Page 73 of Brutal Husband

Costa eyes me curiously. “What is it you were hoping for? Nero Lombardi can have anything he wants, for the right price.”

Should I just come out with it, or should I spend more time gaining Costa’s trust? The thought of standing here one minute longer makes my skin crawl. My palm feels sweaty in Rieta’s, but I say with as much cold indifference that I can manage, “I want something younger. Like the one I found you.”

Costa’s face slackens in shock, and he glances around quickly. In a whisper, he replies, “Keep your voice down, even here. We agreed that I should have listened to you. I made a mistake choosing a girl who’d be so obviously missed.”

He has to be talking about Harriet. Her face still appears in the news, and the police investigation is ongoing.

“I thought I could have anything I want,” I challenge him.

Costa hesitates, and I sense he’s suspicious of me. That I’m too different than the man he knew. “You never used to partake in those kinds of luxuries. Have your appetites changed?”

I wonder what the right answer is. If I had to guess, Luca got off on controlling people, like emotionally torturing Rieta. Costa probably knows that. “I’m here on behalf of a special friend of mine. He can’t show his face in a place like this, but his funds are almost limitless.”

That seems to satisfy Costa, and the mention of limitless money has piqued his interest. “Then you should have said. We can talk at my place.”

Rieta looks sickened, but seeing as it was my stated intention to upset my wife, Costa takes no notice of her.

He walks on ahead of us, and Rieta whispers to me, “You’re so good at pretending to be Luca it’s frightening. I keep thinking he’s risen from the grave.”

While Costa’s back is turned, I press a kiss to her forehead. “Not much longer, I promise,cara mia.”

Rieta’s lips part as she gazes up at me, a pink blush spreading through her cheeks.

“What is it?”

“I…I missed you. Promise me that I won’t wake up and find myself alone again, and this is all a dream?”

I open my mouth to promise, but Costa is waiting by the front entrance. In Luca’s cold voice, I tell Rieta, “Shut up. We’ll go home when I say so.”

She flinches and looks away, and my heart shrivels at speaking so cruelly to her.

As we follow Costa’s car to his home, I tell Rieta, “If something happens to me, there’s a gun holstered under my arm.”

Rieta chafes her bare upper arms. “Nero, I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I. But it’s our best chance to get answers.” It’s only a matter of time, and probably a very short time, before Luca’s associates realize that there’s something very strange about the Nero Lombardi who returned after vanishing for so long. I doubt anyone will suspect that we’re twins both calling themselves Nero Lombardi, but every criminal worries, sometimes with good reason, that one of their associates has turned police informant. If I don’t find out what happened to Harriet tonight, it’s likely that every man I called is going to pretend not to know me.

Costa lives in a luxury apartment overlooking the river. He ushers us inside with the air of a man anticipating a wonderful evening.

“Does she have to be here?” he asks, exasperated as he sees Rieta.

“I’m not interested in answering that question a second time. Are we going to talk business, or am I going home?”

Costa waves my question away. “Yes, all right. Sit down and tell me what you’re looking for. I’m sure we can find just the right thing for your friend.”

I walk over to the sofas with Rieta, but before we can sit down, she seems to reach her limit. Her body stiffens andshe says in disgust, “Thing. The rightthing.” Lifting her eyes to Costa, who is seated comfortably on the sofa, she says, “I remember you. You were there that day in the restaurant. You told Harriet that she was a good artist.”

Annoyance crosses Costa’s expression, but he ignores Rieta and gestures for me to sit.

Rieta’s ankle is trembling, and her fists are clenched. “Did you tell my husband that you wanted to steal her while we were right there across the room? Did you ask him to kidnap her for you, and you collected her from his office like she was a parcel?”

Still not looking at her, he says, “Stupid women who see too much and say too much get a bullet in the head. Don’t you agree, Nero?”

Rieta lunges for the gun hidden under my jacket and aims it at Costa. It shakes in her grip as she points it at his chest, but her finger is steady on the trigger. “She fought you in Nero’s office, didn’t she? Young and small as she was, she wasn’t going to let a monster like you get your hands on her without a fight.” Rieta’s voice trembles with tears. “What have you done with Harriet?”

“Nero, get a hold of your wife.”

My wife. I love the way that sounds. I’ll get a hold of my wife. I wrap my arm around Rieta’s waist and plant a kiss on her throat.

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