Dangerous Kiss (54 page)

'You're a sick bastard,' Lennie muttered. 'A sick sick bastard.'

'Thank you,' Duke said. 'I'll take that as a compliment.'

Chapter Ninety-three

Arriving at the house on Loma Vista, Lucky pulled up and parked behind Lennie's car. She was glad he was here first. They'd take a quick walk through the house, she'd give it her approval, then the two of them would go out somewhere to talk. She really needed to be with him, living apart was pointless.

She knew now that they could work this out.

She got out of her car and walked over to the front door. It was locked. She tried the bell, but it didn't seem to be working, so after a few minutes she made her way around to the back.

It was almost dark, and she was startled to see the young boy out there by himself. Why was Leonardo here? She was not pleased.

As soon as he saw her, he ran up to her, trying to say something.

'Hi,' she said coolly. 'Is your mom around?'

The boy shook his head frantically, pulling at her jacket.

'What is it?' she said, irritated.

He began dragging her down the side of the pool towards the back of the house, where lights blazed from the bedroom and loud classical music blared. As they approached, she could see everything through the big glass windows.

She could see Claudia, naked and dancing.

'Oh, my God!' she gasped.

You bastard! Lennie Golden. This is it! We've had it with you.

Without thinking, she turned quickly to leave.

The boy hung on to her jacket, trying to drag her back, making guttural noises in his throat, pointing, desperately attempting to make himself understood.

She turned around, about to tell the stupid kid to leave her alone, when she saw Lennie, almost hanging from a beam, his arms and legs tightly bound.

And she saw the man sitting in a chair, a gun balanced on his knee.

And then she understood.

And she was scared.

And she knew what she had to do.

Grabbing the boy, gesturing for him to be silent, she pulled him along with her as they edged back the way they'd come. At the other end of the pool she pushed him into the bushes. 'Hide!' she whispered vehemently. 'Stay quiet. Muto! Muto!'

The boy crouched down, understanding what she was telling him to do.

Adrenalin pumping, Lucky made it to the front of the house and her car.

Reaching for her cellphone, she called 911, summoning help, then reached into the glove compartment and took out her gun.

Her mind was racing, a million thoughts. Should she wait for the cops?

No. What if by waiting something happened to Lennie? She had to act now.

Fumbling in her purse she found a credit card and approached the front door.

Boogie had taught her, long ago, how to break in to anywhere. Within seconds she'd sprung the lock and was inside the house, entering stealthily, although nobody could possibly have heard her because of the music blasting away.

Her heart was in her throat. This was not the kind of deal she cared to get involved in - not with three kids at home and responsibilities. But, fuck it, Lennie was in trouble, he needed her. And goddamnit, she was there.

Duke was getting bored with the girl's dancing. She was clumsy, not graceful as he had hoped. His sister was graceful. Quick on her feet and light as air. He felt sorry for Maybelline, locked in a jail cell with the girl with the pointed face and mean expression. He couldn't wait for her to get out so they could do things together. And once he'd taken care of step-grandma Renee, they could move back into their house and be a real family again.

'Stop dancing,' he said to the girl. She stopped, frozen with fear. 'Go bend over that stool,' he said, pointing to a chair with no back.

This was the best part, getting them to do whatever he wanted. And today it was even better because he had a reluctant voyeur, trussed up like a Christmas turkey, forced to watch what he didn't want to see.

'For God's sake,' Lennie yelled, 'leave her alone.'

'Why?' Duke said, quite enjoying the fact that Lennie Golden wasn't scared to speak up. 'You saving her for yourself?'

'You son-of-a-bitch motherfucking coward,' Lennie shouted.

'Don't listen to your boyfriend, dear,' Duke said, unfazed. 'Bend over that chair, and do it now!'

Claudia jumped to obey him.

'Jesus Christ!' Lennie groaned, anticipating what was to come. 'Don't do this.'

Duke stood up, unzipped his pants, and took out his erect penis. It was small, but capable of doing what he planned.

Slowly he walked towards the chair and a passive Claudia.

Lucky moved like a cat along the corridor leading to the bedroom, holding her gun in front of her. The music was still blaring, blurring her concentration. Fuck it.

She was going to nail this perverted bastard, whoever he was.

She reached the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar, and with one fast fluid movement, kicked it open.

Lucky saw Claudia first. Claudia was naked, bent over a stool facing the door.

Duke was positioned behind her, about to mount her. Lennie was hanging helplessly by his wrists.

As if in slow motion, Duke jumped off Claudia and reached for his gun, lying on the floor beside him.

'Drop it!' Lucky commanded.

'Who? Me? Duke said, up for the challenge.

'Yes, you.'

'Sorry. No can do.'

She took a long deep breath. Dealing with homicidal maniacs was never her favourite way to spend a day. 'Do it!' she said. 'Or I'll blow your dumb brains all over this goddamn room.'

He turned his gun towards Lennie. 'If you're fast enough,' he said, his finger tightening on the trigger.

And she knew she had to shoot, because if she hesitated, all would be lost.

She let blast, and so did he.

His bullet, meant for Lennie, connected with Claudia, who threw herself in front of Lennie just as Duke fired.

Lucky's bullet penetrated Duke's heart.

He slumped to the ground, a slack smile on his baby face. It was over.

Chapter Ninety-four

It was past ten when Maybelline was called from her cell to see the warden.

'What's going on?' Mila asked, waking up.

'Dunno,' Maybelline said. She'd decided she hated Mila, they'd been arguing all night.

'Shit!' Mila muttered. 'I hope it's not about me. You'd better be careful what you say.'

Maybelline stalked off without a word. She returned twenty minutes later.

Mila could see something was wrong. 'What's the matter?' she demanded. 'Was it about me? You didn't tell them anything, did you? 'Cause if you did, I'll fucking kill you!'

'No,' Maybelline said. 'It wasn't about you.'

'Then what was it?' Mila asked. 'They don't pull you out of your cell at night to tell you nothing.'

'It's my brother,' Maybelline said flatly. 'It's Duke.'

'What about him? Did he get Lennie Golden for me today? Is that what happened? Did he hit Lennie and get his sorry ass caught?'

Maybelline looked at her with dead eyes. 'He got killed - that's what happened.'

'Killed?' Mila said blankly. 'How could he get killed?'

'He was in a house. Lennie Golden was there. And someone shot Duke.'

'Was it the cops?'

'I feel like my heart has been ripped from my body,' Maybelline said, as if speaking to herself. 'Duke was everything good.' She turned on Mila, her expression fierce. 'If it wasn't for you, he'd never have been there.'

'Don't blame me,' Mila said.

'Ever since you came into this cell I've had nothing but trouble,' Maybelline said.

'And now you've taken away my only reason for living.'

'What did he do with my gun?'

'Your gun?' Maybelline said. 'My brother is dead, and you're asking about your gun.'

'I'm going to sleep,' Mila said. 'I have to be in court again in the morning. I have to sit there while those dumb lawyers go, "We will prove to you that Mila Kopistani planned this crime, and set out to murder Mary Lou stupid fucking Berkeley."'

'You're the dregs,' Maybelline said. 'If Duke was here now, he'd punish you for your sins.'

'I'm sorry about your brother, but he's left me in the shit. How am I going to get my gun now?'

'If Duke can't punish you, then God surely can,' Maybelline said, her voice rising.

'You are a bitch from hell. My brother is dead because of you!' And with that she reached under her bunk, and produced her one prized possession: a lethal shard of glass.

Maybelline struck out, slitting Mila's throat with one fell swoop.

Mila didn't even see it coming. She fell on to the floor of the cell with a horrifying gurgling sound.

'See how you like it,' Maybelline said. 'See how concerned I am about you.'

She got into her bunk and tried to sleep, while Mila bled to death on the cell floor.

Price was reading the LA Times in the living room when Irena came in and asked if she might talk to him for a moment. 'Does it have to be now?' he said. 'I'm not feelin' great.'

'I'm sorry,' she said, 'but I must explain something to you. You see, I feel that everything that's happened over these last few months is my fault.'

Christ! He wasn't in the mood. 'Huh?' he said.

'I never treated Mila in the way she expected a mother to treat a daughter,' Irena said. 'I was always cold towards her.'

'What're you talking about?' he said, frowning.

'I resented her from the moment I gave birth,' Irena said, rambling on. 'She - she changed things for me. She came between you and me.'

'Came between us?' His eyebrows rose in surprise. 'Hey, Irena, I know we've had our moments, but I never led you on, never told you anythin' was gonna happen between us.'

'There's something I must tell you.'

'What now?' he said impatiently. The last thing he needed was true confessions from Irena.

'Well, you see, this is the way it happened—'

And just as she was about to tell him the real truth, the phone rang.

Relieved, he grabbed it. 'Yeah? Uh-huh.' He listened carefully for a few minutes.

'Oh, shit!. Well, what's gonna happen? I - I'll tell her myself. Yeah, I will.' He put the phone down, stood up and held out his arms. 'Come here,' he said.

She walked over to him. 'What?'

He enclosed her in a tight embrace. 'I have kind of… shocking news.'

'What wit?'

'It's Mila. She was attacked by another inmate. I'm sorry to tell you this, Irena, she's… dead.'

EPILOGUE

Six Months Later

'Good morning,' Lucky said, as Lennie, accompanied by little Gino, Maria and Leonardo, came bounding up the wooden steps from the beach, all four of them wet and sandy, their faces covered in smiles.

She had breakfast laid out on the deck overlooking the ocean. Muffins, fresh fruit, yogurt, French toast and bacon. 'Who's hungry?'

'Me, please!' said Leonardo. Since the successful operation to restore his hearing, he was learning to speak at an alarming rate, picking up all kinds of expressions from little Gino and Maria.

'Then you can sit at the head of the table,' she said, giving him a big hug.

Leonardo and she had bonded. Totally inconsolable after the death of his mother, Lucky had been the one he'd clung to. And she had looked after him as if he was her own - which, in a way, he was, because he had Lennie's blood flowing through his veins, and that was enough to make her love him unconditionally.

They'd given Claudia a very moving and special funeral. The service was read in both English and Italian.

After the tragedy, Lucky had expected Lennie to go into another slump. But he hadn't. Instead he'd faced life with a new attitude, brushing up on his shooting skills at the firing range and taking up karate.

She applauded his way of handling it. Action gave him back his power and strength, it made him feel good about himself again.

'I wanna sit at the head of the table,' Maria said, pouting.

'Well, you're not going to,' Lucky replied. 'Maybe tomorrow - if you're very, very, very good.'

'I can be that!' Maria said, with a cheeky grin.

'I thought so,' Lucky said.

Lennie came up behind her, giving her a warm, sandy hug. 'How's my wife today?' he asked.

'Your wife is fine. How's my husband?'

'All the better for seeing you,' he said, nuzzling her neck.

'Honey?' she said.

'What?'

'We have to leave at noon today, everybody dressed and ready. So don't be clinging to your computer when I say it's time to go.'

'Now would I do that?'

'Yes.'

He grinned and hugged her again. 'Noon. Washed and brushed. No problem.'

'Good. It's not every day we get to go to a wedding.'

'You're wearing it!' Brigette insisted.

'I am not!' Lina replied.

'Oh, yes, you are.'

Lina took the frilly blue garter and tossed it in the air. It landed in a champagne bucket full of ice.

'Ooops, sorry,' she said guiltily. 'Can't wear it now, it's all wet.'

'So are you,' said Brigette, frowning. 'Haven't you ever heard of something borrowed, something blue?'

'Yeah, but not that skank bit of tat thank you very much.'

'You're impossible!'

'That's what Steven says.'

They'd taken over a suite at the Bel Air Hotel and were having fun. The night before they'd hit the town with Kyra, Suzi and Annik, Lina's bridesmaids-to-be. It had been a double celebration. One, Lina's bachelor party. And two, she'd finally made the cover of Sports World International and was ecstatic. She was also happy to see Brigette in such good shape. Brigette had cut her blonde hair very short, put on weight and developed a healthy tan.

She seemed at peace with herself, and perfectly content to do nothing for a while, even though her New York agent was begging her to return to work. She'd suffered a terrifying ordeal, and she was taking her time getting over it.

For a while it had been pretty scary. She'd languished in an Italian hospital with pneumonia for almost three weeks before Lucky was allowed to bring her back to America. Boogie had arranged twenty-four-hour guards at the hospital, to make sure that Carlo did not gain access.