Page 33 of Dark Masquerade
This man. God, like she hadn’t been dating Aldo for months.This man.Like he was a stranger.
Elli sighed and turned away from him. Aldo curved his body to meet hers, spooning her, but she didn’t respond.
The tension between them remained as they landed in Seattle, and Elli was relieved when, after they had arrived at the hotel, Aldo excused himself to work. Elli went out into the city to walk around and see it for herself. She was excited to be there, and even more so when she saw the beauty of the place. The views over to the Olympic Mountains were breathtaking, Elliott Bay glittering in the late spring sun. It was a clear, blue-sky day, and Elli lost track of time, gathering tourist leaflets and mixing in with the Seattle crowds. In Pioneer Square, she found a small coffee house with outside seating and sat down to people-watch and catch her breath.
Soon her mind was drifting back to the scenes on the plane. Now that the shock had passed, she was left feeling angry. How dare Aldo treat her like that? He’d made her feel like a whore, and worse than that, like a stupid little girl. He knew she’d had experience with handling bad press—and very recently too—so why on earth would he behave like that?
The answer was in front of her, but she didn’t even want to consider it. There was no way,no wayAldo was a gunrunner. It was ridiculous …wasn’t it?
Elli drew in a deep lungful of breath. She was a journalist, right?So, go investigate, she told herself.Find out for yourself.She wondered if she could persuade Vivienne to sanction a trip to Uganda—without Aldo knowing. Now that he was an investor, Elli didn’t know how privy he was to the magazine’s accounts records. He would know what was up immediately if a plane ticket to Uganda showed up.
Speaking of records …Elli’s investigative hackles were up now. Aldo worked from home …did he keep his records there? She would have to be careful,reallycareful. If he found out she was snooping …
Elli felt energized for a second before the realization hit—she was about to investigate herboyfriend. The man she loved—didn’t she? She stared unseeing out into the busy street. What if she found out something that could put Aldo away? What if he was corrupt? What if his humanitarian causes were a cover for something more insidious? She kept returning to what Indio had told her.Aldo Constanza is a dangerous man.
The familiar prickling started on the back of her neck, and she scanned the street for anyone who might be watching her. Elli had to admit; since Indio, her paranoia had been off the charts, and so she would have to make sure any investigation she made was balanced. She knew she could rely on Vivienne for that.
“Elliana Moretti, what thefuckare you doing in Seattle?”
Her heart suddenly soared and she jumped up, turning to see Tandy Lee grinning at her. Almost in tears, Elli hugged her friend. “Oh my god, Tandy …Tandy …”
Tandy hugged her, and when Elli released her, Tandy was frowning at her. “What’s up, bro? You look weird.”
Elli tried to smile, but her emotions were in turmoil now, and instead, much to her great embarrassment, she burst into tears.
***
Tandy whisked her friend to the nearest bar and bought them both double scotches, rubbing Elli’s arm as she tried to calm down. She had never seen her friend so distressed.
Tandy had come to Seattle straight from her trip to India to see an old friend, but, as her friend had a last-minute meeting for work, Tandy had decided to mooch around the city. She loved Seattle and always went there for a week or two to bookend a bigger trip. When she had seen Elli, of all people, sitting in that café and looking as unhappy as she’d ever seen her, she had been astonished.
Now, though, worry was the only emotion she could feel. Elli, despite her natural beauty, looked drawn, ill, pale, and thin. Tandy made her sip her scotch as she waited for Elli to explain herself. Eventually, Elli told her about Indio, about his anger, about fucking him, about her guilt, and about things with Aldo going downhill …fast.
When she had told Tandy everything, Elli rubbed her eyes, sighing. “I’m a mess, Tand.”
Tandy blew out her cheeks. “Look, Els, let’s get to the crux of this. There are two men, both of whom you say you love. Both hate each other. Both have said pretty vicious things about each other. Both of whom have, and correct me if I’m wrong, been aggressive towards you.”
“Indio wasn’t aggressive towards me. He was just trying to …”
“Stop making excuses for Indio. He behaved appallingly. Didn’t you say he came at you—that the sex between you wasn’t lovemaking, but almost violent? And what happened with Aldo on the plane? Wasn’t that the same thing?”
Slowly, Elli shook her head.
“Why not?” Tandy was amazed, and Elli dragged a shaky breath into her lungs.
“Because IwantedIndio to fuck me and I didn’t care how he did it. He could have taken me at knifepoint and I would have still wanted him. I remember every single second of it, Tandy, and it’s like heaven to me. Even with what happened afterward.”
Tandy stared at her in dismay. “You’re never going to get over him, are you?”
“It’s why I feel so hopeless,” Elli muttered. “And now that it’s affecting how I feel about Aldo …”
Tandy chewed her bottom lip. “Els, can I be brutally honest?”
“Please, please do be. I need a kick in the butt.”
Tandy sighed. “I think you need more than that, darling. I think you need to break things off with Aldo and get some space from both of them. Go back to work, do your thing, and beyouagain. Don’t fuck Indio again. At least not while you get your head together. If he wants you, he’ll come get you once he knows you’re not with Aldo, and then you’ll know for sure.”
Elli listened to her friend, and Tandy could see her shoulders easing and the tension fading. “You’re right. You’re right. God, of course that’s what I should do. Space. “
