Dangerous Kiss

by Michelle Love

“And she’s American?”

  Cosimo nodded. “Washingtonian born and bred.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  Cosimo kissed her hand. “She will adore you, Biba.”

  When they got back to Lakewood, Biba saw that the little beach next to the lake was lit up with tiki torches, and a thrill ran through her. “What have you mad people done now?”

  Cosimo laughed. “Wait and see.”

  Their friends and colleagues greeted them, and she saw Rich nod to Cosimo with a grin.

  “Now?”

  “Now,” agreed Cosimo, and he took Biba’s hand, smiling down at her. “Happy birthday, baby.”

  Biba nearly jumped out of her skin as fireworks began streaking through the night sky and exploding in a riot of colors above them. She laughed and shook her head. “You did all this for me?”

  Cosimo kissed her tenderly. “You are so loved, Biba, not just by me. By Reggie, by Rich, by the rest of them…even Stella loves you.”

  “Ha.”

  “She does. She just likes to hide it.” He looked around for the blonde actress, but Stella was nowhere to be seen. “Hey, Rich, someone being a diva still?”

  Rich slung his arm around Biba’s shoulders. “Stel’s been sulking all afternoon, hiding out in her trailer. Want me to go find her?”

  Biba shook her head, but Cosimo rolled his eyes. “Yes, go find her. Tell her to stop being a mean girl and come out to play.”

  Rich chuckled. “Will do.”

  Biba sighed. “Cos, this day has been magical, just magical. Thank you, baby.”

  Cosimo’s cell phone rang, and he grinned as he saw who was calling. “I think this is for you, Beebs.” He handed her his phone, and Biba said “Hello?”

  “Happy Birthday!” Nicco sang it down the phone, and Biba laughed.

  “Hey, Nic, thank you so much for calling. Your dad has been spoiling me all day.”

  “He said he was going to—how was the gondolier?”

  Biba laughed. “Amazing. But you’ve done the real thing, huh?”

  “Not for a while. Maybe we could all go to Venice in the summer…oh, hey, Grandma wants to say hi.”

  Biba’s heart beat a little faster as a gentle voice said hello. “Hello, Mrs. DeLuca. It’s wonderful to meet—or speak—to you.”

  Olivia DeLuca laughed. “It’s Olivia, and I’ve heard so many good things about you. Happy birthday, dear.”

  “Thank you so much.” Biba’s nerves soon dissolved as she chatted with Cosimo’s mother for a few minutes, then Nicco came back on the phone.

  “Yeah, like I was saying, maybe we could all go to Venice in the summer. It’s a cool place—lots of stuff I can show you.”

  “Sounds good to me, Nic. Do you want to speak to your dad?”

  “Yeah, please. Happy birthday again, Beebs, see you soon.”

  As she handed Cosimo’s phone back to him, Biba felt like her entire being was buzzing with joy. She felt like she had a family now—Cosimo’s son and mother accepting her so readily. She felt tears pop into her eyes, and as Cosimo ended his call, he swept his finger along her cheekbone, capturing the water.

  “Happy tears,” she said, “I promise. I can’t believe this is all happening, Cos. I love you so much.”

  Cosimo took her into his arms. “You have changed my world, Biba, from a place of darkness to one of light. I love you.”

  Biba couldn’t see how she could ever be unhappy again, but within the hour they would all be shown that sometimes worlds can shatter in the blink of an eye.

  Chapter Seventeen

  As they walked hand-in-hand back toward the manor, Biba looked over to the trailers. She could see a faint light coming from the largest, and she knew Stella was sulking in her trailer. She nudged Cosimo. “I’m going to go make peace with Stella,” she said. “I feel bad about our argument.”

  Cosimo sighed. “Baby, Stella needs to grow up some and realize not everything is about her.”

  “I know, but I feel bad.”

  Cosimo stopped. “Want me to come?”

  Biba kissed him. “I think you being there might make matters worse. I knew she wasn’t okay with us. I think that’s what her tantrum was about, really.”

  “She’ll have to get used to it.” Cosimo leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you.”

  Biba smiled. “I love you, too, Cosimo DeLuca. Thank you for a perfect birthday.”

  “Don’t be too long.”

  “I promise.”

  The rain had begun to pour down now, and Biba walked quickly toward the trailers and made her way through the maze of them to Stella’s. As she turned towards it, she almost fell over a prone figure on the ground. “Hey!”

  In the dim light, she saw it was Rich. “Man, how much did you have to drink, Richyboy?”

  He was lying face down and didn’t even groan when she poked him with her toe. “Rich?”

  She managed to hoist him over onto his back—and gasped. The front of his T-shirt was covered in blood. Biba recoiled. “Oh my God… help! Somebody help us! Rich? Rich, c’mon man, wake up.”

  Then she heard Stella scream, and in horror, saw a dark figure wrestling a naked and screaming Stella out of her trailer.

  “No!” Biba launched herself at them, her body knocking the figure away from her boss. The rain made it slippery, and the attacker stumbled as Biba pounded on his back. Stella was frozen in horror.

  “Stella! Run!” Biba screamed it at her as the attacker threw her off and reached for Stella. Biba wasn’t about to let her boss be snatched, and she body-slammed the attacker. She heard shouts coming from the direction of the manor. “Stella, run! Cosimo’s coming…”

  The assailant grabbed her by the throat with one hand and slammed her back against the trailer. He drove his fist into her stomach twice—vicious blows—and Biba crumpled, the wind knocked out of her.

  She dragged in some air into her lungs, watching the attacker clutch a crawling Stella and drag her away. When Biba tried to rise and follow them, her legs would not work. She could hear Cosimo shouting her name.

  “I’m here…” but her voice wouldn’t work either, and now a wave of dizziness hit her. The pain from the blows wasn’t dissipating at all—in fact it was getting worse. Biba managed to stagger up and lurch a couple of steps just as lights came on, and Cosimo burst onto the scene. Biba saw the horror in his eyes, and she pointed to Rich. “Help him.”

  But Cosimo was running towards her, screaming her name, and Biba looked down. Now she knew why his face looked so full of horror. The hilt of a knife protruded from her belly, her white dress turning red and pink. She looked up into Cosimo’s distraught green eyes as her legs finally failed her, and he caught her as she fell.

  “He stabbed me?” she said, incredulously, and shook her head. “He’s taken Stella, Cos. He’s taken Stella.”

  The pain was growing worse, and black spots danced in her vision. I’m dying. We had no time, no time.

  “I love you,” she said, touching Cosimo’s face, and then all was silent.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Two years previously, Cosimo DeLuca sat by his dying wife’s bedside and held her hand as she gently slipped away, another victim of cancer. He had thought it was the worst day of his life.

  It was nothing to the terror he felt now. Waiting and covered in the blood of his twenty-two-year-old lover, having been told to stay behind in the waiting room. Both Biba and Rich had been rushed to the emergency room; the FBI and police were all over Lakewood and the hospital; and journalists were clamoring outside for the news.

  Rich was in bad, bad shape—multiple stab wounds to the chest. Gunter was inconsolable. But all Cosimo could think about was Biba: her wan face, the blood pumping from her wounds. He’d lain her on the wet ground and pressed down hard on the savage wounds in her belly, trying to keep her blood inside her. They had to pry him away from her when the first responders arrived.

  His Biba. His beautiful, spirited, fun-loving B
iba was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it.

  The police had taken her and Rich’s details and told them they would contact next-of-kin. Cosimo wondered if Biba’s parents would care. He told the police to go find Reggie—he was the closest to a family she had—except for, now, Cosimo himself.

  Cosimo had called his mother, telling her what happened. “Mom, I have to tell Nicco—he cannot hear this on the news.”

  “Dad?”

  Cosimo nearly broke down when he heard his son. “Nicco…Biba’s hurt. There was an incident—Stella was abducted, and Rich and Biba were hurt trying to stop him.”

  There was a hushed silence, then Nicco spoke, and his voice was gravelly with shock. “Is she okay?”

  “No, son, she’s not. She was stabbed. They’re operating on her now.

  “I’ll come down.”

  Cosimo almost panicked. “No. No, Nic, really. You don’t want to be here, it’s…hell.”

  “Dad.” The way Nicco’s voice trembled broke Cosimo’s heart.

  “I promise, I swear, if she gets worse…I’ll call you straight away. I promise on my life, Nicco.”

  Another long pause. “Okay. Tell her to fight, Pa. She can do it if anyone can. I know it.”

  “Thank you, buddy. She will fight…that’s Biba’s way.”

  “Love you, Daddy.”

  Cosimo did break down then. “Love you too, Nic. Please, pray for her.”

  He took himself away to sob in private, then returned to the waiting room to sag down onto the couch. Lars put his arm around Cosimo’s shoulders. “Keep hope, Cos. Keep hope.”

  An hour later, they came to tell them that Rich was dead.

  Biba woke up hyperventilating and tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by firm hands. “Sweetheart, you can’t sit up. Take sips of air…that’s it…focus on my face.” A man’s face, covered in a surgical mask, loomed into her vision. “It’s okay, Biba, you’re safe. You’re okay. You’re in the recovery room at Sacred Heart Medical Center.”

  Another gentle hand was stroking her forehead. Another face—a nurse, smiled down at her. “You’ve done well, Biba. We’re just keeping an eye on you…you lost a lot of blood.”

  “Stabbed.” She croaked from underneath an oxygen mask, and the woman nodded.

  “I know, baby girl, I’m sorry.”

  “Stella?”

  Biba saw them look at each other. “We don’t know about anything apart from you, Biba. We know your partner is waiting on some news. I’m just going to tell him about your surgery.”

  “Want to see him.”

  “As soon as you’re stable, hon.”

  Biba nodded, feeling so out of it she could barely concentrate. She wondered why she felt no pain, then remembered they would have given her morphine. But she was alive.

  Was Stella okay? What about Rich? How had the day gone from such joy to such horror?

  Biba closed her eyes, feeling helpless. What the fuck was wrong with people?

  She slept, fitfully at first, but then she sunk into a deep restful slumber, waking to bright sunshine which hurt her eyes, and a familiar hand held hers.

  “Snooks?”

  His voice made her relax; his nickname made her smile. “Cos…”

  “Thank God, you’re okay, baby. It’s going to be okay.” His green eyes were full of pain.

  She reached out and stroked his cheek. “I’m okay. Stella?”

  Cosimo seemed to struggle for a moment. “He took her. The FBI and the police have instigated a manhunt.”

  “God.” Biba tried again to sit up again, and Cosimo helped her into position. Biba touched the heavy dressing on her abdomen. “How bad is it?”

  “It could have been a lot worse. No major organs, but your artery was damaged. They’ve grafted it and seem confident you will recover quickly, but you’ll need some more blood transfusions.”

  Cosimo told her all of this as if reciting what the doctors had told him gave him hope. Biba nodded.

  “I honestly don’t feel bad. A little pain.”

  Cosimo put the clicker in her hand. “Press this for the morphine.” He let out a shaky breath. “Christ, Biba, when I saw you covered in blood, that knife sticking out of you…I thought I’d lost you.”

  “I’m still here.” Biba reached out to tilt his chin up, make him look her in the eye. “Rich?”

  She saw the grief in his eyes and moaned “Oh, no…” as Cosimo told her that Rich didn’t make it. “Not Rich…God, Cos…” She began to weep, and he cradled her in his arms.

  As her sobs slowed to a whimper, a doctor came in to see them. Biba could see the woman studying her for signs of pain or distress. She wiped her eyes. “I’m okay, Doc, just…a friend died.”

  “Mr. Furlough? I know. I’m so sorry for your loss. How are you feeling this morning, relatively speaking?”

  Biba nodded. “Actually okay…more tired than anything.”

  The doctor made her lie back while she undid Biba’s dressings and examined her wounds. Biba saw the jagged incisions and stitches on her belly; Cosimo turned away, looking sickened and angry at the same time. The doctor inspected the wounds. “We managed to repair the damage easily—no organ damage, which was the main concern. No signs of infection, which is good. The tiredness you’re experiencing is because of the blood loss and trauma. You were a little anemic to start with—did you know that?”

  Biba shook her head. “I didn’t.”

  “Well, we’re going to keep you in for a couple of days, and then you can go home to recover.”

  Biba was surprised. “So quickly?”

  “You were very lucky. I’ll check back with you later.”

  Both Biba and Cosimo thanked her, then Cosimo returned to sit by her. “You’ll be staying in my hotel suite while you recover. Obviously, production has been shut down on the movie; we can’t make it without Stella.”

  “God, I hope she’s okay.”

  Cosimo shook his head. “I just pray we find her before that psycho does something stupid.”

  Stella wasn’t nearly close to being okay. Her abductor had raged at her for ‘making me hurt those people, making me kill that girl’ as he had driven her away into the night, and she had cringed away from his terrifying wrath. At least he had tossed her a blanket to cover herself, and she wrapped it tightly around her body. It saved her modesty but didn’t protect much from the biting cold.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  He didn’t answer. He wore a black balaclava, and bizarrely, she had noticed his bright blue eyes—too blue. Contacts? His voice was disguised, too. He was hiding.

  Stella felt sick. When she watched him stab Biba so mercilessly, watched her assistant—her friend—collapse, blood-soaked, Stella had frozen, not believing what she was seeing. Oh Biba, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Stella wondered if she was dead.

  She barely remembered him dragging her to his van. Now, with her hands bound behind her back, she lay on the freezing metal floor of a van as he drove it. She had the sense that they were going uphill, and with the cold, she guessed they were driving up a mountain. Maybe Rainier, or Olympic National Park. She had lost track of time; they could have been on the road for hours. Maybe he was even taking her to Canada.

  “Please,” she spoke softly. “Please tell me what you want.”

  Nothing. Silence. She changed track. “I’m very cold…sir. Could you possibly crank up the heat?”

  Again, no reply, but she saw him turn the heat up. “Thank you.” Good, that gave her hope that he had some humanity in him. She kept quiet then, trying to figure out how to deal with this. Should she give him what he wanted? Her love? Her body? Stella was a grown-up. If it took offering him these things to preserve her life, she would do it. Or should she try to exert power by turning on the diva in her? Would that mean he would kill her quicker?

  What do you want? Tell me…

  An hour later, the van came to an abrupt halt, and the man got out, coming around to the ba
ck of the vehicle. He yanked open the doors and grabbed her, wrapping a thick coat around her and picking her up easily. She had been right—they were in the mountains. Snow swirled around them, making it hard to see, but soon she realized he was taking her to a lodge of some kind. It was warmly lit, and Stella felt a little surge of hope.

  But once inside, when she saw just what kind of monster he really was, all her hope died, and Stella Reckless began to scream.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Reggie, breathless and shaking, burst into Biba’s hospital room, making both her and Cosimo jump. Reggie stared at her. “Oh, thank God…thank God…”

  He threw himself at her, and Biba hugged him hard, wincing slightly at the force of his embrace. For a few minutes, she reassured him that she was fine; she was okay. Cosimo left them alone, shooting a smile at his lover before he left the room.

  Reggie finally sat down on the chair Cosimo had vacated. “God, Biba…I’m sorry I’m so late. Mom got sicker and when Cosimo called…the I-5 had traffic backed up.”

  “It’s okay, I’m fine,” Biba said. She indicated a blood bag hanging above her. “Just getting some fresh stuff pumped into me.” She gave Reggie a half smile, then it faded. “Rich is dead, Reg.”

  He nodded. “I know. God, I’m sorry…have they any news about Stella?”

  “Nothing. Whoever took her had it planned out perfectly. At least that what’s the FBI thinks.”

  Reggie sighed, shaking his head. “Agent Harris again?”

  “Yup.”

  “Jesus…couldn’t they have sent someone who wasn’t a moron? Stella’s life is in danger.”

  Biba’s eyes filled with tears, and Reggie squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry, boo, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just mean…God, I don’t know.”

  “Cosimo’s sending out private detectives to look for them. They have questions.”

  Reggie looked impressed. “Such as?”

  “How the hell did the abductor get in past the gates? How did he know that Stella was alone in her trailer when the rest of us were out at the lake?” Biba sighed, rubbing her face with her fingers, hard enough to leave red marks. “Reg…who would do this? Murder Rich? Take Stella?”