Page 43 of Under Her Skin
“And what do you know about Hero? You’ve spoken what? Three times since she’s been here? Stay out of things which don’t concern you, George. Now, are you going to tell me where sheis?”
“No, I think she’d rather you didn’t know. From what I hear, she’s already going through a toughtime.”
Arturo went very still. “And what do you know aboutthat?”
George smiled. “Hero told me everything. Seems you just can’t keep your women safe, can you, Bachi? First Flavia, nowHero.”
“Nothing is going to happen to Hero.” Arturo kept his cool, but his knuckles were going white as he curled his hands intofists.
“I certainly hope not. What a waste it would be, such beauty. This community couldn’t take anothertragedy.”
George was enjoying this, but Arturo couldn’t tell whether his enjoyment was from goading Arturo or from the thought of hurting Hero. He prayed it was theformer.
“What do you want,George?”
George’s smile disappeared. “Nothing you could give me. I’ve come to expect nothing from you. As should that lovely girl. You’re a cancer, Bachi. You ruin lives. You deserve every bit of pain that comes to you. Maybe Herowouldbe better offdead.”
Arturo lunged for him. George sidestepped him neatly, and Arturo went sprawling. As he clambered to his feet, George chuckled. “You know what, Bachi? My mission from now on will be to poison lovely Hero against you. Given the state she was in yesterday, it’ll be a cakewalk. You’ll see. That beauty will be in my bed soon enough, and once again, you’ll be left with nothing. Any wonder your women always chooseme?”
He stalked out, and Arturo heard him laugh as he left the house. Arturo got to his feet slowly, dusting himself off. It had taken all of his will to fake that lunge, send himself sprawling to the floor, humiliating himself in front of his oldenemy.
He picked up the burner phone and called his wife. “He bought it,” he said and began tosmile.
“My dear,I’m afraid I don’t think Bachi will be sending your belongings to you. He’s behaving like a child, petulant and selfish—asalways.”
Hero nodded, sighing. “Well, it was only clothes, George. There are plenty of stores. I’d rather not risk a confrontation with him. I’d rather not see him atall.”
George sat down on the suite’s couch. Hero took a seat opposite him. “You’ve been very kind, George. I can’t thank you enough. I just have to figure out what my next move willbe.”
He nodded. “I would like to help you if you’ll allow. Perhaps we could send out some detectives to find where your sister is beingheld.”
Hero’s heart began to thud a little quicker. “Arturo already did that. There was no sign of her around Como orMilan.”
“Perhaps Bachi doesn’t have the contacts I do.” George’s smile was snake-like, and Hero felt a cold shot of adrenaline through herstomach.
Careful, carefulnow…
“What do youmean?”
“I mean…he is more…discerningabout who his business contacts are. I’m not naïve like him. I go where the money is and sometimes thatmeans…”
“The underworld. Why would someone in the underworld want medead?”
George studied her, his eyes like gimlets. “There isalwaysa good reason to kill a beautiful woman,Hero.”
His words felt like a knife in her gut.Ironic, she thought,seeing as he is now my numberone suspect for wanting to knife me in the gut. “Wouldyoukill me, George?” Her voice wassoft.
His expression changed immediately. “My dearest Hero,no, that is not what I meant! I wasn’t talking about myself, rather, the world in general.” He sighed. “So much jealousy in this world, so much entitlement. ‘She is mine. If I can’t have her, no one can, etcetera, etcetera.’ We see it every day on our television news. Dear one, no, I only meant…there doesn’t appear to a limit to the reasonswhy.”
Huh.He had a point, but it still made her feel sick. In a flash, he was sitting next to her. She tried not to flinch as he stroked her hair back behind her ear. His eyes were intent on hers, and she looked backsteadily.
“You are truly exquisite,” he murmured. “It would be a tragedy if any harm befell you, Hero Donati. A tragedy. I will not let thathappen.”
Oh, God, he’s going to kiss me. Go along with it. Fake it. Don’t throw up.But instead, George picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. She breathed out shakily, letting him hear her nerves, hoping he would think it wasdesire.
His arrogance won out. “Darling one, I will call on you…later. If I may, that is? Forsupper?”
She forced a smile on her face. “Sure.”
