Page 13 of Heart's Temptation
His explanation, or lack thereof, brought a fresh wave of rage and quelled my silence.
“Really? What the fuck is it then, Marko? Cause it looks like you and Nicolette are enjoying the spoils of my family’s wealth. How the fuck long has this been going on?”
My shouting awakened Nicolette. She blinked her eyes several times, before they rounded with surprise and dropped, avoiding me altogether. I didn’t know what was worse, his betrayal, or hers.
“You!” I shoved my finger in Marko’s chest. “You have some explaining to do, and you, can get the fuck out of my suite!” I was pissed at myself for losing my composure and yelling and had to leave the room before I pulled out my gun and killed someone. I made myself some espresso and went onto the deck while I waited for Marko.
He joined me a few minutes later. “We need to talk.” He stood in front of me blocking the sun with his large frame.
“About what, exactly?” I turned on him, ready to toss him off the balcony. “What excuse can you possibly come up with that makes this any better?”
I was twitching, I was so angry. If this were anyone but Marko, they’d be dead already.
“The call I got that night was on my private line. It was Niki, saying she was in trouble.”
“After all these years, she called, and you came running?” The fact that he’d done it wasn’t the issue. I’d have probably done the same thing. The real problem was that he’d done it alone. Without me.
Marko looked at the deck and then back at me. “She said she was violated and needed help. She was terrified, Gio. I had to help her.”
My anger, which had been solidly settled on the two of them, suddenly shifted. What the fuck? I’d kill the person, whoever the hell they were, then Marko. I swallowed a few times to control the rage in my tone. “I hope you killed the motherfucker before helping her escape.”
“When I arrived, she was alone, and shared her entire story with me. Thankfully, she had been in shock and hadn’t meant that her body had been violated, but her safety had. Gio, she’s afraid for her life.”
Word games. I dropped down onto a chair and placed my elbows on my thighs. Steepling my fingers, I gazed up at him. “Explain what you're talking about, and Marko, my patience is wearing thin, so speak clearly and quickly. I’m warning you.”
“Someone is trying to kill Nicolette. They’ve made several attempts, but luck has won out each time, and she’s walked away. The night she called me, the police had been to her place. A note was left on her table.” Marko swiped on his phone and showed me a photograph of a piece of paper with large blocky writing.
This is only the beginning. Next time I set a trap, not only will you not see it coming, but you won’t survive it.
“After the police left, offering her no help, she called me. I would have told you that night, but I didn’t want you to get upset. I thought someone raped her, and she was being held captive.”
“That was almost a week ago, Marko. So why not come clean before now?”
“I’ve been hunting for the person responsible, but he’s like a ghost. I couldn’t leave her unprotected.”
“That doesn’t answer my question though, does it?”
I leaned back and closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. Now was not the time to examine my roiling emotions. Despite my anger at her and my disappointment with him, I would not want to be responsible for anything nasty happening to Nicolette. My father's words from years ago come back to me…
“You offered her the world and once she’s done running and sees how dark a place it is without you to protect her, she’ll be back because she needs you. That little girl isn’t meant for the cruelties of this life and trust me, when she gets in over her head, she’ll be back and then it’s up to you to take her, or cast her away but remember my son, it’s not you she is running from or Marko, but her demons. Or perhaps she is chasing and not running. Regardless, the outcome will be the same.”
I missed him. He had been a hard man at times, but his wisdom and guidance I now realized were priceless.
“When she returns,” he’d continued, “try not to be too harsh with her. Listen with an open mind before you demonize her, but also make it clear. That it will never happen again. Vitale women don’t run.”
“I told myself I wasn’t coming clean because I didn't think Niki could handle a confrontation with you while dealing with a killer. But the truth is, I wanted to stall and see if there was anything still there.” Marko offered an explanation, jolting me from my memories.
My father must have known more than he let on at the time. How did he know she would come back? Was she not meant for the world without me and Marko in it to keep her safe? Perhaps, but only time would tell. All I knew was now that she was back, she wasn't leaving again.
“I assumed you’ve fucked her?” It sounded crass, as intended, to camouflage how I was really feeling.
“No, but I wanted to.”
I leveled him with a look of disbelief. “Then why are clothes strewn all the way to the bedroom?”
At least he had the decency to blush. “She drank too much. I was escorting her back to her room, when she threw up all over herself. I stopped and stripped her clothing before putting her in the shower and tucking her in bed. I didn’t know she was in my bed until you woke me up. She must have snuck in during the night.”
I wanted to call him a liar, but knew he wasn’t. Marko had a tell that he wasn’t exhibiting now. His fingers were relaxed. None of the nervous drumming that always accompanied a lie.