Page 13 of Sacred Sin

The only thing that had kept me from going in and adding to the mayhem was knowing she’d be mine at the ballet. But something else possessed me once the curtain rose: Niki, on the edge of her seat wearing an expression I’d never seen on her beautiful face before, longing. As the night continued, passion mixed with desire, and I found myself completely smitten with the ever-changing expressions on her face as the performance unfolded before us.

I’d fallen in love with her that night. Until then, I’d thought I was in love with her, but what I loved was our trio, how she fit in with me and Marko and the possession of her. I owned her and we all knew it. Then that one magical night in the Big Apple changed my perception forever.

Get your head on straight, Vitale, I chastised. The past is behind you where it belongs.

When I arrived at the hotel Marko had been tracked to, I checked in and received a key card. I swiped it over the scanner in the elevator. The doors opened to the private lobby in the suite. The blackout screens were already open and warm sunlight poured in through the ten-foot sliding glass doors that ran the length of the patio.

It wasn’t until I glanced down that I noticed things were not right. There were two champagne glasses on the coffee table and a woman’s scarf hanging over the couch. That little fucker. He must have decided to use the place and entertain his so-called friend.

Deciding to scare the shit out of him, I removed my shoes and tiptoed across the marble floor to bedroom number one. I slowly opened the door, expecting to interrupt something, but there was no one there. I took the stairs up to the second level and found a trail of clothing leading to one of the five bedrooms there.

I cracked open the door and sure enough, Marko was in bed with a woman trapped beneath his huge body. I tiptoed around to his side, picked up a half-filled glass off the nightstand, and took a whiff. Only water. I dipped my fingers in and sprinkled it on his arm. He rolled away from the woman and when he removed his arm from around her, I got a good look at who he was in bed with.

Niki.

The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet. Then the rage hit. “What the fuck is going on?” I roared.

Marko jolted and fell out of the bed, getting to his feet in record time. His gaze found mine and an entire litany of expressions passed, ending with guilt.

For once, I had nothing to say.

“It’s not what you think, Gio.”

His explanation, or lack thereof, brought a fresh wave of rage and quelled my silence.

“Really? What the fuck is it then, Marko? ’Cause it looks like you and Nicolette are enjoying the spoils of my family’s wealth. How fucking long has this been going on?”

My shouting awakened Nicolette. She blinked her eyes several times, before they rounded with surprise and dropped, avoiding me altogether. I didn’t know what was worse, his betrayal, or hers.

“You!” I shoved my finger in Marko’s chest. “You have some explaining to do, and you, can get the fuck out of my suite!” I was pissed at myself for losing my composure and yelling and had to leave the room before I pulled out my gun and killed someone. I made myself some espresso and went onto the deck while I waited for Marko.

He joined me a few minutes later. “We need to talk.” He stood in front of me blocking the sun with his large frame.

“About what, exactly?” I turned on him, ready to toss him off the balcony. “What excuse can you possibly come up with that makes this any better?”

His explanation, or lack thereof, snapped me out of my stunned silence. If this were anyone but Marko, they’d be dead already.

“The call I got that night was on my private line. It was Niki, saying she was in trouble.”

“After all these years, she called, and you came running?” The fact that he’d done it wasn’t the issue. I’d have probably done the same thing. The real problem was that he’d done it alone. Without me.

Marko looked at the deck and then back at me. “She said she was violated and needed help. She was terrified, Gio. I had to help her.”

The words hit me like a punch to the chest. Violated. Every ugly thought I’d been entertaining about the two of them evaporated. What the fuck had happened to her?

My anger, which had been solidly settled on the two of them, suddenly shifted. What the fuck? I’d kill the person, whoever the hell they were, then Marko. I swallowed a few times to control the rage in my tone. “I hope you killed the motherfucker before helping her escape.”

“When I arrived, she was alone and shared her entire story with me. Thankfully, she had been in shock and hadn’t meant that her body had been violated, but her safety had. Gio, she’s afraid for her life.”

Word games. I dropped down on a seat and placed my elbows on my thighs, steepling my fingers as I gazed at Marko. “Explain what you’re talking about, and keep in mind my patience is wearing thin, so speak clearly and quickly. I’m warning you.”

“Someone is trying to kill Nicolette. They’ve made several attempts, but luck has won out each time, and she’s walked away. The night she called me, the police had been to her place. A note was left on her table.” Marko swiped on his phone and showed me a photograph of a piece of paper with large blocky writing.

This is only the beginning. Next time I set a trap, not only will you not see it coming, but you won’t survive it.

“After the police left, offering her no help, she called me. I would have told you that night, but I didn’t want you to get upset. I thought someone raped her, and she was being held captive.”

“That was almost a week ago, Marko. So why not come clean before now?”