Page 22 of Under Her Skin
“Still planning your marital home with the lovelyHero?”
“What’s your problem?” Arturo looked up at the cynical tone in Peter’s voice, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t you likeHero?”
“I liked her very, very much, Turo. She’s sweet and smart and beautiful.” Peter fixed him with a hard look. “And she looks just like your murdered girlfriend.Jesus, Arturo, just how fucked up areyou?”
Arturo sat back and sighed. “She’s a completely different person,Pete.”
“How?”
“She’s Hero and not Flavia, for one,” he said dryly and rolled his eyes at Peter’s look. “She’s also American, you know. Versus Italian. Big difference there. And she’s softer somehow, yet at the same time, more assured. Wiser. She’s a woman. Flavia…” Arturo felt the usual sadness at the memory of such a beautiful young life cut short. “Flavia was just a kid. Hero was married, you know, with achild.”
Pete’s eyebrows shot up. “Was?”
“They died in a car wreck two yearsago.”
“Jesus. How old isHero?”
“Twenty-eight.”
Peter shook his head. “Fuck. She tell you aboutthem?”
“Yup.” Arturo leaned forward. “And I told her about Flavia, including the fact that they resemble each other. Sadly, I didn’t get there first. George told Hero aboutFlavia.”
“She knowsGeorge?” Peter lookedbemused.
Arturochuckled.
“Yup. She thinks he’s acreep.”
“She gets points for judging that character right, atleast.”
Arturo smirked. “Anyway, he took her to lunch, tried to pull his usual con job, but she saw straight through him. But, yeah, he told her aboutFlavia.”
“And she wasn’t scaredoff?”
Arturo didn’t hide his smile. “Nope. But she did tell me to slowdown.”
“Good.” Peter sighed. “More points in herfavor.”
Arturo nodded, his face becoming serious. “Pete…she’s special. I know you think it’s because of Flav, but it really isn’t. She’s…very dear to me. Yes.Already.”
Peter studied his best friend. “You’re in love withher.”
“Yes.”
“Does sheknow?”
Arturo took a deep breath in. “I haven’t said it. The whole ‘slow down’ thing, you see. But yes, I’m in love with HeroDonati.”
And he could see that, finally, Peter believedhim.
At six p.m.,Arturo drove into town and parked outside the Patrizzi. He spoke to some of his contractors, noting the work already done, then headed up to the apartment. It was quiet on the top floor, and he strode around the corridors. The apartment was in the farthest corner away from the elevators, and as he approached, he could see the door was open. He frowned. Why the hell was Herohere?
He stepped into the apartment and then recoiled in shock at all the blood. At the body. “Oh God, no…no…NO!”
ChapterTwelve
“Hero? Miss Donati? Can you hear me? If you can, please open your eyes or squeeze myhand.”
