A Shot of Red (20 page)

With one deft move, he untied the belt of her robe and it fell around her feet, leaving her naked in the moonlight. He cupped her breasts in his hands, his fingers teasing her nipples with a feathery-light stroke, then an unexpected pinch. She cried out. The pain radiated like pleasure through her body, leaving her pulsing with need. Gio pressed her down onto the rough denim of his jeans and grinded his hips upward, his erection straining against the fabric.

He pulled back and Mia tried to face him, but he clutched her shoulders. “Don’t turn around,” he said. She reached behind her and unbuttoned his jeans, carefully unzipping them and nudging them over his hips to find that he wasn’t wearing underwear.

Mia moaned her approval as his jeans fell to the floor and he stepped out of them. He pushed her damp hair aside and kissed the nape of her neck as he nudged her legs apart with his knee, leaving her straddling his leg.

Taunting her with his rigid erection, he settled her against him again and smoothed his hand up her inner thigh. Mia shuddered, anticipating where his fingers would go next. Gio cupped her breast with one hand, distracting her from the other. Spreading her legs wide, he left her vulnerable to his touch. He stroked her sensitive folds, leaving her wet and eager for more.

“That feels so good,” she rasped. He quickly dipped two fingers inside her, then traced a moist path to her clit where he drew sensuous, mind-numbing circles. Mia gasped, arching her back, aching for him to fill her. She struggled to reach for him.

“Not yet.” He grasped her hand and brought it to his mouth. “Relax,” he whispered huskily. Turned on by his taking control, she tried to do as he asked. He took two of her fingers in his mouth and sucked them seductively, his tongue mirroring his strokes between her legs. She pressed against him, dizzy with the sensation. Gio teased her nipple as he plunged his fingers inside her again and continued teasing her clit. Mia’s breathing quickened. She longed to touch him, to taste him, but he held her firmly in place, insistent on her pleasure.

He nipped at her shoulder, then her earlobe, while his fingers brought her closer to the edge. Fighting it, she tried to close her legs but he reached down and spread them farther. “Let me watch you,” he murmured, his breath warm in her ear. “Let go.”

Let go…

Mia wanted this…wanted him. Another wisp of his fingertips and her body stiffened. She pressed her head back against his pecs, and cried out as the first wave crashed over her, pulling her under like a riptide. Quivering, she closed her eyes and let the sensation consume her.

Gio held her tightly until she blinked her eyes open and gazed up at him. He leaned down and pulled a foil packet from the pocket of his jeans, ripped it open, and rolled on a condom. “I need you, Mia,” he whispered as he braced her against him with one arm and thrust his large cock inside her, still for a moment, then filling her again and again. She gripped the sides of his muscular legs, meeting his thrusts, urging him deeper and faster as another wave built. He wrapped his arms around her, pinning her so close she could feel the flex of his abs against her back as he plunged into her, bringing her to the brink…

“Gio!” His name was on her lips as she shattered around him.

“God, Mia,” he said on a ragged breath. He buried his cock deep inside her and tensed, pulsing, filling her with his heat.

Gio clutched her tightly as their breathing evened out. Mia nestled her head against him, gazing at the twinkling city lights. After a moment, he smoothed his fingers along her jaw and turned her head to the side. His warm lips met hers with tender passion and she shuddered around him again.

He kissed a path back to her ear. “Some serious shit has gone down in this place,” he said, his tone low and serious. “But this is what I want you to remember.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Gio bought two espressos in the rustic coffee shop at the Alpnachstad train station, and handed one to Mia. Saturday had dawned with heavy clouds and the forecast of an imminent snowstorm that promised to be epic—definitely not the day to be heading up to the peak of Mount Pilatus. Watchful of every move they made, they’d already bought their tickets for the train—the steepest cog railway in the world—and one of two ways to reach the top. The other was by aerial cable cars.

“I’m not sure we should risk it,” he said. “If the storm rolls in early, we could get stranded up there.”

Mia sipped her espresso, scanning the surroundings in the café, carefully studying each of the few people in there. “If it starts looking bad, we’ll come down early.”

He gave her a stern look. “We have to leave in the morning, and nothing can get in the way of that.” Mia had told him about her negotiation with her grandmother after Mrs. Moncure insisted they come home immediately.

“I’m not giving up now,” Mia said. “After all we’ve risked? This is the only chance we have to make sense of all of this.”

Gio saw the fear beneath her bravado. She looked like a beautiful, shell-shocked soldier with the scrapes along her jawline—determined to win the war. But he doubted that meeting with Katia Glasser under a false identity was going to be the catalyst that broke this thing open. Even so, it could be a good next step if the weather weren’t threatening.

They’d spent the morning going over the leads they had and considering all the variables.

Brent’s alleged accident. Brent’s video. The contents of the safe-deposit box. The new syringe vendor. Matthew’s meeting with Thomas Sorensen.

Gio’s nerves twinged at the thought of that one. Senator Moncure and Secretary Dartmouth had been at that meeting, too.

The paintings on Spreuer Bridge.
Gio had looked at those online this morning, instead of venturing out to see them for himself. He and Mia had agreed that, whenever possible, their movements around the city would be by cab, and kept to a minimum. She’d insisted on going with him to get his duffel and check out of the Hotel Ameron Flora. He hadn’t argued. No way would he have left her alone.

Katia Glasser and the poison-bead bracelet…
Could the Dragon Lady actually be the one to lead them to the truth?

An older couple came into the coffee shop, bringing a frigid gust of wind through the doorway along with them. Even with the door closed, the clapboard building was drafty enough to be considered breezy.

At least they’d dressed for the weather—Mia in boots and jeans, her puffy coat zipped up over a fleece and a turtleneck, and a blue knit hat on her head that matched her eyes. He’d never thought knit hats were particularly sexy, but hers was sure working for her. And if it didn’t keep her warm enough, she also had the hood of her coat. A pair of ski gloves peeked out of her pocket.

He wore the guy version of what she had on. They’d stopped in a retail shop inside their hotel and spent a small fortune on a new coat for him. No need to draw undue attention with the torn and bloodstained sleeve of the one he’d worn last night. His wound ached as he thought about it.

“You’re right,” he said to Mia. “We have to take the chance.”

They boarded the one-car cogwheel train, oddly configured on an angle from front to rear, with tiered bench seats and an operator’s compartment at both ends. He and Mia chose the backseat. The operator worked up front for the ascent. There’d be no one behind them, and they wouldn’t have to watch their backs for a change. Only two additional passengers boarded—the older couple from the coffee shop—making Gio again doubt their decision to go up the mountain.

The train began its trek up the moderate grade of the lower elevations, through thick forests and dark tunnels. As they climbed higher, the incline steepened. The track hugged craggy rock faces next to Gio, with stomach-turning drop-offs on the opposite side where Mia sat, leaning into him.

“The views would be awesome if the sky was clear,” she said. But they were literally in the clouds, and likely would be for the rest of the journey upward.

He gazed at her. She looked like every guy’s outdoor-girl fantasy with her silky blond hair, her cheeks pink from the cold, her lips shimmering with a hint of gloss. “My view’s pretty awesome as it is.”

She turned to him and smiled, something he hadn’t seen enough of considering the circumstances. He smoothed his hand back to the nape of her neck, pulled her close, and pressed his lips to hers, getting a rush from the freedom to kiss her in public. But that would change when they got back to the States, and they’d have to figure out what to do then.

Gio craned his neck a little farther and glanced behind them. Through the window of the empty operator’s compartment he saw the steep incline of the track trailing behind them—nearly straight down. He imagined what might happen if the cogs came loose and the train went hurtling backward. Those kinds of thoughts had rarely crossed his mind—until he’d come to Lucerne.

After about a half hour, the train pulled into the mountaintop station, eerily blanketed in thick clouds. Any other time, he might find the atmosphere intriguing, but he’d rather have a long, clear view of his surroundings right now.

Before they got off the train, the operator announced, in German and English, that the train wouldn’t be descending due to the incoming weather. Tickets would be honored for transportation by aerial cable cars, which would take passengers down the mountain. “The last cable car departs at five o’clock,” the operator emphasized.

“As long as we have a way down,” Mia said to Gio, undaunted.

They stepped off the train into a corridor that connected to an immense concourse surrounded with windows—all bathed in the grayish-white haze that hovered outside.

Mia gave him a sidelong glance. “This is kind of creepy.” She pushed up her sleeve and checked her watch. “We’re a little early. Maybe we could…” She furrowed her brow.

“What?”

“Maybe we could go out on some of the walkways and see…”

“Where Brent might have fallen?” Gio didn’t like the idea of the two of them being out on the icy pathways alone. They’d have the varying cover of the clouds, but they also had the disadvantage of not knowing the lay of the land. Regardless, he didn’t have the heart to tell her no. Maybe that was part of the closure she needed.

She nodded, seeming appreciative that he understood. They headed toward the concourse exit, where several signs marked access to outdoor walkways. Mia gave him a questioning look as he guided her into the nearby gift shop. He cast a just-trust-me glance back at her and she took his hand and squeezed it tightly. They browsed in the store, looking at cowbells and T-shirts and Swiss Army knives—and looking over their shoulders. Gio settled on a keychain and they headed to the checkout counter.

The clerk—a tall, skinny guy—rang up his purchase and Gio paid. “Do you speak English?” Gio asked.

As he made change for Gio’s franc note, the clerk said, “Yep.”

“Someone told us a guy fell off one of the ledges up here not too long ago and died.”

The clerk nodded and stole a glance at Mia, who looked realistically frightened by the idea. “That’s just awful,” she said.

Gio nodded. “Think it’s too slippery for us to go and have a look around out there?”

“No,” he said. “But you probably won’t see much. Most of the paths are closed off for winter.”

Gio pocketed his change. “Any idea which walkway the guy fell from?”

The clerk pointed down the concourse. “Out that door.”

They left the gift shop and followed the clerk’s direction. The walkway was more like a tunnel with cutouts in the rock where vapor from the clouds wafted in. At each overlook, a placard was posted, showing a photograph of what the view would’ve looked like if the sky were clear, and landmarks of interest below. They noticed several other randomly placed placards highlighting some of the dragon myths from the mountain—one of them the story of the governor Katia Glasser claimed to be related to.

After numerous twists and turns, the covered portion of the path opened to a narrow trail bordered on one side by the sheer rock face of the mountain as it rose, and on the other by a narrow cable hung about waist high and strung from post to post. The trail wasn’t wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and the wicked drop-off appeared to be bottomless. The gauzy clouds dissipated enough for them to see the trail stretch for yards, dip, and wind around the side of the mountain.

Mia stared, wide-eyed. “That narrow cable is the only barrier between the path and…” She covered her mouth with her hand and leaned against him. “Oh, God.”

Gio held her close. His stomach roiled at the thought of anyone going over that ledge. It was probably a good thing Mia couldn’t see just how far of a drop it was, and where Brent might have landed.

They stood there for a while as the vaporous clouds shifted, changing the scene, but never making it any less terrifying. Mia tipped her head up and caught his gaze. “Thank you for coming here with me.”

Gio kissed the top of her head and they lingered a little longer until the wind picked up and the clouds darkened.

Mia shivered. “We’d better go.”

Gio turned her to face him. “Hand me your gun,” he said. “We came down this dead-end tunnel with all its blind turns, and we’d be crazy to casually walk back that way without planning for the worst.”

Mia reached in her purse and handed him the revolver. It was tiny in his hand, but he could still shoot it if he had to. He tucked it into his coat pocket, his finger twitching on the trigger. “Stay behind me, and close to the inside wall.”

They cautiously made their way back through the tunnel, twice hearing footsteps ahead of them, but encountering no one. By the time they reached the concourse, Gio’s pulse rate had hit the red zone too many times to count.

The concourse was empty, and he could see no evidence that someone had come out before them, although there was only one way. Now that he thought about it, they hadn’t seen anyone else since they’d gotten off the train except the clerk at the gift shop. Gio’s instincts told him there was something wrong with this whole scene. He couldn’t wait to meet with Katia Glasser, then get the hell off this mountain.

They walked to the end of the concourse and exited through sliding glass doors onto a vast terrace that spanned the front of the Hotel Pilatus-Kulm. The movement of the clouds offered them hazy, intermittent views of the grand belle epoque hotel. Nestled just beneath the peak of the mountain, the building sprawled before them with its ivory-brick exterior and rows of alpine-green-shuttered windows. Gio figured it was an awesome sight under normal conditions, but there was nothing normal about the uneasy feeling he had right now.

Mia took his hand and led him to the far side of the terrace where another placard illustrated the view beyond the clouds—snow-capped Alps as far as the eye could see. Several peaks were named on the picture, along with their elevations.

Gio could tell by Mia’s expression that she would love to have seen the sight for herself. He took her in his arms and kissed her lightly. “Maybe we’ll come back someday.”

They went into the richly appointed hotel, asked at the front desk for Katia Glasser, and the clerk directed them to her suite.

“Try to remember everything you hear and see in case it might be relevant,” Mia said softly as they made their way down the hall. They’d decided that Gio would go with her—the more eyes and ears, the better. Besides, he couldn’t risk leaving her alone.

Gio nodded. His chest tightened as they arrived at the suite and Mia knocked on the door. Even so, he winked at her, trying to set the right mood. They were only here to buy jewelry, after all. “Since you were so good last night,” he said quietly, “maybe I’ll buy you two new bracelets.”

She grinned, blushing just as Katia opened the door.

Perfect timing…

“Hello.” Katia gave them a quick once-over and Gio did the same to her, only in a more subtle way. The woman looked just like the picture Mia had shown him of her—the messy shoulder-length graying dark hair, too-long bangs. Black-rimmed glasses. Her nose had looked bigger in the photo, but everything else was the same. She wore black from head to toe. A long turtleneck with leggings, and a cape with a red lining. Her boot-like suede shoes had long pointed toes that actually curled up at the ends. If ever there was a stereotype for a Dragon Lady, it was Katia Glasser.

“Are you Katia?” Mia asked, as if she didn’t already know.

“Yes. You must be Mia.”

Mia nodded and glanced at Gio. “And this is my boyfriend, Lorenzo. He’s promised to buy me some bracelets.”

Gio grinned sheepishly. “At least I’m good for something.”

“Well come in, then.” Katia smiled, which changed her entire demeanor and caught Gio a little off guard. He hadn’t expected her to be pleasant. She gestured for them to enter and they stepped inside her spacious and stark suite, furnished in red, gold, and black with Asian accents. Works of modern art hung on the walls.

“I’m surprised you came,” Katia said. “It’s not one of our better weather days up here.”

Mia unzipped her coat. “We leave tomorrow, so this was our last chance.”

“She’s determined when it comes to shopping,” Gio said, his tone light.

Katia led them to a black table where she had an impressive jewelry display. “Have a seat and let’s see what catches your eye.”

Gio pulled out a chair for Katia, who said to Mia, “You’ve found yourself a gentleman.”

“Lucky me.” Mia smiled at Gio as he pulled a chair out for her, then took a seat himself.

“Erika says you already have a bracelet similar to hers,” Katia said.

Gio’s pulse picked up pace. What if Brent had personally bought Mia’s bracelet from Katia and it was one of a kind? Katia might connect them the second Mia showed her the bracelet.