Words of Lust

by Lise Horton

  “Listen, this guy stalking Serafina and me, the cops have a warrant out for him, but they can’t find him. I’m worried he’ll show up on campus.”

  “He knows where she works?” Gia had sounded worried too.

  “Yeah. He sent her a disgusting photo warning what he was going to do to her. The cops have it, but now he knows how to get to her, he might try.”

  “What about campus security?”

  “They know all about it, but come on. Those guys aren’t up to stopping Boxer even if they catch him. But I had a thought. You’re in her last class of the day. I want you to hang with her until I get there.”

  “Sure. I can do that.”

  “What about the boyfriends? Maybe they could hang around too. A crowd would definitely keep him away.” The irony of his request was not lost on him.

  “Carlos had to go home to visit his grandmother, and Forrest is skipping class.” She didn’t sound happy about either situation, so he wisely didn’t comment. “Don’t worry. I’ll get her someplace with people and we’ll call you.”

  “Thanks. It means a lot.”

  “No worries, big brother. She’s a keeper.”

  “I know.”

  “See you later.”

  Knowing Gia would have Serafina’s back made him feel a little better. He had to admit she had a good head on her and was nothing if not tough. But as the day wore on and quitting time approached, he got more and more antsy. He’d reached out to his boss and let him know about the vacation time he planned on taking, and tried to focus on that.

  Around four his phone rang for real, and it was Mac.

  “I’ve been checking on the Boxer situation. They almost had him at his sister’s house, but he got away.”

  “What? Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “He got into the subway and they lost him. But they’ve got a hard-on for the guy for sure, so they’ll step it up.”

  “Serafina’s at the college now. I’m going to pick her up later, and my sister’s in her last class and said she’d stay with her. But this guy knows where she works and it’s nowhere near where the cops are probably hunting him.”

  “Look. I’ll make a run over there after I get off and check with security, and I’ll walk around, see if I spot him or anything that says he’s hanging around.”

  “That would be great. Thanks, man.”

  “No problem. I like your lady, dude. I want to keep her safe too.”

  “Later.”

  He finished the day by yelling at one of his teams and stomped around until he could leave. Then he was in his truck driving as fast as he could to the campus with a terrible nagging feeling. He was stopped at a red light when his phone rang.

  “Nick, it’s Mac. I’m at the campus and I’ve found a security guard who thinks he saw Boxer.”

  “There? On the campus? Where?”

  “He walked past the security offices and the guy said it looked like he was heading in the direction of the English department.”

  “Fuck, Mac, get over there. I’m on my way.”

  “Already on it, but I’m blocks away.”

  “Shit. I’m just down the street.” Blood pounded in his head and fear churned his gut as he jammed his foot on the gas, sped around several cars, ran a stoplight and headed for Serafina.

  * * *

  “Thanks for waiting with me, Gia. I really appreciate it.” She was exhausted. “Nick said he’d meet us at my office, and I want to get out of sight in case Boxer is lurking around.” She’d been thankful for the younger girl’s presence because it helped to distract her. Nick’s calls had been meant to reassure her, but they kept ratcheting up her anxiety until she was a nervous wreck.

  They rounded the corner and headed into the English department offices, the campus having gone quiet around them as students headed to apartments or off to dinner. With a grunt she heaved her inordinately heavy bag over her aching shoulder and headed for her office.

  “Guess it’s going good with Nick, huh?” Gia was right beside her as they approached her office. Alice had already left to pick up her son from day care, so they were alone in the deserted hallway.

  “He is most excellent. We are most excellent.” She smiled at the younger girl. “I’m glad you and he worked things out too.”

  “Sorry if I embarrassed you the other day. I realized later I was being a real snot, but if it got him off my back about the guys, I guess it was a good thing.”

  “No problem from this end.” She heated at the thought of the things they’d already done, and the things Nick promised they would do. With a week in the country, who knew what they might try?

  “Listen, can you hold my bag? I’ve got my keys in my purse somewhere but I can’t juggle both.” She handed off the weighty satchel to Gia and found her keys. She pushed the key into the lock but even before she turned it, the door swung open.

  “I can’t believe I forgot to lock—”

  She screamed as Boxer exploded out from behind the door and lunged for her. His hands closed around her wrists and she flung herself backward, trying to wrench free, but his grip was like steel. Behind her Gia yelled for help and kept screaming at the top of her lungs. Boxer yanked her into the room, ignoring her struggles as he tried to slam the door on Gia, who stuck herself in the doorway. When he slammed the door on her arm Gia shrieked in pain but hung on.

  Inside her cramped office, she tried to break his hold on her wrists. She got one arm free and reached for her office lamp, but Boxer pulled her back, his fist wrapped in her hair, practically pulling it out of her head. He slapped her brutally across the face, pushed her behind the desk and shoved her to the ground, just as Gia came in swinging. She used Serafina’s satchel like a weapon and the heavy bag slammed into Boxer’s head with a sickening thud. He shook it off as though he hadn’t felt it, then picked Gia up and threw her back out into the hallway. Taking two huge steps, he slammed the door shut and threw the inside lock, and she recoiled in terror.

  She was alone in the room with Boxer. There was no one but Gia outside. His face was mottled red with insane fury and he closed in on her with a snarl, his hands reaching for her.

  Yanking her up from the floor, he shook her as he raged. “You’re going to pay for this, you fucking bitch. You’ve ruined my life. I’m going to fuck you good and leave you for him. That bastard. Firing me? I’m not going to let him get away with it. We’ll see how he likes you when I’ve fucked you good. I saw you going into his place. I know he’s been fucking you but now you’re mine. Now I’m going to fuck you, fuck you in all those pretty holes. He won’t want what’s left when I’m done with you.” His nostrils flared and spittle flew from his mouth as he hissed at her.

  That was the voice. The voice of the shadow man who had terrorized her from the darkness. It had always been Boxer.

  She whimpered and clawed at him but he was like stone. Her nails left jagged red slices down his arm. With one hand he ripped at her dress, tearing the fabric down the middle. He threw her facedown on the desk and though she kicked out frantically, he trapped her legs between his massive thighs. When his hands pawed at her dress, pulling it up over her hips and grabbing the waistband of her underwear, she shrieked and screamed in renewed terror. Her hands scrabbled for anything on the desk or within reach to use as a weapon. His breath was hot and rank on her cheek as he slammed her face against the desk. He banged her head into the wood twice and she was dizzy with the blows. She could hear Gia screaming from outside, pounding on the door and kicking it.

  Inside, she fought to keep him off her, but he dropped his weight on top of her and the breath was forced out of her lungs. His hand groped between her legs and she could feel him, feel his erection pressing against her. Desperation helped her fight the pain and she twisted, kicking and flailing frantically.

  Suddenly her hand landed on the cool base of her Leda statue. It was heavy but adrenaline gave her extra strength. Clutching her fingers around the thin pedestal, she pulled it closer.
Boxer’s face was turned away, his hoarse breathing loud in her ear. She took advantage of his distraction and got a firm grip on the pedestal.

  She was alone and he was going to rape her. And worse. When she heard the sound of his zipper, terror flooded through her. With strength born of desperation, she lifted the statue and brought it swinging in a sideways arc, crashing it against the top of his head.

  Everything happened in an instant. He was knocked off of her and bellowed in rage and pain. The door crashed open and Nick and Mac burst into the office. Behind them Gia tried to rush in too, swinging the bag. But Boxer’s insane focus was completely on her and he was lunging toward her again when Nick hit him in the gut like a bull and rammed him up against the bookcases. He slammed his fists into Boxer’s face in a flurry of ferocious blows. Blood spurted from the man’s split lips and broken nose, but he was like a crazed animal. He threw Nick off of him, swinging his fists wildly. He grabbed up the statue she’d hit him with and stalked toward Nick. Bracing himself, Nick surged forward but tripped over a pile of books and papers and crashed to the floor. He swung a leg out to try to kick Boxer’s out from under him but the man sidestepped him, kicking Nick viciously in the stomach before he lunged forward. Nick threw his arms up to ward off his attack and she screamed as Boxer raised the deadly object over him.

  “Stop! Police!” Mac pulled his gun.

  She screamed again as Boxer snarled at Mac and hefted the statue over his head.

  Mac fired as her scream, and Gia’s, echoed throughout the room.

  Boxer swayed, a look of disbelief crossing his demolished, bloody face. She tried to push her way to Nick, to grab the statue, protect him.

  In the end it didn’t matter. Holding the statue, Boxer fell over backward, away from Nick. As he fell to the floor the statue crashed down on his chest with a sickening crunch, where the blood pouring from his bullet wound splattered onto the pristine white artwork.

  She ran, tripped and then crawled, sobbing, to Nick’s side and fell into his arms, kissing his face and frantically feeling for injuries.

  “I’m all right, Professor. We’re all right.” He held her, tight and fierce.

  “I was so frightened, Nick! My God, I love you! I love you so much!” She clung to him, and the dam broke and she sobbed against his chest.

  “I know, Professor. I love you too.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Angelina had finally been released with a glowing medical report, but the christening had been postponed until he, Serafina and Gia all got out of the hospital and had recovered enough to attend the joyful bash. He’d had a concussion, Gia’s arm had been broken when Boxer slammed it in the door, and Serafina had been treated for trauma, cuts and contusions and kept overnight for observation since she’d suffered yet another head trauma.

  A week later they were all pronounced fully recovered, or in Gia’s case at least on the road to recovery. The ordeal that they’d been through had rallied the entire Stellato family and they’d been pampered by every member since the attack.

  Now they were among the boisterous throng as everyone returned from the church and the festivities began at the Stellato’s Forest Hills home. He stood with Mac as they looked across the crowded backyard. Serafina stood talking with Cara, who was holding the baby in her frothy white dress. His professor was a true beauty, but the best part of all was that she was his. The trauma of Boxer’s attack had driven them even closer and at last he was secure in her love.

  “Good thing she loves you, pal, now that you’re ugly.” Mac and his wife, among other friends, were in attendance and he was just one of many who joked about Nick’s still-healing face. Mac handed him another beer and grinned.

  “She’s a sensitive and discerning woman. I’m sure it wasn’t my good looks that attracted her. It was my brain.”

  “The big one or the little one?”

  Cheers went up as everyone toasted Cara and Rocco and their Angelina and the crowd took turns admiring the beautiful little girl. He sought out Serafina at every opportunity, unable to believe his good fortune. She’d almost been raped by Boxer. He might have killed her, but thanks to her grit, Gia, and the god of luck, he and Mac had gotten there in time. He had her back, scarred but safe and sound. He wasn’t the only one weak with relief. She’d been touching him constantly, as if reassuring herself he, too, was all right.

  Sex had been on hold because of their exhaustion, and injuries, and he wanted her to have time to recover from the attack, although she repeatedly insisted she was fine. It was kind of cute how she’d been teasing him to try to get him to take her to bed.

  “Seriously, Nick, smashing his head in went a long way toward taking back my independence,” she’d told him.

  In fact, Boxer had survived all of the punishment, from broken ribs to the gunshot wound. He was currently being subjected to psychiatric testing but Mac was convinced he’d be found sane to stand trial.

  “Slam dunk, dude. He’s going away. And seeing as how he has such a winning personality, I’m sure he’ll get shivved in jail. The guy just doesn’t know when to lay down.”

  He forced the subject of Boxer out of his head, determined to be with Serafina and enjoy their life together. Seeing her off in the corner chatting with his friends and family, he waved. She waved back and her smile made his heart clutch. How had he ever gotten so lucky?

  Come to think of it, he had that fucker Boxer to thank.

  * * *

  The party was a wonderful, joyful occasion. Utterly at home, she wandered around among the family she knew and had been introduced to relatives and friends she hadn’t yet met. She smiled, and chatted, but every few minutes her eyes sought out Nick. His laugh, and his easy movements, reassured her that he was okay. He was fine. They were both fine. Surviving Boxer’s attack had taught her the harsh lesson that her love for Nick was all-consuming. The man was her world and if he was all she could have, if children were not in the cards, a life together was too precious to lose.

  Standing amid two generations of Stellato matriarchs, she laughed at how comfortable she now was with the wickedly funny trio of women. Amelia’s mother was lamenting Serafina’s various shortcomings and insisting they all needed to take her in hand to ensure that she learned to cook. They seemed to believe Nick might starve if she was incapable of making sauce.

  “You hang around with us, we’ll teach you to speak Italian too.” Mrs. Montana shook a finger in her face.

  “I can speak Latin.” She hoped to earn some points to indicate she wasn’t a total linguistic slacker.

  “What good is Latin? I’m an old Italian woman, but I’m not that old!”

  The women laughed, and she joined in before the two grandmothers drifted away to pick on Vincenzo and Berto.

  “So what did the doctors say?” Amelia leaned in, speaking in a soft voice.

  She shook her head. “Nothing yet. The drug was never actually approved for use in the United States, and my mother didn’t even know she was pregnant when it was given to her while she was traveling in Europe. They’ve run so many tests, but they said that the drugs don’t always cause problems in the daughters of those mothers, as was originally believed. Cara’s doctors are relatively sure I’ll have no trouble getting pregnant.”

  It was like a wonderful dream. It had been only a few days after the attack when she’d worked up the courage to go for the tests. The terror she’d lived through taught her she couldn’t waste a moment of her life. It had taught her you had to take chances, you had to fight, tooth and nail, to win happiness. Other than taking Amelia into her confidence, she hadn’t said anything to Nick or anyone else because it was almost too much to hope, after all these years, that her fate might be changed. She’d been shocked, then thrilled to hear that once the tests came back, the results would likely validate the doctors’ supposition that she’d had no chromosomal effects from the powerful drugs her mother had taken. She would probably have no trouble getting pregnant.

  “Hav
e you told Nick yet?”

  “I want to wait until the tests come back and I know for sure.”

  “What tests?”

  Nick had sneaked up behind her. His mother threw up her hands.

  “If I were you, I’d tell him.” Then she hurried away and left them alone in the corner of the yard.

  “What tests?”

  Deep breath. “I’ve been to see Cara’s doctors and they’ve run a series of tests. Nothing conclusive yet, but I should know within a week or so.”

  He looked down at her and she studied the fading bruises on his face. It seemed that one or both of them had been bruised most of the month and a half they’d been together.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Feeling awkward, she shrugged. “I wanted to know for myself, but I didn’t want you to feel as though I was pressuring you or expecting a commitment you weren’t prepared to make.”

  “Professor, what am I going to do with you? Didn’t I convince you you’re mine, and I’m not letting you go?” He took her face in his hands. “Remember the text I sent you? The one from that Greek poem? ‘Thy lover is a soldier’? You’re the smart teacher. You should have understood I was telling you I’d fight for you and I am. I’m not giving up until you believe in us.”

  She looked into his eyes. She feared she’d screwed up yet again. She loved him so much. His wonderful laugh, the warmth of his body as he held her in the night. And that wicked smile that said he and he alone knew how he affected her. He was not smiling now.

  “Look. I love you—you. With kids or without them, I want you. How can I make you understand? I bet I know what Henry would do in a situation like this.”

  “Henry Miller? What?”

  “He said once that you can never have enough love, and that the one thing people never give each other is enough love. You and I can prove him wrong. If I have your love, that’s all I need to be happy. And I will spend my life giving my love to you.”