.”

  Peter got up and went to close the office door. Sitting back down, he sighed. “Turo…what is this? Why are you asking me these questions?”

  “I need to know…if you had a desire for more and what you would do for it.”

  “Such as?” Peter’s voice had a hard edge now, but Arturo was in too deep.

  “Would you…try and take the business from me by…dishonest methods?”

  “The fuck, Turo?” Peter looked angry now, but Arturo pressed on.

  “What I mean is…God, Peter…are you the person trying to kill the woman I love?” His voice broke at the end, knowing this conversation, at the very least, would most likely destroy his friendship with this man.

  Peter dragged in a long breath. “You think I could kill Hero?”

  “I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking.”

  “Jesus, Arturo. Jesus H. Christ…” He got up now and began to pace. “You really think I would…I take it this breakup is a ruse then?”

  “Yes. We wanted to smoke Galiano out, but he’s not picking up the bait.”

  “George is no killer, and just for the record, neither am I.”

  Arturo believed him. “I’m sorry. I had to ask, and I owed it to you, to be honest. You didn’t answer my question about the business. Do you want it?”

  Peter, his handsome face creased in anger and betrayal, leaned on the desk, blowing out his cheeks. “I don’t want anything that would mean me murdering an innocent woman, Arturo. Do I want to move up in the business world? Of course. One day, I would like to be my own boss, but I’ll do that because of your patronage, not despite it. Fuck, Arturo…you really think that little of me? After all these years?”