by M. L. Ray
Jake said nothing for a moment then when he spoke again, Juno heard his voice shake. “The polizia came to the studio this morning. Claudia told us what had happened. Jesus, Juno… can you imagine? She was a bitch, but I hate, hate to think she died like that. Terrified and alone. They said… they said the attack was so brutal that she lost nearly all her blood.”
“Mio Dio, mi Dio.” Juno wrapped her arms around herself, unconsciously rocking herself as she tried to process what had happened. “I saw her last night. She was at a restaurant with Tudor Welch.”
There was a silence on the other end of the phone, then a soft… “Jesus.”
“Is he there?”
“No. No-one has seen him. Maybe you’d better come, talk to the police.”
Juno nodded then realized that was no good to Jake. “I will. I’ll come in right away.”
She ended the call and sat on the floor, too shocked to cry. It was true, she and Fausta were never and could never have been friends but to be murdered like that…
“Juno?”
She looked to see Levi, just in his boxers, his hair sticking up each way and his eyes blurry with sleep. She stood and went into his arms, needing to feel the safety of him. “What is it, baby?”
In a dull voice, she told him. Levi cursed, and Juno felt his arms tighten around her. “Is he capable?”
She nodded, closing her eyes. “Poor Fausta…”
“I assume the ballet company is in lockdown?”
“Yes. Listen, I’m going to grab a shower and go to the ballet company. The police are interviewing everyone there. I need to tell them what I saw last night.”
She turned to go but Levi took her hand. “Wait? What did you see last night?”
Juno flushed, remembering she hadn’t mentioned seeing Fausta and Tudor last night at the restaurant. She confessed to Levi then. “I just didn’t want you beating the crap out of him and getting arrested.”
Levi sighed, rubbing his eyes. “It might have ended the evening differently for Fausta if you had.”
Juno felt a sting and her eyes filled with tears. Levi looked up at her and his expression changed. “God, no, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“It’s okay. You’re right.” She tried to sound light, but she sounded insincere to her own ears. “I need to shower.”
“Juno, I…”
“It’s okay.”
She went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and cranked on the shower, and only when she got into the stream of hot water, did she allow herself to cry.
Levi cursed himself. What a damn stupid thing to say. The hurt on Juno’s face… he should have known she would feel responsible when all she really did was to protect him, Levi. Because he would have beaten the crap out of Welch if he had seen him. Fuck, fuck, fuck…
He gave her a few minutes then went to the bathroom. He knocked softly on the door. “Juno?”
“I’m almost done.”
“Okay.” If she needed some time alone, he would give that to her. He waited in the bedroom, and when Juno came out, he saw her eyes rimmed with red and slightly puffy. He went to her immediately. “Please forgive this big dumb lug. I honestly didn’t mean what I said. This is not your fault.”
She nodded, not looking at him, but she did allow him to wrap his arms around her. After a moment, she pulled away and he could see tears on her cheeks. He kissed them away. “I mean it, I’m sorry.”
“You’re forgiven.” Her voice trembled a little, and she gave a short laugh. “I just don’t believe it.”
“I’m coming with you. With Welch missing, I don’t want you out alone.”
He could see she wanted to argue with him but then her shoulders slumped. “Okay.”
The corps de ballet sat around the large studio as, one by one, they were called in to be interviewed by the polizia. Juno hugged Jake and Moriko, and some other of her friends and then went to see Claudia.
Her friend and mentor looked shattered. “I just don’t believe this is happening.” She looked at Juno with sympathetic eyes. “You warned me about Welch. I should have fought harder to have him removed.”
“Even I didn’t think him capable of this.” Juno sat down heavily in the chair opposite Claudia. She had sent Levi away as soon as they reached the studio, not wanting him to be dragged into all of this. He hadn’t been happy about it but agreed to come pick her up later.
Juno felt the weight of grief and shock hanging over the whole building. “I just don’t understand why he would kill Fausta. Of all people.”
“There’s been rumors that they were having an affair,” Claudia said, matter-of-factly. “Maybe she angered him.” Claudia met Juno’s eyes. “Juno, I know you didn’t tell me the whole story of what he did to you in New York but I haven’t been an observer of human nature all my life not to know a few things.”
Juno nodded slowly. “He raped me. He’s been threatening to… hurt me, if I tell anyone.”
“The police will want to know that.”
Juno lifted her chin. “I’ll tell them everything, Claudia. I want his ass to rot in jail forever for this, for what he did to Fausta.”
“What we think he did.” Claudia sighed. “But, yes. I can’t imagine it could be anyone else.”
She got up and came to hug Juno again. “Tell them everything, Juno. I’m so scared that if they don’t catch him, that he’ll…”
She left the words unsaid but Juno knew what she was implying. Tudor Welch had nothing left to lose now… and if he wanted his revenge, then nothing would stop him from murdering Juno without a second thought.
What Juno couldn’t quite process though was how it somehow seemed inevitable, and that somehow, it always had…
Chapter Twenty
Levi tried to keep himself from obsessing over what was happening at the ballet studio, and instead, camped out at a café with his laptop and his phone, trying to work.
When his phone bleeped with a message, he scooped it up, expecting a text from Juno. Instead, he read: Hey, gorgeous man, are you just pretending to work or can I interrupt you?
He frowned and then a second text appeared. Look up.
He did and saw Cat Papini grinning at him from across the canal. She waved and then walked over the small bridge and joined him, kissing both his cheeks.
“Still sexy.” She grinned wickedly at him as they sat, “although I do hear I’ve been usurped by our little dancer.”
Levi laughed. “Arturo does love to gossip.”
“Well, you did ruin his plan for seduction. I’m kidding, Arturo doesn’t hold grudges. I do, but that’s another matter.” She nudged his shoulder to show she was joking, but he did see a little regret in her eyes for a second. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way…”
She peeked at what he was looking at online and her face changed. “The news… yes, I heard about the murder. It’s dreadful. I assume Juno knew her?”
Levi told her all about Fausta, and the relationship between her and Tudor Welch. Even, feeling a little disloyal, he told Cat about Tudor’s rape of Juno. Cat’s normally merry face was riven with anger by the time he finished.
“Figlia di puttana,” she spat, then sighed. “Although there’s a lot of it around.” She shook her head. “Let’s talk about something more pleasant. The concert hall.”
Levi updated her on his progress on working the concert hall but he could hear the lack of passion in his voice. Cat touched his arm. “Hey. Juno will be fine. She has you, the ballet company, her friends, Arturo and me looking out for her.”
“She’s so young, Cat, for all of this crap to happen to her. I don’t know how she is still standing.” He shook his head. “My brother, when his wife was attacked and stabbed, he was in his early forties and to this day, I can’t tell you how he made it through. Any of us. But we weren’t twenty-one years old. She should be… God, I don’t know, going out, not worrying about dead junkie brothers, having
to work with her abuse, having her friends killed…” He was aware his voice was rising and stopped himself. He held up his hands in apology. “Cat… she should be with someone her own age.”
“Don’t. Don’t do that to yourself, Levi. I don’t know Juno well but I can tell she’s an old soul. Not that you’re old,” she added with a grin that made him smile. “Look, I saw the chemistry between you. She’s young but I’m sure she knows her own mind. Don’t make things worse for her right now by second guessing yourself.”
Levi thanked Cat, and they spent another hour chatting about random things before Levi asked about Cat’s sister, Isabella. Cat’s face clouded. “She’s been… distant. Isa’s always been very introverted but now she’s almost, I don’t know, almost aggressively unfriendly to Arturo whenever he’s with me. I don’t get it. I mean, she never liked him but lately…”
Cat trailed off, stared out to the water. “Levi… can I tell you something in confidence?”
“Of course.”
“No-one can know, not even Juno. Especially not Juno.”
Levi frowned. “Okay.” Where was she going with this?
Cat met his gaze. “Isa and Federico Martello were in love.”
That floored him. “What?”
“They were having a relationship for a few years before Ferdie died. Isa… Isa and he had argued the night before he was found dead. Something about a girl he knew back in college.”
Levi felt the shock in his chest. “Which girl?”
Cat shook her head. “I don’t know her name, you’d have to talk to Isa. Maybe you knew the girl too, but anyway, they argued about her before he died. Isa has always blamed herself that they had such a bad argument and then he died. Something went on with this girl in college…”
“Lucy.”
Cat blinked. “What?”
“I think the girl you were talking about was Lucy Graziano. It could only be Lucy if Ferdie got so heated. She died.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
They sat in silence and then Levi’s phone buzzed. “Cat, I’m sorry but I have to go. That’s Juno.”
“Of course. Listen… let’s keep this Isa/Ferdie/Lucy thing between us.” Cat kissed his cheek. “I mean… don’t say anything to Arturo or anyone.”
Levi frowned but nodded. “Just between us.”
He was still thinking about what Cat was saying when he got to the ballet studio to find it in uproar. Juno escaped a gaggle of people and came over to him. She looked drawn and exhausted.
“What’s going on?”
“Some asshole from a rival company made a tasteless comment about Fausta on social media. You can imagine, everything kicked off. People started arguing here. Some of us think… well, that regardless of how Fausta behaved in life, she should be respected in death. Others disagree.”
Levi cupped her cheek in his palm. “Are you okay?”
“I just want to go home.”
“My place?”
Juno smiled softly. “Is it too weird to say I already think of your place as home?”
Levi kissed her. “No, baby. It is your home. Come on.”
They made a stop at Juno’s apartment to pick up some fresh clothes and as she packed a hold-all, Levi looked around. “You know… if you wanted to pack all your things and just… come live with me…” He stopped. “Is that too much? Too soon?”
Juno chuckled. “All rules have seemed to have gone out of the window. The truth is… I hate coming back here. Ghosts. Everywhere. Ferdie, my parents… my old life. Life before you, Levi Zapata. You are the one good thing.”
Levi took her in his arms. “What about your work?”
She let out a shaky breath. “It feels sullied.”
“Oh, sweetheart. Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
He saw them leave her apartment and risked following them for a few streets until they got onto a water taxi to go to Zapata’s apartment. They were jumpy, he could tell, and so they should be. If Juno thought what had happened to Fausta was so bad, she would soon suffer a far worse fate. Fausta had died quickly… Juno Martello would not.
And Levi Zapata would know then all about the pain of losing the love of his life.
Chapter Twenty-One
Levi handed Juno the dish of pasta and grinned as her eyes grew large. “How hungry did you think I was?”
“Don’t give me that, Martello. I’ve seen you take down a plate twice this size.”
“When I was drunk,” she said weakly but then chuckled, leaning over the table to kiss him. “Which I intend to get tonight, by the way.”
Levi picked up the bottle of wine and poured her a huge glassful. “Be my guest. Actually, don’t be my guest, be my live-in girlfriend.”
“Done,” Juno said and laughed. “I love you, Levi.”
“I love you, beautiful. So… here’s my plan. This food, a night of Billie Holiday on the record player, you, me, snuggling on the couch.”
“And then sexy times.”
He laughed at her mischievous smile, glad she had relaxed, or at least, was trying to keep up the mood. He stroked a finger down her cheek. “Always.”
They ate for a couple of minutes, but both of them picked at their food.
“Levi? Will this food keep?”
“Sure it will.”
“Good.” Juno pushed her chair back and came to him, straddling his lap. She pressed her lips to his, tasting of wine and Pomodoro sauce. “Put your hands on me, Zapata,” she whispered, “I need to forget this day.”
Levi kissed her deeply, his tongue caressing hers as his hands slid around her back and pulled her against him. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest, quickening as the intensity between them grew.
He stroked his fingers around the curve of her breast, down to her belly, feeling it contract with desire as he touched it. He gently moved them both to the carpet, his fingers fumbling at the buttons on her dress, eager to touch her bare skin.
Juno stroked his hair as he parted the fabric and began to kiss her throat, then down to her breasts, taking each nipple into his mouth and teasing the nub until it was hard and sensitive. He trailed his tongue down her belly, circling the deep hollow of her navel. He felt her shiver with pleasure as he dipped his tongue deep into it, quick stabbing motions, mimicking what his cock would be doing inside her.
Juno writhed underneath him and as he drew her panties down her legs, he could see how wet she was for him. “Please,” she said, breathless, “don’t wait.”
Levi unzipped and kicked off his jeans and underwear and hitched her legs around his hips, pausing only to admire her naked body beneath him. “Christ, you’re so beautiful.”
He thrust into her with one stroke and she cried out as he filled her and they began to move together, their eyes locked on the others. Juno’s pert breasts pressed against his chest, the hard nubs causing sweet friction against his pecs, her soft belly curved against his. As Levi’s pace quickened, he kissed her again, wanting to possess all of her as they made love.
Juno’s breath came in gasps as she neared her climax, and Levi made sure he held back until she came, her back arching, pressing her body against his as her sex flooded his cock with wet warmth. “Levi! Levi”
Her skin was flushed pink and dewy, her head flung back and Levi thought he’d never seen a more beautiful sight. He came, his cock pumping hard, shooting his cum deep inside her. He groaned her name again and again as she gathered him to her, his head on her chest.
They stayed like that for a while, not speaking, just catching their breath and kissing. Then Levi smiled down at her. Stroking her damp hair away from her face, he pressed his lips lightly to hers and said the one thing that had been on the tip of his tongue for weeks now.
“Juno?”
“Yes?”
Levi smiled, his eyes twinkling.
“Marry me,” he said simply and kissed her again.
**
*
Isabella Papini sat on the train back from Pisa, staring out of the window at the Italian countryside. She had argued with herself about going to the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa to find out more about Federico’s past and why Arturo Corri seemed to have hated the man so much but all she found were more questions—and a lot of silence from those who might have been able to help her. Arturo’s reach was wide, it seemed, and she’d realized this for sure when she saw the art wing named for their famous alumnus. Arturo came from old money and had made plenty of his own during his international career, and so the endowment he’d given the college wasn’t insignificant.
Also, it seemed, those teachers who were old enough to remember him did not have a bad word to say about him. Some were even overly flowery in their praise and Isa began to get irritated.
Now, on the train back to Venice, she wondered if her own particular bias against Arturo made her unreceptive to the truth. She had no reason to think ill of him… except that one expression on his face in the old photograph of him and Ferdie.
Isa pulled it out of her pocket now and tried to study it impartially. Was Arturo glaring at Ferdie himself, or just in general. What did Cat call it? Resting bitch face. Isa’s mouth hitched up in a grin. Maybe that was it and there was no malevolence to his expression.
Except…
It still sent a shiver down her spine and her instinct was screaming at her that she was right about him. Whenever she was in his company, she felt it, the unease, the feeling that he was hiding something. The way she felt he was mocking her even when he was saying nothing. The way he watched her. It made her skin prickle, and she often avoided being around him, even though she knew Cat was friends with him. Friends and sometime lovers. It terrified her that Cat was so laid back and easy going with the man.
Isa sighed and leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window. I would make a terrible detective, she thought. She shoved the photograph back into her pocket and closed her eyes. I need an ally. Someone who would understand and there was only one name that Isa had in her head to go to. Someone she could trust.
