WRECKER (14 page)

Roberto’s mouth lifted into a challenging smile. “Perhaps you should stay in his stead. I’m sure you would work quite well under me.”

Cora drew a sharp breath at the suggestive remark and imagined she saw in his cool gaze a slight thaw, a flicker of amusement, at her expense.

“I’ve heard so much about you from Giancarlo,” he said. “I feel I already know you, Cora.”

“I’m not looking for work. I’m just here to see Italy.”

“Alone?” He shook his head, disapproval radiating from him. “Young ladies shouldn’t travel alone. Not in Italy. What if someone tried to steal you?”

His voice had grown soft and if there hadn’t been a teasing glimmer in his eyes, she might have read a threatening tone into it.

“If that happens, I’ll just tell them I’m friends with Roberto Agnelli.” She matched her tone to his. “I’m sure that will scare them away in no time at all.”

He broke into a smile, and the effect upon his features was remarkable. His handsome face lit with amusement.

A waiter arrived and set a cup of coffee in front of her along with a small pitcher of frothy cream. She reached for the cream and stopped abruptly when she saw her hands were streaked with grime. She saw Roberto look at her hands, but he didn’t use the opportunity to humiliate her. He shrugged and nodded to a hallway. Cora got to her feet and hauled her backpack to her shoulder. “Excuse me. I need to clean up a little. I’ve been on a train all night.”

The bathroom, with a sitting area, potted palms and ferns, was spacious enough to be a hotel suite. She locked the door and shed her jacket. Her shirt had two spots of blood, one between her breasts, and the other near her waistband. She pulled the shirt off, but the cloth stuck to her cuts and the bleeding started again.

The wounds were tender and the one on her side was longer and deeper than she’d realized. The adrenaline rush from the attack had kept her from feeling it, but now she was feeling the throbbing ache. She held a wad of tissue to it, applying pressure until the bleeding stopped. Her vision filled with spots and she blinked to clear them. She leaned against the wall, shook her head. She took a new shirt from her backpack, shoved the old one in the garbage. Her bra was held together by only a few threads so she threw it away too. She would just need to wear her jacket to cover up.

This was just perfect. Penniless. Braless. Clueless. She began to laugh but then the room seemed to tilt and she groaned and waited for everything to stop spinning.

Cora felt as though she floated as she crossed the dining room. The piano music sounded like something from a dream. A little food would bring her back to earth, she reasoned. She felt Roberto’s eyes on her as she crossed the room. He looked worried as he rose quickly from his chair, his brow furrowed, his mouth set in a grim frown. “Cora, you’re not well.”

“I’m totally fine,” she heard someone say. And then a shroud of darkness fell.

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