Lost in Italy (41 page)

“Yes.”

She shifted her weight, slid her hand down between their bodies and cupped his erection.  “Promise you will speak of what you heard to no one.”

With her warm breath caressing his lips, her sexy scent filling his nostrils, and her nimble fingers stroking his desire higher, he’d have promised her anything.

“My lips are sealed.”

A smile curved along her delicious mouth.  “Thank you.”

She planted a quick kiss on his lips, then rocked back on her heels and rose to her feet.  He pushed up onto his elbows as she slipped through the door and disappeared.

When it dawned on him that she hadn’t actually agreed to help him despite his promise, he dropped his head against the floor with a groan.  God, he was so damn cheap.

****

Evalina strode through the villa, seething with anger and anxiety.  She’d known all along this would be difficult, but the wheels had been set in motion that fateful night six years ago and no way was she going to back down from her chance to even the score with the bastard who’d killed her father.

The game had turned upside down with the involvement of Ben and his family, and for the first time she was scared.  She hadn’t anticipated having to deal with a physical attraction beyond anything she’d ever experienced.  She certainly hadn’t expected to care for someone in this scam, even if the American was an unwilling participant.  But worst of all, she hadn’t planned on having to examine Nino’s motives.

She rounded the corner just before the kitchen and found herself face to face with Nino and Alrigo.  Her heart slammed against her ribs.  Avoiding the lust lurking in Alrigo’s cold eyes, she kept her gaze focused on Nino.  Ben’s suspicions echoed in her head and she thought of Nino’s absence from their room when she’d risen at six a.m.

“Breakfast is laid out in the dining room,” she managed to say casually.  “I brought the American a tray.”

“And how is our guest this morning?” Alrigo asked with a narrowed gaze.

Hard
.  She battled against an unfamiliar blush, casting him a glance as she sidled up to Nino.  “He anticipates reuniting with his sisters later.”

Alrigo’s evil chuckle chilled her blood.

Evalina pressed against Nino’s side and placed a hand on his chest to gaze up at him with a pout on her lips.  “I was lonely this morning in bed.”

He smiled down at her, because they shared a room, but never a bed.  “In that case, breakfast can wait,” he said suggestively.

His hand palmed her ass, not unlike Ben’s a few minutes ago.  With Ben, she’d fought to make herself move away.  With Nino she had to fight to stay close.  Playing the same character with different urges was wearing her out.

She forced a sexy little purr and pulled Nino’s head down toward her.  Before they kissed, Alrigo made a sound of impatience.

“We have plans to discuss.”

“Give me a minute,” Nino stated.

Evalina seized her chance as Alrigo walked away, but was still in earshot.  “Why didn’t you wake me up this morning?”

“You looked exhausted after last night,” he returned.

Since her back was to Alrigo should he turn around for one last look, she rolled her eyes at Nino before standing on tiptoe to press her lips to his ear.  “Where were you?”

He stiffened at her tone and she cringed.  Yes, she needed to know she could count on him so the whole damn thing didn’t go south and Alrigo Lapaglia got away with yet another murder, but she couldn’t let her nerves tip him off that she had doubts.

“I took a turn at guard for a few hours outside the American’s room.”

So Ben hadn’t been lying about that part. 
What about the rest?

Nino began kissing her neck.  His fingers clenched on her butt again, then roved over her back and spanned her ribcage.  Evalina endured his touch on the off chance that they still had an audience.

“Alrigo’s waiting,” she reminded breathlessly.

He licked her neck, hands inching upward.  Lolling her head back as if overcome by passion, she scanned the hall to find it empty just as Nino’s hand cupped her breast and squeezed hard.  With a gasp, she shoved against his chest and glared at him.  Nausea rolled in her stomach.

He gave a shrug of innocence.  “I heard someone coming.”

Her gaze swept the hall again in both directions.  Assured they were still alone, she hissed, “Is everything set for later?”

He gave her a confidant, satisfied grin.  “All set.”

Unfortunately, she was not reassured.  The moment he disappeared around the same corner Alrigo had, Evalina clenched her fists at her side and tried to rationalize her morning.  The last few minutes meant nothing.  Of course she despised the liberties Nino took with their situation, but they went with the characters they played.

Just because he’d crossed the line, she couldn’t discount the fact that they’d worked well together since discovering their common goal.  Each success along the way had brought them a step closer to that goal.

“Believe me, I know a double cross when I hear one.”

And maybe that’s exactly what Ben’s warning had been.  A double cross.  It made perfect sense after what he’d said about his parents being in jail.  Although…the guy thought he was fighting for his life, so it couldn’t really be counted as a double cross.  Still, that alone confirmed she couldn’t trust a word he said.  He’d do anything to turn her against the others.

Her gut insisted differently as she headed into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to plan ahead for lunch.  Had to keep up appearances until all the pieces fell into place.

Ben’s comment about trusting his gut instincts had struck a chord, because she was alive today for exactly that reason.  Why in the hell did the guy trust her?  Other than cleaning blood off his face, she hadn’t been
that
nice to him.

Unbidden, the memory of his kisses swamped her with sensation.  She grew warm thinking about his tall, hard body pressed to hers.  Such a different feeling than when she was forced to touch Nino.

Ben’s voice sounded in her head again. 
“I can’t get out of here alone, I know that.  I’m equally certain Nino is not who he seems and you’re going to get screwed.”

A chill snaked down her spine as she remembered the pain of Nino’s fingers squeezing her breast.  She prayed she’d read Ben right and he’d keep his mouth shut.

Bottles rattled on the refrigerator door when she slammed it shut in frustration.  Damn them both.  Ben had planted the seed of doubt, and Nino had watered the hell out of it.

****

Alrigo pushed his half-empty breakfast plate aside and declined a cigarette from Nino.  By the end of the day, he’d have just about everything he wanted.

Enough money to start over somewhere else.

Nino out of the picture.

Eva.

She wouldn’t be willing, but he relished the added excitement of her resistance.

He sipped his espresso and contemplated the fact that they’d been in his house for almost a year, yet over the past two days his repressed desire for Eva Anelli had mutated into a consuming need to possess.  Part of the acceleration resulted from the loathing she mistakenly thought she’d managed to conceal.  For that, he would thoroughly enjoy teaching her to show some respect.

And the rest of the transformation had been triggered by her subtle increase of aggressive belligerence.  He’d first noticed it during his phone conversation with Tomlin to verify Ben remained alive.  The moment he’d threatened to kill Sanders and reached for his gun, Eva had reacted to protect the man.  As if she could’ve stopped him.  She’d caught herself, but he’d since taken note of a slight difference in the way she treated him and Nino, and even in the way she stared down their American hostage.  He didn’t like it.

In the past she’d used her brash, icy demeanor to put any man who dared challenge her in their place, but this was different.  He’d observed from afar long enough to recognize her defense of something hidden, something he’d bet not even Nino knew about, because his gut told him this change was directly connected to Benjamin Sanders.

He kept his doubts to himself as Nino drew on his cigarette and squinted through the smoke.  If Nino suspected anything between Eva and Ben, even if there wasn’t, Alrigo would lose his human collateral in a heartbeat.  Hell, if he didn’t need the prick, if he wasn’t the key to the entire exchange, he’d get rid of Sanders himself before Eva had a chance to do anything to fuck things up.

He supposed he’d have to bring her along to keep an eye on her.  His men hadn’t been able to handle a couple of American tourists, there’s no way they’d contain a dynamite like Eva.  His fingers tightened briefly on the cup in hand.  Originally, he’d only wanted the evidence on the video.  Then they’d all made the mistake of screwing with him.

Tomlin snatched the video from his grasp.  The sisters’ escapes made his entire operation look incompetent.  Sanders made the fatal mistake of hitting his broken ribs and exposing weakness in front of his men.

Alrigo forced himself to relax, keeping his ever-growing impotent fury hidden as he set his cup in its saucer with a steady hand.  He just needed to keep control and everything would work out as
he’d
planned.  That nosy cop Roselli had paid for his stupidity, so would the rest.

The same as Frank Gallo had six years ago.

Chapter 22

Trent cracked an eye open, squinting against the light piercing the small starboard window above his bed.  Bright sunlight, not the soft glow of dawn.  The past couple days had
definitely
caught up with him.  A smile tugged the corners of his mouth when he thought of the activities that’d added to his exhaustion last night.

With a contented groan despite the aches in his sore body, he turned his head to find he’d sprawled across much of the otherwise empty bed.

Alarm sent him reaching for the gun, only to come up empty.  His stomach lurched at the sight of the bare shelf and he sat up with a jerk.  The digital time on the microwave in the galley read just after ten.  Other than a brief wince at the sting in his bullet-torn bicep, he focused on Halli.

Details registered as he shot off the bed.  Her clothes no longer littered the floor.  Through the half-open door of the head he glimpsed a towel hung over the shower rod.  Coffee aroma lingered in the air, and the pot was half-full.

His urgency abated slightly.

Halli making coffee didn’t suggest trouble.  And anyone who would’ve taken her and the gun would’ve probably shot him as he lay oblivious to the rest of the frickin’ world.  God, he couldn’t believe he’d slept through her getting out of bed, showering, and making coffee.

Some protection he was.

His waking contentment had now vanished completely, replaced by fear seconds ago, and now guilt.  He raked both hands through his hair and fisted them tight, welcoming the pain.  There was a very real possibility that he’d fail her today like he’d failed Sean.  The responsibility of keeping her safe had been an unexpected, unwanted burden, but now the thought of not living up to it scared the hell out of him.

Halli’s hushed voice from above sent a wave of relief crashing through him despite having rationalized there was no immediate reason to worry.  He braced a hand on the wall at the opening to the deck and drank in the sight of her slim form by the boat railing.  Dressed in a snug black T-shirt and tan shorts, she stood with her back to him, talking on his disposable cell phone.

Sunlight filtered through a tree along the shore, its dappled rays glinting off the golden-red highlights in her shoulder length hair.  The longing to once again feel its silky softness skim across his stomach set his blood pumping.

He closed his eyes against the gut clenching need and took a deep breath, last night’s emotional realization still raw and not entirely welcome.  Silent arguments flooded back, gaining strength in the light of day.

Somewhere, he recalled reading that people formed emotional attachments in dangerous, stressful situations.  That had to be what he felt, considering they’d depended on each other to stay alive during the past couple days, and it wasn’t over yet.  Once the danger was gone, the emotion currently constricting his chest would reveal itself to be nothing more than a coping mechanism.

She’d go home to Wisconsin; he’d head back to L.A. to begin shooting his next Shain West film in less than two weeks.  Life would return to normal.  It’d take longer to achieve normal without his brother, but eventually it would happen.

A sharp ache near his heart undermined his confidence.  He clenched his jaw and ignored the pain to focus on Halli’s conversation.

“We’re all better than mom and dad; you, me and Ben, and don’t forget that.  They’re the ones sitting in jail right now, not us.”

Trent marveled at the strength in her voice and was glad she was on his side.

“Rachel, stop it,” Halli ordered.  “Everything is going to work out just like we’ve planned.  Once Trent pays the ransom and trades the video for Ben, this’ll all be over and we can go home.”