“I’m… Sophia Rosetti,” Christina whispered.
“Oh, welcome, Miss Rosetti. So glad you’re feeling better. Please come in.”
Christina stepped inside with Johnny following right behind her. They both stood on the landing, staring at the place—Christina remembering what had taken place last time she was there, and Johnny seemingly dumbfounded by the beauty surrounding him.
“Welcome, welcome,” an older lady appeared from the corridor leading to the back of the house. “I’m Kalliopi, the cook,” she introduced herself, “and this is Marianna,” she added, pointing at the younger maid.
“I didn’t know there was going to be anyone here,” Christina admitted, truthfully.
“Oh, yes,” Kalliopi said. “Besides me, two other people work year-round at the mansion—my daughter, Marianna, as a maid, and my husband, Periklis, as a gardener. Periklis also fills in as the chauffeur when needed. Of course, when Mr. Antonio and his people were here, extra help was hired.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Christina told Kalliopi and turned to Johnny. “As you can see, there was no reason for you to worry so much. I’ll be fine.”
She didn’t mean to be rude, but right now, she wanted to be left alone. Furious with Dan, she needed to think.
“I’ll let you rest and come back in the afternoon to see how you’re doing,” Johnny said, probably sensing her mood.
“That’ll be fine,” she agreed, even though she would prefer if he didn’t come back today. However, she remained silent, watching him walking down the steps to his rental car.
Christina followed Marianna upstairs to a main bedroom—a beautifully decorated room, twice the size of the one Perdini had taken her to the first time she came to this house. A four-post mahogany bed dominated the area while a colorful love seat and two reclining chairs were situated by the French doors leading to a round balcony. She stepped out of her shoes and walked outside barefoot, enjoying the coolness of the marble tiles. Her bedroom balcony provided a breathtaking view of the pool and Myrtos in the background.
Christina drew a deep breath, overwhelmed by the powerful sensations rippling through her body. Mixed feelings of anxiety and joy surfaced, knowing she was standing on the same spot that her mother might have stood as a child.
Then her thoughts flew to Dan. She was furious with him. How dare he not give me a chance to explain? And then leave me at the hospital without caring how I would get home? She just couldn’t believe it. After all they’d been through together, Dan should have more faith in her and not jump to conclusions like this.
“Would you like to take a bath?” Marianna drew her from her thoughts.
“That would be lovely, but I have nothing to wear except these ruined clothes,” Christina admitted.
“No problem. There are plenty of clothes in the mansion. Mr. Antonio used to have lots of guests—especially ladies—and would keep extra clothes and bathing suits for any occasion. I’m sure we’ll find something to fit you until you can go shopping. Or I can go and buy some things for you if you would like.”
“Find me something, please,” Christina said, not feeling up to going on a shopping spree right now.
“I’ll bring you something to wear while you take your bath,” the girl said and left the room, softly closing the door behind her.
***
Hours later, having taken a bath and wearing the long, white silk dress Marianna had provided, Christina was sitting in a bamboo armchair on her balcony, enjoying a ham and cheese sandwich and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. The house was quiet as if no one was around. Apprehension washed over her for a moment, thinking how it would feel being in this huge place all by herself. But then, she pushed the thought right out of her mind. She wasn’t by herself. Kalliopi had told her that there were always three people there, taking care of the house.
Lost in her thoughts, she was startled by the doorbell. A few minutes later, she heard a soft knock on the door.
“Come in, Marianna,” she said, remaining in her position, staring out to the open sea.
All of a sudden, she felt tense. It wasn’t Marianna standing behind her. She could feel his gaze burning into her back. Rising to her feet, she slowly turned around to face him.
Dan was standing there, hands in his pockets and his liquid blue eyes staring right into hers.
Christina drew a deep breath, trying to control her accelerated heartbeat. I need to remain calm. I don’t want him to see the effect he has on me.
***
Dan was left speechless by the desire erupting inside him from merely looking at her; he’d missed her so much. She turned around and walked to the end of the balcony. Dan was hypnotized by the tantalizing sway of her hips. The silk dress she was wearing hardly left anything to the imagination.
Christina leaned against the railings and remained silent.
“Christina,” he said softly, “I want to apologize for this morning. I shouldn’t have left like that.”
“You shouldn’t,” she said simply, keeping her back to him.
Dan swallowed hard, realizing she wasn’t going to make it any easier for him.
“I just couldn’t handle it,” he admitted. “The moment I walked in and saw you in his arms, I went crazy.”
“And you left me there to get home on my own,” she said accusingly.
Dan remained silent, not wanting to admit that he had returned to the hospital, only to see here walking out with Johnny. His heart had sunk in his chest as he sat in the car, watching them leave together.
Christina walked to a bamboo chair, sat on it and pulled her legs up underneath her, wrapping her arms around them. The dress slid all the way up her thighs, and Dan forgot all he had prepared to say.
Spellbound, he strode to a bamboo chair across from her and sank onto it, staring into those beautiful, emerald eyes of hers.
“I wasn’t thinking straight. All I wanted was to punch him out. Besides, you didn’t get here on your own.”
“So you followed me.”
Things weren’t going well at all. He glanced at her, her face frowning, her hair falling softly on her shoulders, and her eyes staring at him accusingly. Oh, Lord! I want her so bad! He wanted to just pick her up in his arms, carry her to bed, and make passionate love to her until she forgot all about Meyers.
***
Christina was captivated by the blue ocean of his gaze and forgot about her anger. All she could think of was how much she wanted him. Unable to resist when he sprung to his feet and pulled her into his arms, their lips locked in a passionate kiss, and time seemed to stop.
She never realized when he swept her off her feet and into the bedroom. They were soon wrapped up in their lovemaking and shut the whole world outside. All the fear, doubts, and desperation of these last few days made them crave for each other with an intensity beyond words. Their bodies, minds, and souls united in one.
Hours later, they drifted off to sleep.
Christina woke up first in the morning and stretched out lazily in his arms. She rose, and supporting her body on her elbow, she lay there watching him, sleeping. Dan opened his eyes and captivated her gaze.
“I love you,” she whispered, and Dan pulled her into his arms.
“I love you, too,” he said. “And it drives me crazy to see you in someone else’s arms.”
Christina laughed softly. “You big fool, Johnny is nothing but a friend.”
“He’s in love with you,” Dan pointed out, and Christina didn’t bother to deny it.
“You knew, didn’t you?” Dan asked her.
“Well… I’d suspected it.” She let out a deep breath, not wanting to admit that Johnny had confided his feelings to her. This wasn’t something she wanted to discuss with Dan.
“What about you?”
“What about me?” she asked, puzzled.
“How do you feel about him?” Dan insisted.
Christina gave him a light kiss. “I’m crazy about him, but I
like sleeping with you on the side,” she teased him and swung her feet over the edge of the bed to get up.
Dan grabbed her and pulled her back on the bed, covering her body with his. “You little witch! You want to drive me crazy or make me kill the guy.”
“Come on,” Christina twisted and turned to free herself. “I’m starving!”
Dan released her and watched the enticing movements of her flawless naked body as she headed for the bathroom.
“By the way, how did you persuade Kalliopi to let you come upstairs to my room last night?”
“Kalliopi is the gorgeous blonde with the sinfully sexy body who answered the door?” he teased her.
Christina grabbed a pillow from the closest armchair and threw it at him. “That was Marianna. Kalliopi is short, chubby, and around sixty. And she’s Marianna’s mother. Just wait until I tell her what you said or better still, what you thought about her daughter.”
“Oh, please…” He rolled her eyes.
“Or even better, I should tell her father—the gardener. He has a sharp pair of pruning shears he’d like to show you.”
“You’re mean. And what do you care anyway what I think about Marianna? You just said you’re sleeping with me on the side.”
Christina raced back to bed and jumped on top of him, pinning him down. “If you don’t stop teasing me about Marianna, I’ll make your life miserable with Johnny.”
“Okay,” he said, and the smile faded on his lips.
“Now, tell me. What did you tell her to let you come up here?” she insisted and rolled away from him and out of the bed, heading for the bathroom.
“I showed her my badge, which didn’t impress her at all, I might say…”
“And?”
“And I told her I’m your fiancé.”
“You what?” she stopped and turned to stare at him.
“When she told me you were upstairs in your bedroom, and she was going to call you, I told her I’m your fiancé and it would be okay for me to come up.”
“And she believed you?”
“I can be very persuasive when I want to.” He laughed.
“You’re unbelievable,” she cried out and disappeared into the bathroom.
“I know,” he called out to her. “But you should have told me while you were still in bed.”
The slamming of the bathroom door came as an answer to his comment.
Dan raised his arms and locked his hands behind his neck, lying there, thinking about her and their life together.
A little later, Christina came out of the bathroom and put on the same white dress. “I have nothing else to wear,” she complained. “I need to do some shopping.”
“I like this dress,” he said. “It’s easy to take it off…”
Christina stared at him for a moment.
“What?” he inquired.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Lighthearted and relaxed.”
“Well, it’s the first time I’ve felt this way ever since I met you. I couldn’t possibly be that way when people were trying to kill us.”
“I know,” she said, and a shadow clouded her eyes.
“Come here,” he said and drew her into his arms. “I didn’t mean to ruin your good mood.”
“I’m okay,” she said and drew back. “Go take a shower, and I’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast.”
“Okay,” he agreed and watched her walk out the door.
***
Dan and Christina had a big breakfast on the balcony overlooking the magnificent view.
“This place is unbelievable,” he said.
“I know,” Christina smiled. “And to think that it’s ours.”
Dan didn’t comment on that. He just smiled at her.
“We have to go to town,” he said. “I have to meet Alexis, and you need to give a statement. We would have done it yesterday, but after everything that happened—”
“I know,” she cut in, not wanting to talk about Johnny again. “I’ll come a little later. I just need a little time to myself right now.”
“But you’re going to need a ride.”
“No, I saw a car in the garage.”
“Okay,” he agreed and stood up. He gave her a light kiss on the lips and walked out the door.
Christina lay back in her chair, closing her eyes blissfully. I could get used to this, she thought. Living with Dan in a luxurious place like this.
When she heard the doorbell, she laughed and rose to her feet. What did he forget?
Rushing to the door, she opened it and stood still staring at the tall, heavy-built guy standing in front of her.
“Are you Miss Rosetti?” he inquired in English with a heavy Italian accent.
Christina remained speechless, rooted to the floor.
“Are you Miss Sophia Rosetti?” he insisted.
“Yes,” Christina replied, dread washing over her.
The man was well dressed and seemed polite, but there was something eerie about him.
“I would like you to follow me,” he said, and Christina stared at him dumbfounded.
Is he crazy? Hell will freeze over before I follow a Mafia-looking, Mafia-speaking guy to God knows where...
“Detective Mallory is on his way here,” she said and glanced toward the driveway as if she was expecting to see his car pulling up any minute. It was then that she noticed the black limo parked there.
Seemingly totally unaffected by her comment, the man stood there, peering down at her. “Someone wants to see you.”
Christina stared at him, terrified. On an impulse, she stepped back and tried to slam the door in his face. The guy stuck his foot in the doorway, preventing it from closing and then pushed it open. Christina lost her balance and ended up on the floor. The man grabbed her by the arm and dragged her outside and down the front steps.
Panicking, Christina glanced back to see if anyone at the house had seen what was going on. Her instinct was to cry out for help, but on a second though, she remained silent. She was sure the guy wouldn’t hesitate to kill whoever stood in his way. And she didn’t want to jeopardize anyone’s life.
As they approached the limo, a short, bulky driver stepped outside and opened the back door. The tall guy pushed her in the back seat and slammed the door closed. Christina shrank in the back as both men jumped in the front seat, and the limo took off.
Chapter Seventeen
THE LIMOUSINE had tinted windows, and the glass separating the back seat from the driver was up. She tried the door, but it was locked. The story of my life, she thought bitterly and sighed, watching outside as the limo headed north. Where are they taking me? Paolo, Antonio, and Adriano are all dead. So who is left and what does he want from me?
Fiscardo. Christina read the sign on the side of the road. What are we doing here? she wondered as they entered a picturesque harbor village. They drove down a sea boulevard with traditional buildings, cafes, restaurants, and bars on one side and the beautiful waters of the Ionian Sea on the other. Colorful fishing boats were anchored all along the beachfront.
Alarmed, she watched as they cruised down the busy road, packed with tourists, locals, and heavy traffic. If only someone could see me or hear me if I scream. However, she knew it would be worthless. The tinted windows made it impossible for anyone to see her. As for screaming, she was sure the limo was soundproof. And if it wasn’t, no one would be able to hear her with all that commotion going on outside—honking of car horns, loud voices, and deafening music.
The limo turned onto a side street, went uphill to the outskirts of town, and stopped in front of a prestigious two-story, pale-yellow brick house. The garage door opened, and the limo drove right in.
Christina watched the door closing behind them and felt a shiver caress her spine. That door separated her from the outside world and any chance to escape.
The man next to the driver climbed out of the car and opened the door for her.
Christina stepped out and followed him into the house through a door leading to a family room. The guy waved at her to sit down and disappeared toward the kitchen that Christina could see to her right.
She sank on the sofa, staring around the huge room she was in. It had vaulted ceilings, an enormous fireplace that covered half the back wall, and huge windows overlooking a manicured backyard with a swimming pool in the middle.
Hearing footsteps, she sprung to her feet and turned around. She was stunned to face an old lady with a cane. The lady wore a black lace dress, and her solid white hair was pulled back in a tight braid. As soon as she came closer, Christina’s eyes fell on the gold locket hanging around the woman’s neck. Shocked, she realized that the locket was the same as hers, only a little bigger.
She peered down at the lady, wondering who she was and what she wanted from her.
“Sophia!” The old lady cried out and examined Christina from head to toe.
“Yes,” Christina replied.
“Come closer, my child. Let me take a good look at you.”
Christina hesitated for a moment and then approached the old lady.
All of a sudden, the lady reached and took Christina in her arms. “Welcome, my child!” she said, and Christina was dumfounded.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Adriana Rosetti—your grandmother.”
Christina was left speechless; this was the last thing she’d expected. In all those years she’d kept track of the Rosetti family, she’d never read anything about the old lady.
“I like my privacy,” the lady said as if she’d read Christina’s thoughts. Then she pulled Christina to the sofa, and they sat down next to each other.
“You’re so pretty,” the lady said, caressing Christina’s hair. “You have your mother’s eyes, but other than that, you look like your father. He was a very handsome man.”
Christina was still in a state of shock. She heard a noise and turned to see a young maid bringing in a tray with some tea and cookies. The maid laid the tray on the coffee table and silently left the room.
“Relax, my child,” her grandmother said. “I just wanted to meet you. There’s so much we need to talk about.”