Page 34 of Dark Masquerade
Tandy’s cell phone rang. “Excuse me, bub. Yeah, hey, Jess.” She listened as her caller spoke. “Well, sure …I do have another friend with me …Elliana Moretti.” She listened, then laughed and handed Elli her phone. “Someone wants a word.”
Eli took the phone. “It’s a damn small world, Elli Moretti,” Jess Storm said, and Elli laughed.
“Yes, yes, it is.”
Jess met them a half hour later, hugging them both, her lovely face lighting up as she greeted them. “Two of my favorite people,” she said as she sat down, and Elli felt a rush of warmth. She’d only met Jess once, but she had formed an instant bond with the other woman. Jess Storm was a stunningly beautiful woman, with big, brown eyes, long chestnut hair pulled up in a scrappy, messy, sexy ponytail, and jeans and a t-shirt that were her obvious choice of uniform.A tomboy,Elli thought with a smile. Just like me and Tandy.
Jess tucked her legs up under her as she took a sip of soda. Tandy ribbed her gently about not drinking, and Jess flushed. Tandy gawked at her. “You’re not?”
“Ssh, I’m not supposed to be telling anyone yet. I’m not even three months. We haven’t even told Lily yet.” Jess grinned widely. “It was an accident. We hadn’t planned to have any more—we were happy with Lily Bean. But now …god, I cannot wait to see him or her.”
She suddenly studied Elli’s face. “Hey, are you okay? You look a little stressed out.”
Elli smiled. “I’m okay. Just jetlagged.”
Tandy gave a noise of disgust. “Elli, we’re all friends here. Tell her.”
Stammering slightly, and first asking Jess to keep it to herself, Elli told her an edited version of what she had told Tandy.
Jess frowned. “Indio? Are you talking about Indio Navaro?”
Elli’s eyes opened wide. “Yes …jeez, it is a small world. How do you know Indio?”
Jess’s eyes were warm. “He’s good friend. A very, very good friend. He built our house out in the San Juan’s a couple of years ago. He became a part of our family …oh gosh, I just realized.”
“What?”
Jess squeezed her hand. “You must beher…he would talk about his great love and how he broke her heart—and his own—when he had to go away. He said it was his only regret.”
Elli felt her throat close. “He did?”
Jess nodded. “I can always see it in him, Elli. He carries you with him, in his heart and soul.”
Elli could feel the tears threatening. “He doesn’t want me now, Jess. He made that very clear.”
Jess studied her, then shared a look with Tandy, who nodded. “Elli, I have a confession. You may think that because we invited you and Aldo both to come see us that we’re close friends of his. Elli …we’re not. We only know Aldo very slightly, and mostly from what Indio has told us. It’s you I wanted to see again, so I asked Theo to extend the invitation to both of you. I wanted to talk to you, and I didn’t want Aldo to grow suspicious.”
Elli stared at her. “Jess, you’re scaring me.”
Jess took her hand. “Sweetheart, listen. I know something or two about dangerous men.” She pulled up her t-shirt and, with horror, Elli saw a mass of silvery, jagged scars on Jess’s belly. “Courtesy of my now-deceased step-brother.” Jess dropped her shirt. “I never underestimate a man’s propensity for violence. I know that might sound melodramatic, but I had to put a bullet in Jules’ head, or he would have killed me and Theo and Lily, while she was still inside me. Indio told me about Yvetta.”
Elli closed her eyes. “He told me he killed her.”
Jess sighed. “He thinks he did. He thinks it’s his fault she was murdered. But, no, Elli, Indio Navaro did not stab Yvetta to death. Who does Aldo say Yvetta was to him?”
“His fiancée. The love of his life.”
Jess shook her head. “Yvetta wasIndio’s fiancée. Indio’s lover.”
Ellie was shocked to her core. “Did you meet her?”
Jess shook her head. “Yvetta died three years ago. Almost immediately after, Indio came to Seattle and we met him. He was …hollowed out. He eventually opened up about Yvetta, his devastation at her death, and his guilt over not protecting her.”
“Jess and Theo were the people I saw Indio talking to, the time I mentioned to you before, but I hadn’t met them at that time.” Tandy said.
Ellie chewed her lip. “Did he mention Aldo?”
“No. Not once. Indio alluded to something else. He said the man responsible for Yvetta’s murder had something on Indio that meant Indio had to leave Italy. He wouldn’t say exactly what, but now, Elli, I’m positive it had something to do with you.”
