Cherished (Adam & Ella) (8 page)

“I was afraid he’d hurt me, Ella. I didn’t know what to do. He was so much bigger. It was impossible to fight against him. With his hand still over my mouth, he reached under my dress and ripped my panties off.”

Fiorella stopped speaking, clearly gripped with emotion by the memory. “I struggled but it was no use. It was a horrible thing—his look, his smelly hand over my mouth, his touch to my skin.

“With one knee, he pinned one of my thighs, and he unzipped his pants. I closed my eyes, terrified. With his other hand, he pressed my legs wide. I was shaking uncontrollably.

“Then, all of a sudden, he was off of me. I opened my eyes and saw Adrian. He was only in his teens then, but always athletic. He’d pounced on him and had him on the floor with his hands around his throat.

“I cried out, and Adrian stopped. He released Claudio and pulled me into his arms, pulling my skirt down over me. I’ll never forget the look on his face, the rage.”

“What happened, Fiorella?” Ella said, deeply involved in the horrendous tale.

“Claudio spat at Adrian and looked at me with disgust. Then he left. I sobbed and Adrian held me for hours until I calmed down. We talked about it.

“Adrian dropped by quite often, and that night he had come over to see me. Of course, I didn’t hear his knock so he’d opened the door, and heard me gasp. It must have been just before Claudio covered my mouth.

“Entering the room, he saw Claudio on top of me. He told me he flew into a rage and only released his stranglehold on my father because I was there, watching. Adrian saved me, Ella. If he hadn’t come in right then, I shudder to think what would have happened.”

“Fiorella, that’s terrible. Did that ever happen again?”

“No, it didn’t. Adrian assured me that I was safe, and he came over more often after that. Years later he told me he’d threatened Claudio.”

“He’d kill him if he did it again?”

“He probably would have. But that wasn’t the threat. Sexual abuse of a child is a crime. Even Claudio’s associates don’t condone it. And the law would punish it severely. Claudio feared repercussions. As an adult I know that in sexual abuse cases, the perpetrator counts on the silence of the victim. But in this case, Adrian knew what had happened. It could not be kept secret.

“Claudio left me alone after that. And unless my mother or Adrian was with me, I locked myself in my room. Even if I didn’t understand it completely at so young an age, I was still afraid, and never gave him such an easy opportunity again.”

Ella had tried to convince herself even Claudio had some good in him, some mercy in his heart to restrain him. Chilled to the bone after hearing
Fiorella’s story, she was no longer deluded. Adam’s father was bad all the way through, with no redeeming virtues. It was going to be her pleasure to squash his attack, and squash it she would—with Adam’s help. Nothing would stop her now.

On top of everything else, Ella had received no reply from any of the publishers she’d written to. Taking great care with her query letters, she gave the best presentation she could of her new romance novel. Even a rejection would be better than no answer. Maybe she just needed to give them more time. She had no idea how long these things took.

After handling emails, she clicked around online to learn more about getting a novel published. Discovering book signings at a major chain of bookstores in Rio piqued her interest. Possibly, she could meet someone in the industry or connect with another author. She needed help, and couldn’t rule out any possibilities. Pulling up an event site, she read about a book festival that was held yearly for authors and publishers to meet each other. Also, it was a chance for readers to meet some of their favorite authors.

Checking the date, she noted it was only days away and panicked that she might not get in. Fortunately, she was still able to register and was excited about the possibilities. According to the description, it was a well-attended event. Meeting publishers was a certainty. Whether anyone would want to take a closer look at her book, or even talk with her, could go either way. As inexperienced as she was, there was no way for her to know how promising attending the festival might be.

But she had to try. It was a chance at least, and she liked the idea of talking with representatives in person instead of relying on letters and emails. She’d tell Adam about it in the car on the way to Quinn’s office, and was sure he’d be pleased for her. Always wanting her to be successful, he was the first one to encourage her.

Closing the laptop, Ella switched to her tablet. She used it only for offline work, since anything that could be tracked had to be encrypted. Only Adam’s laptop was safe for email or web searches. Clicking on her diary, she launched into divulging thoughts that weighed on her mind. So much had happened since she’d last written.

I want to tell you the good, not just the bad. I had the most amazing time with Adam. Sex in the shower was memorable. We’ll have to do that again. He is such a hunk.

Unbelievably, he got tickets to Luciana Souza, one of my favorites. It turned into a big deal because it was in São
Paulo and we had to fly on his private jet. What a treat that was. I’ll have to get him to take me other places. There’s so much I’d like to see. It’s so much easier to just fly on your own jet. We could go anywhere.

But then a dark shadow was cast over our happiness. Claudio sent vile notes to Serena with coldblooded threats. The depth of his perversion is nearly too much to face. But I must be strong. After what
Fiorella told me, I know how demented he really is. Violence and oppression are not enough. Sexual abuse, of a child no less, is also his style.

She told me how her father touched her, and would have raped her if Adrian hadn’t entered the room just in time. When I think of
Fiorella, how kind she is, and loving, it makes me ill to think that Claudio nearly violated her. Even though he was stopped, it’s a memory that she will never be able to erase from her mind.

I agree with her that Adam shouldn’t be told. Not now. He needs to act, but stay in control. Only then can he hope to block his father from doing harm. If he knew about
Fiorella, he might go crazy. Even though it’s been so long, I know how much he cares about his sister. Rationality must prevail, and I know it wouldn’t if he knew what almost happened.

We need an airtight plan, some way to squeeze Claudio until he can’t breathe. I can feel it almost within my grasp. It’s going to happen soon. We are going to put an end to this terror. So far, I haven’t been able to envision a clear path to do so. We have pieces of the puzzle, evidence against him. We just need to put it all together in a neat package, and suffocate him, remove him from our life permanently.

*****

In the car, Ella had time to let Adam know about the festival. As predicted, he was excited for her. He was convinced that if a publisher took the time to read her book, they’d be a fool not to grab it. He’d read it himself, and expressed to her sincerely that it was well-written. Romance books were not the type he normally read, but he knew a good story when he read one.

They chatted during the ride, coming up with some approaches she could use if a publisher took the time to speak with her. Adam talked about business in general and gave her some good ideas on how to handle that side of things. Ella was engrossed in possibilities when Miguel pulled into the parking lot. Snapping back to reality, she tried to focus on the matter they’d come to discuss with Adam’s attorney, the matter that pervaded their life—Claudio.

Quinn Bauer’s chiseled look, square jaw, and rugged features gave him a handsome gangster look. Ella knew he was a trusted friend, and now more than ever, Adam counted on him. With a one-day beard growth and dark, messy hair, he did not have the aloof presence of an attorney. Instead he looked ready to go head to head with anyone who crossed him. He inspired trust, if for no other reason than because he appeared willing to fight for you.

“We traced the notes to a messenger service in Rio. There was nothing much to learn there. A customer paid cash to have the envelopes delivered to the church. We got a description but so far the man hasn’t been identified. I doubt it’s anyone directly connected to Claudio.

“More likely he has layers to buffer him, meaning the man who hired the messenger service probably doesn’t even know what was in the envelopes or who wanted the messages sent. But I have some other information that might help us.”

“Let’s hear it,” Adam said.

“We have more details on the gambling debts, and the amount is very large. Now, Claudio has ways to get money when he needs it, but only to a point. It’s clear to me that access to software profits is something he needs badly. The gambling debts were incurred in some private games and he owes the mob.”

“Who specifically?”
Adam asked.

“That’s where it gets good,” Quinn said. “
Taiz Mezzanetti.”

Adam whistled through his teeth.

“Who is he?” Ella asked.

“Someone you don’t want to mess with,” Adam said.

“And it’s an interesting time in the underworld here in Rio. Some of the gangsters are going legit. They see big money in gambling, and, very wisely, would rather operate unfettered. Why have the police after you, even if you can buy them off, if you could rake in fortunes legally?”

“So, what does that mean?” Adam asked, leaning forward.

“That it is difficult for Claudio to know the difference between his friends and enemies. It’s not the old days. Things are changing. And it works both ways. The gang leaders, even those that have worked with Claudio over the years, don’t necessarily trust him. They can’t be sure which side of the fence he’s on.

“Claudio’s misdeeds are no secret to criminals he’s worked with over the years. Some of them want to go legit now. They need to know who will support the new way, and who, on the other hand, will betray them.

“If you add to that a huge debt to Taiz—someone you don’t want to cross even under the best of circumstances—Claudio’s position is dicey.”

“That fits with my idea,” Adam said.

Ella looked over at him. “The idea you wouldn’t tell me until you were sure it would work?”

“Yes, and now I think it can,” Adam said.

“Let’s hear it,” Quinn said. “What’s your idea?”

“What if, instead of letting Claudio take possession of some of my cutting-edge software that would unquestionably make him a fortune, I sold it to one of his associates?”

“Interesting,” Quinn said.

Ella had a feeling Adam’s idea was going to be good, and she waited to hear the rest of it.

“So, if Claudio wants to take ownership, he will have to steal it from its new owner. And if he tries to, I’m sure he will be in over his head.”

“Why is that?” Quinn furrowed his brow.

“Because I intend to sell it to Taiz,” Adam said, leaning back.

“Very clever,” Quinn said. “The one man we can be sure Claudio won’t be anxious to attack. Nor would
Taiz want to cut him into the deal due to Claudio’s sizable debts. It’s sounding pretty good.”

“Will Claudio leave us alone then?” Ella asked.

“It’s worth a shot. If he thinks what he’s after is gone, maybe he
will
leave us alone,” Adam said.

“Wouldn’t he just pressure you to write more, some other program?” Ella asked.

“He probably would, and there’s no guarantee that he won’t come after me with new demands. But the deterrent is that if I did business with Taiz, what’s to stop me from doing so again?” Adam smiled. “It’s a psychological tactic. I appear to be business partners with Taiz, a man even Claudio fears.”

“Hmmm,” Quinn said. “It is a good way to back Claudio into a corner. Any effort to get software from you, this or any other gaming software, could be viewed as a personal slight to
Taiz. That’s how he might see it.”

“In a way,
Taiz would become an ally of sorts. That should take some wind out of Claudio’s sails,” Adam said. “I’ve written plenty of software, and can write more. Selling a program or two to Taiz won’t put a dent in my business. I’ll feed him a bone. It’s worth it to get Claudio off the scent.”

“And I heard that
Taiz wants to go legit, so this would be a good opportunity for him,” Quinn said. “And Claudio wouldn’t muscle into his territory. He wouldn’t dare.”

“I heard that too, that
Taiz is considering working on the right side of the law,” Adam said. “I’ll help him do it. If selling the software to him is a way to get Claudio off my back, I’ll do it without a second thought. And in the effort, maybe it will assist Taiz to invest in more legal activities. As far as I can see, everybody wins.”

“Except Claudio,” Ella said.

“Except Claudio,” Adam repeated.

“One question,” Quinn said. “How will you arrange this transaction?
Taiz isn’t a man you can just invite over for dinner.”

“Probably the best way is to communicate via someone he trusts, and though I don’t know his associates personally, I know someone who might. Let me see how this plays out,” Adam said.

Quinn stood to shake hands. “Okay, Adam. Keep me up to date.”

“I always do.”

All the way back to the car Adam had a smile on his face, giving Ella hope for the first time that they could beat Claudio at his game. Once in the backseat, Adam began speaking to Miguel in Portuguese. Ella could only catch a word or two, and heard the names “Taiz” and “Lucas.” They seemed to come to some agreement and Adam gave a thumbs-up.

“What were you talking about?” Ella asked.

“As I thought, Miguel can help. His cousin, Lucas, has connections with Taiz; not directly, but he has ties with men in his inner circle. I told him the plan, and he agrees the offer will be golden for Taiz. He will mistrust it at first, of course.

“But if presented in the right way, from trusted associates, he would consider it. Miguel agrees that once he sees the potential, he will make the purchase. We need to move fast though, because the more desperate Claudio gets, the more likely it is that he will do something that cannot be undone.”

“It will work, Adam. I know it will,” Ella said. She saw Miguel glance at them in the rearview mirror and she smiled. He nodded to her, conveying his pledge to help them. She didn’t need to speak Portuguese to understand what the nod meant. It just might work, if time didn’t run out. Fate couldn’t be that cruel, could it?