Gambler's Folly (Bookstrand Publishing Romance) (33 page)

With a huge sigh, he dropped heavily onto the sofa. “Dispiace, amore mia. I’m impatient to get finished with this business. There’s nothing I can do until the meeting, and I grow more restless as the time approaches.”

“Why don’t we cuddle on the sofa and watch a film or something. Something to take your mind off of it.”

He moved over to make room for her. There was nothing which interested him on the viewer. The news was aggravating. The films all seemed to be crime and murder. After several minutes, the controller bounced twice, then rolled across the floor.

“Alright, Damiano! What do you want to do?”

“Besides rip somebody’s throat out? I don’t know. I want to run, climb, scratch my mark on a tree. Something physically violent. But there’s not much I can do here. And everyplace else is too far away from the meeting tomorrow.”

“How about a swim?”

“Too cold.”

“Workout?”

“Boring.”

“Bath?”

His answer was a snarl.

She thought about it for a few minutes while he continued to pace.

“How about if you
change
and we go for a swim? Then we can take a nice warm bath or a shower.”

Her nose twitched at the change in scent as her mate turned and stalked down the hallway. Hurrying to catch up, she was just in time to watch the transformation from man to leopard, whose eyes seemed to burn with some inner fire.

“Rowwrrr…” he said.

“Give me a minute. I’ll meet you in the pool.”

Dam was quite a powerful swimmer, even as a cat. They swam and played in the water until Karianna was exhausted.

“Okay, Tiger. Time for a bath.”

Pulling himself out of the pool, he shook his entire body, including his feet, sending great sheets of spray around the room.

“Stop! You’re making a huge mess,” Karianna exclaimed.

“Growwrrrll…”

“Oh, alright. Come on.”

They clambered into the shower, which must have been built with great cats in mind. Even so, they barely fit. Face raised into the falling water, Dam seemed content for a change.

Once finished with her shower, she grabbed his shampoo from the shelf and massaged the thick foam through his fur, avoiding his face and eyes, while he made happy cat sounds. Eyes closed and whiskers forward, he might as well have been purring.

One more giant shake and she dried both of them with warm fluffy towels. The swim had really tired her, she thought, as she wrapped her robe around her, and picked up her comb. The great cat watched as she smoothed her hair, occasionally rubbing his head on her thigh.

Suddenly, he stood up on his hind legs and took a brush from the shelf, with his teeth. His look said she should be able to figure it out.

“Ahh…You want to be brushed?” A soft growling sound was the answer.

“Let’s go into the living room, so you can stretch out. I’ll bring a towel for you to lie on.”

So, sitting on the plush carpet, brush in hand, Karianna groomed the huge black leopard, who was her mate, until he drifted off to sleep. Seeing how comfortable he looked, she pulled a throw pillow off the sofa and joined him.

Late in the afternoon, she woke to the soft sound of music. Eyes open, she glanced around the room, wondering what shape she’d find her husband wearing. “Dam? Where are you, honey?”

Walking upright, he came in carrying a tray with tea and snacks.

“I’m bringing a peace offering for earlier. I’m sorry I was so very difficult, cara mia.”

“Oh, you were fine. It’s the situation that’s difficult. Are we going down to dinner tonight?”

“Yes, this one last night before the meeting. Tomorrow you will stay in, while I go and deal with business.”

It must have been their shared mood, but they both dressed in black for the evening.

“Ah,
mia angelo scura
. My dark angel. You are lovely tonight, cara.”

“Coming from Il Diavolo, how should I take that?” She laughed.

“Lovely enough to tempt saints into sin, cara mia. As a compliment, of course.”

“Should be good for business.” The kiss was pure passion, the swat on the bottom stung abominably.

“Ouch!”

“Keep your emotions under control.” He smirked. “I can’t take you anywhere for fear of starting a riot.”

The banter was light, but she could hear the tension underneath. “Come on, Tiger. I’m gonna need a good meal if you’re in that kind of mood.”

His smoldering eyes seared a path from toe tips to the top of her head. “Your scent gives you away, amore. Maybe we should stay in?”

Dinner was wonderful after all day in the house. Dancing helped keep the jitters away. They had made it about halfway through their tour of the tables when Dante came up to them. He wasn’t rushing, but his scent smelled urgent.

“Signor, our opponents have just come through the front door, four of them. At least one of them is armed. How do you want to proceed?”

“Where is Marco?”

“By your office.”

They turned and quickly walked to the corridor which led to the office. Marco stood outside the door, waiting.

“Marco,” Dam said quietly. “Take Kari back to the suite, the private entrance. Call Giulio and have him meet you with the chopper.”

Turning to Karianna, he continued. “You must go with Marco, cara. Go to the suite, change into something for traveling. Make sure you have your passport and any official documents you may need, and pack one change of clothes.”

“Dam, what’s happening?” she asked anxiously.

“No time. Marco, you know where to go. Call me when you’re safely away. Cara, amore, ti amo—I love you.” With a quick hug and kiss, he was in his office.

“Signora, hurry. We must leave,” Marco told her, taking her arm.

They didn’t run down the corridor, but moved very quickly. Once in the suite, Karianna hurriedly yanked the gown over her head and threw it onto the bed. Grabbing the first clothes she came to, she drew on a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved, soft cotton shirt. Passport tucked into her purse with the rest of her documents, she shoved a change of clothes into an overnight bag and met Marco in the living room.

“Come, signora. Giulio is waiting for us on the roof.”

Taking the stairs two at a time, they were soon at the roof access. Marco opened the door carefully and peered out. The chopper was just landing. Stepping out onto the roof, Marco turned to motion her forward.

Slamming the door behind her, Karianna heard a small, sharp popping sound. As her eyes swept the scene in front of her, she saw Marco stagger, and slump to the ground.

“Marco!” she screamed. Just as she saw the gunman, she felt the sharp pain of the shot. Falling, she watched the chopper lift off before she faded into unconsciousness.

* * * *

The four young men strolled confidently into Damiano’s office.

“Our meeting is for tomorrow evening, in another location,” Damiano began. “So why has Il Lupo sent out his bastard pups?”

“Il Lupo would like for you to assure him that all will be agreed tomorrow evening, Damiano,” one of the men told him.

“That he can learn tomorrow. And you don’t rank high enough to address me by name. To you, I am Signor Leone.”

“We’ll see about that tomorrow also,” the man responded. “You may wish to consult your wife on the matter.”

“Touch my wife and die,” Damiano stated flatly.

“A domani, Signor.”

“
Esci
. Get out.”

As the last man left the office, Damiano called Paolo over. “Have you heard from Marco?”

“No, Dam, I haven’t. I thought we should have by now.”

“Get him on his communicator.”

Paolo tried to reach him, then tried again. “It’s no use, Damiano. He’s not receiving.”

“Something’s wrong. Let’s go.”

Through the corridors, and up the back way to his apartment, they ran at breakneck speed. After they cleared the suite, Damiano led the way to the helipad on the roof.

“Marco! What happened?” he shouted at the man lying on the roof. “Paolo, call the ambulance. Marco still lives, but he’s unconscious.”

Before the medical team arrived, Marco came around enough to talk. “Damiano, mi dispiace. I’m sorry. They were waiting for us on the roof. They shot me first. I don’t know what happened to the Signora.”

Sending him on to the hospital, Damiano went back to the suite. He was sure his opponent, the one known as Il Lupo, the Wolf, was behind it all, especially after the comments in his office. He was not were-folk, just very predatory, and liked to hedge his bets.

“Dam, can’t you use that little talent of yours and find her?”

“I’m trying, but if she’s still unconscious, it will be more difficult. And with this much stress, it is even worse. The most important thing, now, is to call the teams and put together a plan.”

“And tomorrow night? What about the meeting?”

“That depends on what happens from now until then, Paolo. My wife comes first. If they think taking Karianna will make me become docile, go to the meeting, and say ‘si, signori,’ they are wrong.”

“Where shall I have everyone meet?”

“In my office downstairs. After we make some plans, we’ll go see Marco.”

* * * *

Every time Karianna began to come around, someone came in with another injection. She had been too weak from the tranquilizer to protest. Dam must be worried to death. No, probably mad as hell and plotting revenge, she thought.

As she heard the door open, she closed her eyes and feigned sleep. It must be almost time for another sedative. Maybe she could buy time to become a little more coherent.

Trying to puzzle it all out, she decided it must have to do with Dam’s meeting the next evening. Or was it already the next day? She had no idea how long she’d been sedated. Whoever had kidnapped her must want to use her as insurance, to force her husband into something he despised.

From what she understood of his business, he had the largest, or nearly the largest, territory. If he sided with this new element, then the rest would be forced to follow his lead.

Surely he wouldn’t do that, would he? She hoped and prayed he wouldn’t. She didn’t know exactly what his business entailed, but she was absolutely sure she didn’t want him involved in drugs, by any means. He didn’t approve of them, and had sided with the older syndicate members each time the subject had come up, if he told the truth.

Could they force him to change his mind?

“Signora, it is no good playing games,” she heard someone say. Opening her eyes, she saw it was once again time for the sedative. The man had brought reinforcements, who held her quietly enough to get the job done. As she drifted off again, she thought, if I get out of this alive, I’m gonna slug whoever did this to me.

* * * *

“Any luck yet?” Paolo asked.

“I keep getting brief touches, but nothing I can lock onto. She must be sedated.”

“Well, if it were me, I would have her sedated. They learned she can defend herself the last time they tried to take her.”

“I know. I don’t believe they’ll harm her, unless today’s meeting goes against them. And then? I just don’t know.” Damiano was back to pacing the floor once again.

“The teams are ready. Whichever way we need to go, we’ve got a plan.”

“Yes. Thank you, Paolo. And Marco should be here soon. I hear he is giving the hospital staff a lot of static over being in bed.”

Paolo laughed. “You know how he is with doctors anyway. We’re lucky whoever tranquilized him used something that didn’t conflict with the leopard. Of course, tranquilizers aren’t generally too bad.”

“Yes. But it makes me wonder if they’ve caught onto the idea that we’re ‘were-’?”

“I don’t know how. We got the entire team up by the lodge. I know they occasionally use were-folk, but I’ve not heard any rumors.”

“Our meeting is set for eight o’clock this evening—2000h. It’s nearly noon now. I must get a line on Karianna before the meeting,” Damiano expressed, exasperated.

“I’ll go make some more coffee, then,” Paolo told him. “You work that magic, which is uniquely yours, and locate your mate.”

“Well, it’s about time to go see your husband, Signora Leone,” the man before her said. “Hopefully, he’ll understand the situation, and we can all be one big, happy family.”

Karianna had finally come around again, only this time they let her sit up and have something to drink. She seemed to be in some kind of warehouse or something from the sounds. It had that warehouse smell, too—musty, stale, sort of earthy-metallic. She’d been sleeping on a cot in a small room, with one single light hanging from the ceiling.

“I doubt it. I know what he’s like,” she said, shaking her head. “If he doesn’t want to do something, he doesn’t do it.”

“But this time, I have you to barter with. I’ve heard he is really in love, and that can change a man.”

“I hope not,” she answered, hotly. “I like him just fine the way he is.”

“It won’t be long now. The meeting is two hours from now. And then we’ll see what kind of man Signor Leone really is.”

Going to the door, she heard him call someone else over.

“Carlo! Come get the Signora up and ready to move. I want to take her with us when we leave. Get her something to eat and let her wash up. Then handcuff her. You know what she’s like.”

By the time she’d finished her meal, there was still nearly an hour before time to leave. From what she’d heard, they wouldn’t be leaving until fifteen minutes before the meeting. So the meeting couldn’t be too far away. They were discussing the route, so they must be taking a vehicle of some kind. Maybe she could break free on the way to the car.

* * * *

At a quarter past seven, Damiano was going over their final plans with his team when he suddenly jumped up and went to the bureau. Opening the drawer, he took out a revolver, loaded it, and reached for a shoulder holster.

“Dam, what are you doing?” Marco demanded. “It’s forty-five minutes before the meeting.”