Page 40 of Under Her Skin
Arturo stared at Hero unhappily, and she returned his gaze steadily. “I don’t likethis.”
“It’ll all be totally inpublic.”
“What if he wants you to go somewhere else with him? If you say no, he’ll get suspicious, I’m tellingyou.”
Hero took a deep breath in. “Then we’ll have a detective followme.”
Arturo closed his eyes. He was haunted by the image of Hero, in a pool of her own blood, her belly torn open, her eyes closedforever.
Stopit.
“No. There are too many things that can gowrong.”
“Turo.” Hero stood and put her arms around him. “He, whoever he is, has my sister and the police have no clues. We have to do this. We have to investigate every one of our friends and colleagues one by one. No one is going to help us withthis.”
Arturo pulled her close. “If anything happens toyou…”
“It won’t. I’m pretty scrappy. The dude in the Patrizzi apartment…I just didn’t see him coming. This way, we’re tackling it head on. We’reprepared.”
Arturo tangled his fingers in her hair and was silent for a long moment. “Promise you won’t put yourself indanger.”
“No more than I haveto.”
“It takes a second, a momentary lapse, and then you’re bleeding out, and I lose youforever.”
“Not going to happen.” Hero nodded confidently, and Arturo knew she would not be persuadedotherwise.
ChapterTwenty
George Galiano looked up from his newspaper to see Hero Donati stalk into the restaurant, followed by an angry-looking Arturo. Arturo grabbed her arm, and she whirled around on him. “Don’t.I told you, it’s over! Leave mealone!”
“Please don’t do this, Hero, I love you…I’msorry.”
Hero pushed Arturo away as he reached for her. “No…I don’t want this. Please, leave me alone…please…” She began to cry, and Arturo ran his hand through his dark curls. He looked utterlydestroyed.
“I can’t believe this isover…”
Hero shook her head, tears pouring down her lovely face. “It should never havestarted.”
Arturo stared at her for a moment longer, then turned on his heel and stalkedout.
Well, well,well.
George made sure he was the first one to approach a sobbing Hero, steering her into a private booth. “Bella, please, sit down and calm yourself. Could we have a brandy over here, please?” He smiled at a worried-looking waitress who nodded and tookoff.
He sat down next to Hero, his arm around her trembling body. He stroked her long dark hair back over her shoulder. “Come now, lovely Hero, please don’tcry.”
“It’s over, it’s over…” She kept repeating and shaking her head, but finally, he got her to take a few deep breaths and calm herself. She sipped the brandy he had orderedher.
“Okay?”
“God, I’m so sorry…thank you, George. What must people think of me? It’sjust…”
George smiled at her, taking her hand. “Whathappened?”
She met his gaze. “He was…getting too possessive. I’m not sure if I should tell you this but…I’ve been getting threats. Deaththreats.”
“Mio Dio,no.”
