Black Opal

by Sandra Cox

  The door opened. Her jaw dropped. If the evening weren’t bizarre enough she heard Johnny Morelly say, “Now would you care to explain why you think Miss Sabina Comti will be my niece-in-law? I can only assume that’s who you are referring to since your other friend is already married and practically a newlywed. Not that Adam’s incapable of breaking up a marriage but it’s just not his style.”

  Bella saw Sabina first. She rose to her feet. Her movements deceptively languid, Bella walked to Sabina’s side. “Sugar, what are you doing up?”

  Sabina grasped Bella’s arm, trying without success to beat back her agitation. “Where’s my amulet? Where’s Adam?”

  Bella pressed her arm in a warning gesture. “Sugar, have you had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Johnny Morelly, Adam’s uncle?”

  Johnny rose to his feet. He was nearly as handsome as his nephew, only more bulky. Where Adam looked panther lean and radiated animal magnetism this man seemed a bit on the flashy, superficial side.

  “Johnny, this is Sabina Comti.”

  Sabina looked at him, beating back the hysterics welling up inside her, not caring what she said or what people thought. “Where’s Adam?”

  His sharp glance traveled over her. No doubt taking in the torn clothes, her disheveled appearance and the way she leaned on Bella. They came to rest on her eyes. She knew he saw the panic in them because he gentled his voice. “My dear, we were hoping you could tell us. Why don’t you sit down?” He stepped forward and took her other arm.

  Grateful for the support, Sabina let Johnny and Bella lead her to the dark green overstuffed couch and sank onto it. For a moment, she rested her pounding head against the back of it, then pulled herself together and asked again, “Where’s Adam?”

  Johnny strolled to the study door and stuck his head out. “Mick another glass of wine. Hell, bring the bottle.”

  Mick appeared a moment later with a full glass of red. He set the bottle and the stemmed glass on the coffee table and left the room.

  Sabina looked at the glass wanting it badly but afraid her hand would tremble too hard for her to be able to drink it without spilling it.

  As if divining her thoughts, Bella picked it up and held it to Sabina’s lips. “Here you go, shug. I’m sure you’re still shaky.”

  As Sabina sipped, the trembling eased. She leaned her head back against the couch and Bella sat the glass down.

  “Ms. Comti, when was the last time you saw my nephew?” Johnny seated himself on the couch beside her. He leaned forward, his eyes compelling. His voice held both anxiety and urgency.

  “Early afternoon. We were caught in a rockslide.”

  Johnny’s hand around the stem of the glass tightened, snapping it like a twig. The wine ran over his hand like blood.

  If Sabina had ever questioned the closeness of the relationship, she didn’t any longer.

  He whipped out a snowy white handkerchief and began to dab. “Mick,” he bellowed.

  “Yeah, boss?” The bulky body guard stuck his head in the door.

  “Bring me a towel.”

  Mick disappeared then reappeared in short order with a white towel. He mopped up the mess as efficiently as a bartender while Johnny dabbed at his hand and white shirt cuff.

  “Are you all right?” Sabina inquired.

  “Oh, yes, it’s wine not blood.” He continued to dab then looked straight at Sabina. “So my nephew may be buried under a rockslide?”

  “Your nephew was alive and well the last time I saw him.” Alive and well and he left me. “He was clear of the slide.”

  They were all three sitting on the oversized couch, Sabina in the middle. He leaned forward and twisted at the waist to see Bella. “You think this Victoria Price kidnapped my nephew?”

  Sabina jerked upright. Kidnapped? She felt a chill. Which would be worse? That he left of his own free will with Victoria or had been kidnapped by her? Neither alternative was acceptable. She looked at Bella. “You think Adam was kidnapped? Why?”

  “Love slave is I believe the term you used,” Johnny put in helpfully. For a moment, pride crept into his voice. “He’s a true Morelly.”

  “Excuse me. Maybe I didn’t hear right.” Sabina made circling motions between her eyebrows with her index finger, trying to push back the pressure building behind her eyes.

  Bella took a sip of her wine then with a graceful gesture sat it down on the table.

  The woman moves like a queen.

  “It’s just a theory but Victoria plays by her own rules. What she wants, she takes. And if she was the woman he was in the restaurant with the other night, she most definitely wants him. If that was Victoria.” Bella shrugged. “Then again maybe she wants to use him as a bargaining chip.”

  “For what?” Johnny asked.

  Bella shrugged. “Who knows? But I think we’ll be finding out.”

  “What if he went of his own free will?” The words erupted from Sabina’s heart and forced themselves out of her throat where they’d temporarily lodged, choking her.

  “Sabina, the man is in love with you. He wouldn’t willingly have left you in trouble.”

  Sabina went hot then cold then hot again. She’d thought so in that last instant, when he called her name before the rockslide buried her. If it were true, she wanted to jump up and sing an aria or possibly climb Mt Everest. Common sense reached out its bony arm and gripped her. “How can you say that? You can’t possibly know that.”

  “Yes, belissima, how do you know my nephew is in love with this lovely young lady? Not that I can blame him,” he added gallantly.

  “I know how Hank looks at me, sugar. He doesn’t look at anyone else like that, not even Maureen who he loves like a daughter. And I’ve surprised that look on Adam when he looks at you and thinks you don’t see him. Trust me, shug, if there’s two things I know about it’s love and men.”

  “If what you say is true, he has chosen wisely,” Johnny said. He toyed with his ring then turned to Sabina, his eyes narrowed, his gaze penetrating. “Ms. Comti when you first walked into this room you asked about my nephew and your amulet.”

  Sabina felt the muscles in her shoulders tighten.

  “What amulet and why is it so important to you?”

  Merda. Her hysterical, ill-timed remark had been like throwing a live grenade into the room while they all sat and waited for it to go off.

  Bella laid her hand on Sabina’s. Creativity and beauty flowed through her. Sabina turned her head to Johnny.

  His eyes filled with admiration.

  “The amulet is an old family heirloom that has been in my family for generations. Both my mother and grandmother are dead. It’s all I have left of them. You understand.”

  He nodded.

  Bella kept her hand on Sabina’s and the glam-over continued to notch up. She could feel it. “And though it’s important to me for sentimental reasons I really think we should concentrate on finding Adam right now, don’t you, Mr. Morelly?”

  Once again, Johnny nodded wordlessly. He looked bedazzled. He broke eye contact then shook his head, like a dog coming out of water. He sat his empty wineglass on the coffee table, making a light clinking sound as he did so and stood up. “You are welcome to stay as long as you like. Consider yourself family.”

  Bella removed her hand but Sabina still felt the light charge traveling up and down her body just under the skin. She pushed to her feet. “Mr. Morelly, I’m afraid you are laboring under a misapprehension that there is something between Adam and me.”

  “Are you saying there isn’t?” he asked, his eyes gleaming as he eyed her up and down.

  “Yes. That’s what I’m saying.”

  “You don’t find him attractive?”

  “I said there was nothing between us. I didn’t say I was dead,” Sabina snapped.

  Bella touched her arm but Sabina shook her off.

  Johnny’s eyes had a decided tendency to cross. Once again he looked her up and down. “In this instance, I heartily concur with Bella. You ha
ve a magnificent body and the voice of a siren. How could my nephew possibly resist? He has managed to evade any serious involvement with the fair sex but I believe you are the woman who can bring my nephew to his knees.”

  Sabina was incapable of speech at this extraordinary turn of events.

  Thankfully Bella jumped in and filled the awkward silence. “Are you going back to Atlanta?”

  His expression turned steely, his eyes flat and cold.

  Sabina suppressed a shiver. She didn’t doubt Johnny Morelly was capable of murder.

  “I’m going after Victoria Price.”

  “Be careful. Victoria Price is dangerous,” Sabina said, finding her voice. More so than you can possibly imagine.

  “I mean no disrespect but she’s a woman. How dangerous can she be?”

  Sabina’s jaw dropped. How could any man make such a statement in these enlightened times? She bit on her lips until they formed a thin tight line to keep from telling him just how much damage any woman could do, let alone one who had the power of the gods on her arm. Her stomach knotted. The thought of Victoria wearing her amulet made her nauseous.

  She cleared her throat. “She’s Victor Price’s daughter and possibly more dangerous than he is.”

  “Victor Price is dead and so will his daughter be if she’s harmed my nephew.”

  “How do you intend to find her?” Bella asked. Her head had been moving back and forth watching the other two like a spectator at a tennis match.

  “I have a large network of acquaintances and many favors to call in. Do you have a picture of this woman?”

  “If you have paper and pencil, I can draw you one,” Bella responded.

  In three quick strides, he walked to the desk and picked up a tooled leather portfolio and a pencil.

  Bella opened the leather folio. Her pencil poised, she asked, “Will you call me as soon as you find Victoria or Adam?”

  He smiled. “Ah, a favor for a favor. This I understand. Yes, I will call you.”

  The pencil scratched across the paper as Bella drew with quick, sharp strokes.

  Faces began to emerge. A young Goth, a blonde, a woman with black hair piled high on her head, an old woman and an old man.

  Looking over her shoulder, Johnny’s brows shot up.

  “She’s a master of disguise,” Sabina explained, her eyes lingering on the picture of the woman who had been wrapped around Adam like a snake. She shivered. Was he all right? Even if he’d gone with Victoria willingly that didn’t mean she’d let him live.

  “No matter her disguise, she won’t be able to hide from me.”

  Bella ripped out the sheet and handed it to him.

  “Thank you. Again, stay as long as you like.” He headed for the door and stopped in the entryway. “I will find my nephew.” Johnny opened the door and paused, looking her over. He stared at the rip in her muslin shirt and the dirty streaks on it as if noticing for the first time the state of her clothes. “You look to be about my daughter’s size. Help yourself to her wardrobe. She’s got enough clothes, she’ll never miss them.” He turned and walked out.

  As she stared at the door, Bella wrapped an arm around her. “I’d take him up on the offer, shug. Your clothes are good for nothing but the rag bag.

  “Now, do you want to tell me what happened, sweetie? Why you were buried under a pile of rocks when you had the amulet. At least, I assume you had the amulet.” Bella wrinkled her brow, trying to puzzle it out.

  “We were standing too far apart. I couldn’t save us both.” Even though in the moment she saw the rocks coming straight at Adam and realized she was in love with him, it had been hard to embrace death. She had done it and gladly but still it had been difficult.

  “So you sacrificed yourself to save Adam.” It was a statement not a question.

  “You would have done the same.” Sabina rubbed her arm where her amulet normally resided. She felt exposed without it. “We have to get the amulet back.”

  “And so we will. But if Maureen runs true to form, she’ll need at least twenty-four hours’ undisturbed sleep.” She looked Sabina up and down critically. “And she’ll need to have at least one more go at you.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Sure you are, sugar but we’re all going to need our strength for what’s coming.”

  Sabina glanced down at the remote laying on the mahogany inlaid coffee table. She bent over and picked it up, pointed at the flat screen TV on the far wall and punched the button. “I’ve been out of touch with the world for several days. I think I’ll watch the news.”

  “Good idea.” Bella filled their wineglasses, kicked off her shoes and placed her pedicured feet on the coffee table. “Sit, shug. Room’s a tad bit cold isn’t it?”

  Sabina had been unsure whether it was the room or her heart that felt chilled. “Yes.” Sabina sank down on the couch. Truth be told she didn’t even know if she had the energy to crawl back to the elevator and go upstairs to bed.

  She leaned her head back on the couch. The large sofa molded around her body. Pointing the remote at the TV she channel surfed. Five clicks and Sabina found the twenty-four hour news channel. She sipped her wine then sat it on the table.

  Her eyelids drooped, as she watched the plasma flat screen, growing sleepier and sleepier. A sudden jab in her ribs by a well-placed elbow brought her upright, blinking. “What?”

  “Listen to this, shug.” Bella grabbed the remote from Sabina and turned up the sound.

  A pretty anchorwoman droned, “Just in. A few hours ago a security officer at one of the biggest banks in Charleston, South Carolina made his rounds and discovered the forty metric ton vault door wide open. The sound and vibration detectors did not go off. The timed lock had disintegrated. The security camera melted down. All the paper money had been taken along with bearer bonds and jewels from the safety deposit boxes.” The lovely blonde looked properly solemn as she moved on to the next story.

  The hair on the nape of Sabina’s neck stood straight up and goose bumps roughened her skin. She looked at Bella and saw the same consternation reflected on her lovely features. “It’s begun,” Sabina whispered.

  Bella reached over and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. Sabina clasped it back uncertain who was comforting whom. But as she held on to Bella’s hand creativity surged through her.

  Sabina narrowed her eyes as she stared at the TV then turned and looked at her friend as an idea popped in her head.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, shug?” Bella asked her beautiful blue eyes sparkling with suppressed excitement.

  Sabina smiled at her friend, knowing her own eyes were glowing. “If it involves setting a trap for Victoria and using you and Maureen as bait, yes.”

  Bella nodded, a smile of excitement on her face. “We put out the word that you were killed in that landslide. That Maureen and I are in deep mourning at a dear friend’s cabin in the mountains. Victoria won’t be able to resist coming after us.” She tapped her finger against her lip. “Do we say the dear friend is Johnny Morelly or would that make it too easy for her? Not to mention ruining our reputations forever.” She gave a delicate shudder.

  As she bent over to pick up her wine, she looked at her hands. “Damn, I’ve chipped my nails and at least one of them is broken. When this is over, let’s spend the day at the spa.”

  Sabina smiled her head against the couch. “Sounds wonderful. Should we start calling the television stations?”

  She looked at Bella and Bella wiggled her eyebrows. They both said at the same time, “Johnny.”

  “That man has more connections than the president,” Bella declared.

  Sabina nodded absently, her mind on something else. “It’s almost uncanny the link we have isn’t it.”

  “Definitely woo-woo,” Bella agreed, sipping her wine.

  Sabina yawned so widely her jaws popped.

  “Why don’t you go to bed, shug. I’ll call Johnny and I better call Hank,” she sighed. “I love the man but he’s
not real big on letting me handle things on my own.”

  Sabina smiled and touched her friend’s hand. “Only when he thinks you’re in danger, Bella. That man would walk on water for you. Or at least try. You’re very lucky.” Sabina fought back envy. No one deserved the love they’d found more than Bella and Hank.

  Sabina pushed herself off the couch and staggered to the elevator. As she pressed the button, Bella said quietly, “She’ll come for us. Her ego is too monumental to let her do anything else.”

  Not turning around, Sabina stared at the hardwood, honey-colored floor and forced herself to ask, “Do you think Adam’s with her? That he’s alive?”

  “Yes, shug, on both accounts. That man of yours has the cunning of a cat. Even with the amulet, Adam Morelly can hold his own and then some against Victoria Price.”

  “I think so too.” Sabina felt lightheaded with relief at having her hopes confirmed. “And he’s not my man,” she added belatedly, straightening from where she’d sagged against the wall.

  “No but he will be. I’d bet my most expensive painting on it.”

  * * * * *

  “You are proving a great disappointment to me,” Victoria told the man chained to the damp cellar wall, his shirt torn open. Her hips undulating, she walked toward him. Running her tongue across her lips, she moved a red lacquered fingernail in a circle around each of his nipples then down to his bellybutton, her sharp-edged nail breaking the skin whereever it touched.

  Chapter Twelve

  Morning light crept through the dark green brocade curtains. Songbirds trilled in a happy chorus outside the window.

  Sabina woke to a spurt of healing surging through her veins. Aches and pains coursed through her blood and built like a tidal wave under Maureen’s hand then erupted through it leaving her free of pain.

  Maureen lay beside her, gasping softly as the soreness entered her.

  “Maureen, that’s enough. I swear I’m fine.” Sabina removed Maureen’s hand and rolled over to look at her friend. Maureen’s apricot-colored skin had a tinge of gray to it and her lovely green eyes were still sunk deep in her face.