Antonietta patted her grandfather"s leg. "Be nice, Nonno. She wore herself out at the hospital. She was wonderful with Margurite."
"She does love the children," Don Giovanni agreed. "Did Byron happen to mention to you whether or not he would be here today? I don"t know his address, and the authorities wanted to hear his account of what happened. I don"t think anyone believed he would dive into the sea to pull out a drowning old man."
Antonietta could not prevent the small smile. "Oh, I"m certain he will be here soon, Nonno." She leaned over to kiss her grandfather. "Anyone would do anything to save you. You"re the family treasure."
Byron settled the young man against the wall of the building where he remained, dizzy and unaware of what had transpired, but uninjured. At full strength, Byron took to the sky, shape-shifting on the wing, something he could never have done even twenty years earlier. Hunting vampires had given him a hard edge, a coolness under fire, and complete confidence in his ability to handle a tight situation, but it hadn"t prepared him for a woman like Antonietta.
Of course, his first impulse had been to carry her off, claim her with the ritual binding words, and let nature take its course.
But he had been cautious, after learning from a lifetime of being impetuous. After having been captured and tortured and used as bait in an attempt to murder the prince and his life mate and destroying his relationship with his best friend, Jacques Dubrinsky, Byron now believed in caution and patience and thinking puzzles all the way through. With a lifetime of mistakes behind him, he wasn"t going to chance any more.
He was determined to know Antonietta. Unfortunately, the members of the Scarletti family had a built-in protective barrier in their minds. He couldn"t simply scan their thoughts and learn all there was to know. He took his time, infiltrating the palazzo through his friendship with Don Giovanni. Waiting. Watching her. He realized she needed to feel in control.She needed independence. She needed to be courted and won if he were to make her happy.
Byron sighed softly, allowing the wind to carry the sound out to sea. The murder attempt had changed everything. He needed to know she was protected, day and night. He needed to be able to touch her mind at will, needed to be able to know what was happening to her at all times.
Once more he dropped from the sky to the ground where he had left his gift for her. He knew Antonietta well enough to know she would take his present whether she liked it or not. Antonietta was far too polite to reject anything given to her by another.
The dog was the picture of n.o.ble elegance. From the moment Byron had seen the animal, he had admired the sheer poetry in its flowing lines. The borzoi was always graceful, whether in motion or standing perfectly still. Byron knew the accepted theory was that borzois had been around six to eight hundred years. He knew from personal experience that time line was a bit off. The breed had endured, refined perhaps, but stayed true. Byron bent over the dog, took the intelligent domed skull between his hands, and stared down into the dark, gentle eyes.
"This is your new home, Celt, if you would like it to be. She is here. The one who can be your new companion and one who will love and respect you as you deserve. She will admire you in the way I do and understand it is your choice to stay or go." They understood one another, the dog and Byron. He knew the animal was gentle but possessed a ferocious heart.
Celt was as fine an example of the borzoi as Byron had ever seen. The dog"s head spoke of intelligence, his jaws were long and powerful and deep. His fur was pure black, his coat the texture of silk. And Celt"s eyes reflected the true heart of the breed.
"You will have to wait out in the garden until I see her," Byron explained aloud. "I know it is raining and you are uncomfortable, but I will protect you from the elements for however long it takes. You know some there will be unkind to you."
His hand stroked across the great head, found the silky ears and scratched. "I trust none of them, and neither should you. Look only to her protection. Be cautious of offers of friendship."
He felt the animal answer, the understanding and affection that pa.s.sed between them, and he was doubly grateful to Antonietta for giving him back his emotions.
Byron"s tall, broad-shouldered frame shimmered for a moment, nearly translucent in the rain, then he simply disappeared, droplets among the steady downpour. He found entrance into the house through a narrow gap in one of the second-story windows. At once he felt the terrible tension in the great palazzo. Fear and anger vibrated throughout the s.p.a.ces, all the way to the great ceilings, up to the battlements, and along the traces.
Byron glided silently through the wide, marbled halls, down the sweeping staircase to inspect the damage near Don Giovanni"s private room. Two people were collecting evidence, carefully putting bolts in plastic bags. He knew at once this was no accident but a deliberate attempt to harm someone, most likely the old man.
He could hear the boy, Vincente, crying softly for his sister, alarmed at her absence. Franco soothed the boy, singing softly to him, rea.s.suring the child that little Margurite and his mother would return in the morning.
Byron, more than anything, wanted to see Antonietta. There was a strange, anxious feeling in the vicinity of his heart.
Emotions were dangerous, he was discovering. Exhilarating, but quite dangerous.
Unerringly, he found Antonietta in a s.p.a.cious room filled with plants and surrounded on three sides by gla.s.s. A large fountain dominated the center of the room and was surrounded by comfortable benches and several small chairs and tables positioned for conversations among the greenery. Outside the gla.s.s, the night was dark, with winds lashing rain against the panes and the roar of the ever-moving sea accompanying the distant growl of thunder.
A man in uniform stood unnecessarily close to Antonietta. Short, stocky, very muscular, his handsome face bent toward hers.
His dark eyes were moving over her with obvious enjoyment. Byron snarled, a low, nearly nonexistent sound. The man lifted his head and searched the room with suddenly wary eyes.
Antonietta smiled, her head going up, inhaling, as if drawing Byron"s scent into her lungs. "Please do sit down, Captain, there"s really no need to be quite so formal." She walked with confidence through the labyrinth of plants and furniture, knowing where every obstacle was placed and making her way gracefully around it. Her fingers curled around the back of a chair and she slipped into it, folding her hands neatly in her lap.
"Signorina Scarletti, I trust you are well rested after your ordeal last night?" There was a caress to the man"s voice that had Byron"s incisors lengthening. "I am Captain Diego Van-tilla at your service." He took Antonietta"s hand and bent low, his lips skimming her skin.
Electricity sizzled, arced up the back of her hand, a small whip of lightning that zapped his lips loudly. Diego leapt back, dropped her hand, and pressed his palm to his stinging mouth.
Hidden behind lacy ferns, Byron leaned one hip against the wall in the midst of several leafy plants nearly as tall as he was, crossed his arms over his chest, and eyed the policeman with great satisfaction.
Tasha glared at her cousin. "Do sit down, Diego. I know this is impossibly bad manners, but may I call you Diego? It is so much easier than Captain Vantilla." She sent him a flirtatious smile and offered her hand as she sat in the chair beside Antonietta.
"My cousin was very shaken by the events of last night and needs me to comfort her." She had wished for a few more precious minutes alone with the handsome officer, but Antonietta had arrived nearly as soon as Helena summoned her.
Diego nodded. "That is understandable, Signora Fontaine."
Tasha smiled sweetly. "Scarletti-Fontaine, but you may call me Tasha. All my friends do."
"Grazie, signora," Diego acknowledged, his focus clearly on Antonietta. "I really must get your account of what happened last night. Don Giovanni was convinced there were two a.s.sailants and that both of you were drugged and dragged up to the top of the cliff."
Antonietta nodded. "I was playing the piano, but I felt strange. Unusually tired, my arms and body felt heavy. I heard a noise, and then someone put a cloth over my mouth. I struggled until I realized the chemical on the cloth would knock me out, so I pretended it had done so. At once I was carried outside the palazzo. I heard the other man dragging my grandfather. I couldn"t tell who they were, their voices and their scents were unfamiliar to me. Once I meet someone, 1 nearly always recognize them again, but these men were strangers. I called for Byron. I don"t know why, but as I began to struggle, I called for Byron Justicano."
"And why did you call for this man? Did you know he was near?"
Antonietta heard the sharp, alert note in the voice, and she smiled. Tasha"s policeman was not up to playing cat and mouse with a man like Byron. She shrugged. "I just called his name as a talisman. To keep me safe. He"s like that. He makes me feel safe."
Tasha sniffed her disdain loudly, drawing the officer"s interest. "I see," he said when he clearly did not. "Please continue."
"I heard my grandfather go into the sea, and I fought harder, although how I could aid him, I didn"t know. But then Byron came. He fought with the man who attacked me and then he told me to stay still. I could hear the wind shrieking and the waves thundering. The storm was furious, and even the ground shook and rumbled beneath us. And then Byron had my grandfather safe and was helping him to breathe, to get the water out of his lungs. They were both soaked with seawater and we were all so cold."
She shivered at the memory. "I can"t help you with a description of these men, although the one carrying me was tall and very muscular. His hair was short, and he was enormously strong."
"And where is this man now? Where is the man who attacked you?"
"I believe he is dead. I don"t know for certain."
There was a short silence. "I do not see how this man, this Byron Justicano, was able to get your grandfather to sh.o.r.e. It is many feet from the cliff to the sea below. I doubt if it"s possible to live through a dive into the sea at night. And last night the waves were high, and the storm was great."
There was a small silence. The air thickened. A shadow grew over the room. Tasha and the officer exchanged uneasy glances. Even the hair on the backs of their necks stood up in response to the sudden menacing atmosphere. Tasha rubbed her arms against a sudden chill.
Antonietta shrugged tranquilly as if she didn"t notice. "You asked me what happened, and I told you. It"s up to you whether or not you wish to believe me."
"Why weren"t we called immediately?"
"You were called. I called the doctor to a.s.sist my grandfather, and I went to my quarters to shower and warm up. It was nearly dawn. I"m sorry I went to sleep, but we were both exhausted. Surely the housekeeper allowed you access to the music room and showed you where my grandfather was taken and also the site at the cliff."
"Yes, she did, but we could not wake you or your grandfather to speak to you, and the cliff site raised more questions than answers. There is evidence of a struggle, even of someone going over the cliff. We could see where your grandfather lay and evidence of someone kneeling beside him. But it is impossible, Signorina Scarletti, for a man to pull a drowning man from the sea and bring him all the way to the top of the cliff again. Why was your grandfather taken all the way back up the cliff? That is the question."
"Perhaps because a blind woman who was alone in a raging storm at the edge of that cliff needed help, too?"
"I think I can help, signor," Tasha said, her voice a soft invitation. "This man Nonno speaks so much of, Byron Jus-ticano, he is a stranger to us. A fortune hunter out for my cousin"s wealth. She is worth so much, the palazzo, the shipping company, her private trust. This is common knowledge. He seems to turn up at the most opportune times. How could he rescue a man from the sea? How could he save Antonietta at the same time? Do you see how ridiculous this story is? Of course he must be involved. And you heard Antonietta admit she thinks her a.s.sailant is dead. Dead by Byron"s own hand and perhaps drowned in the very sea that nearly took my cousin." Tasha allowed a small sob to escape and reached to take Antonietta"s wrist. "He is a seducer of innocents and a master criminal. You must save us all from this man. I must count on the kindness I see in your magnificent eyes, otherwise, there is no hope to save my dearest cousin from this man."
Antonietta would have laughed if she could have found her voice. She opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Tasha so easily made up stories to suit her mood or her cause. She had just delivered Byron as a suspect to her handsome policeman. And she had betrayed Antonietta"s confidence without a single thought.
Antonietta turned her head in Byron"s direction. You"re here, aren"t you? You heard my cousin tell the captain these lies about you. I"m sorry she"s caused you trouble. She wants him to see her as a woman.
Do not distress yourself over me, Antonietta. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.
There was a bite to his voice, the impression of strong teeth snapping together. The image was so strong in her mind, Antonietta envisioned a great s.h.a.ggy wolf eyeing prey. She knew he was in the room, her every sense was on full alert. How could Tasha be so careless as to condemn him while he stood right in the same room with them?
Byron sauntered into one of the many alcoves, materializing behind the thick, wide fronds of several potted trees. He emerged from the greenery slowly, scanning the policeman as he did so, planting memories of an introduction and sending waves of warmth.
He didn"t bother to cover up for Tasha. She had the intricate Scarletti pattern in her brain. And he wanted her to be startled and uncomfortable, simply because she had upset Antonietta.
"Good evening," he greeted formally as he glided forward. "I am afraid Tasha"s insecurities are showing, Captain. She is easily upset, and tonight the young child was injured." Deliberately stopping in front of her, Byron took Antonietta"s hand away from Tasha and raised it to his mouth. He opened her fingers and pressed a soft kiss into the exact center of her palm. A slow, unhurried movement. Calm and deliberate and blatantly possessive. He lingered there for a moment, his thumb sliding over her skin.
Byron turned his head slowly and looked at Tasha. For a moment, in the dim lighting of the solarium, his eyes appeared to glow a fiery red. His teeth gleamed an amazing white and appeared, just for that second in time to Tasha, sharp and long, much like a wolf. She blinked and saw he was smiling, bowing low in a courtly, charming gesture.
"Tasha, my dear, I am sorry that your poor nerves suffered so on your cousin"s behalf, but there is no need for hysterics. She is truly safe, and the captain and I will keep her that way." His voice was velvet soft, a blend of slight male amus.e.m.e.nt and arrogance, yet very compelling.
Byron turned the full force of his hypnotic voice and his mesmerizing eyes on the captain. "It is not so difficult to believe, with the evidence supporting every word Don Giovanni and Antonietta say. They are, of course, above reproach, and you have no trouble believing them. You are most concerned with protecting them. As we are good friends and you know it is my greatest concern, you wish to join with me, sharing with me all you know about this attack on them and aiding me in their protection." His tone held such purity and goodness, it was impossible to do other than agree.
Tasha stared at the two men in utter horror. Byron bared his teeth at her again.
Diego clapped him on the shoulder in a comradely way. "It"s good you were here, old friend, or we might have had a grave tragedy. Signora Scarletti-Fontaine, surely you can see Byron has saved your grandfather and your cousin from certain death.
Your family owes him a great deal."
Antonietta couldn"t help but be swayed by Byron"s velvet voice, but she noticed she couldn"t quite remember his exact words.
Only the tone. The perfect, pure tone. Her chin lifted. Do you do that to me?
What to you?
The laughter in his voice set her teeth on edge. Male amus.e.m.e.nt could wear thin very fast. Mesmerize me with your voice so you get full cooperation.
I try to mesmerize you with my kisses. My voice does not work on you. If only it would. My fondest dream would come true.
She wasn"t touching that. It was far too unsettling to be sitting with others yet carrying on a private, intimate conversation that was flirting with sensuality. "Do you have the information you need, Captain?" She spoke to the officer, but her focus was on Byron. Every cell in her body was aware of him. Obsession. It was an uncomfortable feeling and one she didn"t care for.
feel the same way. It was a deliberate reminder that he could read her thoughts. Antonietta had a great deal of pride, and Byron was well aware that craving a man would make her feel vulnerable and unsettled.
Tasha leapt up, her hands on her hips. "That"s it? That"s all the questions you"re going to ask him? Byron Justicano is not at all what he seems. How did he get into this house? How does he ever get in? Why don"t you ask him that!"
Byron swung his head around, his dark brows raised. Again she caught that fiery red glow, a devil"s warning when he looked directly at her. "I turn into tiny molecules and seep under the doors. Take care you do not leave your window open, you never know what might creep in." He laughed softly, and the captain joined him.
Antonietta went still. She had no idea how Byron defeated their state-of-the-art security system. He often simply appeared in a room. She knew he was there immediately, even though others didn"t seem aware of his presence. His entrance was always silent and instantaneous. She couldn"t remember him coming through the door unless he met them on the grounds. How do you get in? I thought I knew what you were, but even then, you couldn"t just appear in a room. Antonietta had the impression of laughter, yet there was no sound. And he didn"t answer her.
"That isn"t funny, Byron," Tasha snapped, "and it isn"t an answer. Where do you live? What"s the address? How come no one knows where you live?" She tapped her foot impatiently as she glared at Diego. "Do you even have his address down? Could you find him if he did turn out to be part of a plot to get my cousin"s fortune?"
"Byron wouldn"t inherit if I died, Tasha," Antonietta said. She stood up, knowing they would make way for her on the path winding through the flowers and shrubs. "You do. I doubt if Byron would gain from my death at all, or Nonno"s."
Tasha shrieked. "What are you saying? What are you accusing me of doing? Did I drag you to the cliffs and throw you over? What are you saying?"
"I"m saying leave Byron alone. He risked his life to save Nonno and me. There is no need for you to pursue this any further."
Few people argued with Antonietta when she was serious. Not even Tasha. Glowering, Tasha left the room, two bright spots of color on her cheeks and her eyes promising retaliation.
Byron reached for Antonietta"s hand. "Do you need anything else, Diego?" His voice was friendly, filled with camaraderie.
"Please do tell us what you know."
"It isn"t much, I"m afraid." The captain responded instantly to Byron"s tone. "We don"t even have the body of the man you pulled off of Signorina Scarletti. It isn"t on the cliffs, although it is possible the sea has swallowed it."
"I thought he hit his head as he fell. He did not get up, but I had to carry Don Giovanni to the palazzo, and I did not check him as I should have." Byron spoke easily with a casual shrug of regret. "It all happened very quickly."
"That is usually the way of it." Diego sighed and stared after Tasha. "She is a beautiful woman."
Byron felt Antonietta"s fingers tighten around his. "Yes, she is," she responded. "Tasha loves children, and she is very distraught over little Margurite"s accident. Do you think that ties into this attack on us?"
"I am certain your grandfather was meant to be harmed," Diego said.
"What of the security cameras? Is there nothing on tape to show how they got in and how they could move about so freely in the palazzo without triggering an alarm?" Byron asked quietly. He felt the small shiver that ran through An-tonietta, and he drew her beneath the shelter of his broad shoulder.
"They had to have known the code to get into the house, and they knew where the security room was to shut down the system."
There was a small silence. Antonietta did her best not to sag against Byron. Not to reveal her emotions when she wanted to cry out at the betrayal. Someone in the palazzo, someone had to have aided her a.s.sailants. She rested her head against Byron.
Behind the dark gla.s.ses, she closed her eyes tightly against the pain piercing her heart. Her family. She loved them desperately with all their idiosyncrasies. The thought that any of her family could possibly be involved in a plot to murder Don Giovanni was inconceivable.
The one thing that I have learned in this long life is to never jump to conclusions.
The voice purred in her mind, stroked heat and hope deep inside where a great, gaping hole had been torn. Just like that.
With a few simple words and a magic voice, Byron had managed to heal her.
"Signorina? I believe you must be very careful until we find who is behind this attempt on your life and that of Don Giovanni,"
Diego warned.
Byron noted how often his gaze strayed to the hallway where Tasha paced just outside the solarium. He leaned closer to the man, looked him directly in his eyes to reinforce a powerful feeling of friendship and trust. "That is a good idea. Antonietta, I think being careful is very much in order. Are we finished here, Diego? Perhaps Tasha would be willing to provide you with a cup of tea while you talk to the kitchen staff about the disappearance of Enrico." He pulled Antonietta beneath the protection of his shoulder.
"I"m certain she would," Antonietta agreed. More than anything she wanted to be alone with Byron. She needed to be alone with him.
"I think that would be best," Diego said immediately. "Grazie, for your time, Signorina Scarletti. I will be in touch."