Scent from the bruised herbs filled the room. Giulia finally noticed the closed window.
“Ooh, Sandy, you said ‘ass.’ You never... What’s wrong with...” Blake shook his head in repetitive bursts. “You never swear. Ooh... head stuck in maple syrup.” A giggle, petering out.
Keep at her. He’s almost back to normal. “News flash, Falke: Blake Parker doesn’t care about anyone but himself. If you think humiliating me in front of him will show him what a powerful consort you are, it won’t work.” Consort. Gross. I still have too much Scott on the brain.
“Sex is power, little nun.” Heels and all, Sandra climbed onto the bed and straddled Blake’s legs. “You thought I’ve been acting in ignorance, didn’t you? I researched you after your pathetic attempt to interview me. You’re one of the frustrated bitches who hate real women. You have no life, no friends, no anything but your job and your bookshelf of fairy tales.” Sandra cupped her hands beneath her push-up bra and jiggled. “This is real. This is power and pleasure, and those two things are all that’s worth having.”
Blake whistled. “Nice tits, Sandy.”
“Thank you, dear. Ready for your lesson?”
Blake pouted. “Don’t like school. Knife isn’t pretty anymore.” Another series of jerky headshakes. “Sandy? Where are we?”
“We’re in bed, Blake dear. You’re going to consummate our relationship again.”
“Consumm... You wanna have sex?” Blake’s eyebrows met. “We’re not together anymore, Sandy. I promised Pammy I wouldn’t.”
“Forget that inbred, condescending bitch!” Sandra whisked the knife beneath Blake’s chin.
Giulia held her breath as the tip sliced into Blake’s neck. If Sandra was out of control already, Giulia had to tackle her for the knife. Then she realized Sandra’s hand was rock-steady: Blake’s chin was doing the quivering. Blood trickled down the side of his neck onto Giulia’s bedspread. The haze vanished from his eyes as Sandra pressed the knife deeper.
“You are going to learn obedience. The nuns taught me that a lesson is infinitely more effective in front of witnesses.” Sandra stroked the knife point across Blake’s neck, but didn’t cut him again. “I came back from summer vacation with cherry-red hair to start my junior year. I did it myself, of course, and cross-hatched the sides with a razor. Remember Cyndi Lauper? Everyone loved my daring new style, except the nuns. I was wicked, bound for Hell, and God told them to purge me.”
Not good. Falke’s working herself into retaliatory anger, and she’s already got me pegged for vicarious revenge. Giulia aimed stronger Wake up, pretty boy! thoughts at Blake.
“They dragged me into the bathroom and shaved my head. The entire junior class got squeezed in with us to watch. I spent every lunch period for the next month saying the rosary on the chapel floor.” Sandra stretched out one leg and ran a hand over her smooth knee. “The calluses didn’t fade till spring.”
“Look, Falke, I’m not a nun anymore. And I wasn’t one of the nuns who shaved your head. I don’t need to see you punish Blake.” Was that going too far? Will Sandra come after me with that tortoiseshell knife?
“He’s Mr. Parker to the hired help. Don’t forget that.” The knife left Blake’s chin.
“Sandy, why can’t I move? Where are my clothes?”
Giulia and Sandra looked. Blake’s pupils retracted to near-normal, and he was frowning instead of giving Sandra a loopy smile.
Sandra put a finger on his lips. “I promised I’d make you forget what this cheap whore did with you in this bed. Now’s the time to fulfill that promise.”
Blake spoke around Sandra’s finger. “Sandy, are you off your meds again? You know how you get—”
Her fingernail dug into Blake’s lip, drawing blood. Blake stopped talking.
Giulia stepped forward. “You’re not doing anything with him in my bed, Falke.”
“You have nothing to say about it, little nun.”
“Sandy, what’cha doing?” Blake’s eyes tried to glaze over again. “Mmmm.”
Argh. “How many times do I have to say this? Those photos are fakes.”
“That you, sugar? You both gonna do me?” Blake’s voice came thick, like Scott’s when he was unbuttoning Giulia’s sweater.
Sandra grasped Blake’s face in both hands. “She’ll never come near you again.”
“I never came near him at all,” Giulia said again. “We never had sex.”
“You don’t lie well, little nun.”
“I am not a nun anymore!” Giulia grasped her own hair and just said it. “I’m still a virgin.”
Blake’s voice cleared. “You’re a virgin? I could’ve had a virgin?” His weak laugh filled a momentary silence. “All I’ve ever had is used goods.”
Sandra’s quick breath frightened Giulia more than the screech that followed.
“You sexist piece of meat! If virginity is so important, why didn’t you keep yours?” Sandra punched Blake’s head. “You think I’m used?” She slapped his face. “You think an intact hymen is better than a killer blow job?” She punched the other side of his head. “I’ll give you something—to forget you—ever—slept—with her!” Sandra’s bony hand slapped him at every pause. Blake’s lips split, and a welt appeared under one eye.
Only when Sandra stopped did he try to speak. “Sandy, doll, no one I’ve ever slept with comes close to you. You’re one hot babe. You didn’t have to drug me to get me close to you.”
“Don’t whine, Blake. It doesn’t go with your manly image.” Sandra wiped her blood-speckled hand on the bedspread. “I thought you might not have the spine to teach this cheap whore a lesson, so I took a few precautions.”
Set down the knife, Falke. Giulia forced herself to look away from it, redirect Sandra. Set it down. I’ll grab it and call 911.
“The pill my teacher slipped into your last glass of wine made you happily wasted. When we brought you here, you attracted exactly the kind of attention we planned. All the neighbors think the little nun’s having a party.” Sandra draped herself over Blake’s prone body. “It’s also an aphrodisiac. Now I’ll show my teacher how well I’ve absorbed my lessons.”
Show? Giulia tried to keep her face neutral. Had Sandra set up a video feed? Hidden a camera? That’d be evidence. Any kind of camera would give the police evidence. Where? Behind the clock radio? On the bookshelf? Giulia moved her eyes, not her head, in case Sandra was watching.
Sandra leaned forward and nipped his lower lip. “I’ll put every woman but me out of your head, darling.”
Blake’s eyes rolled back in his head. “Oh, baby.”
Giulia gave in to her growing disgust. She wasn’t going to stand in her own bedroom and watch an actual incidence of a woman raping a man. In her own bed.
Sandra closed her eyes.
Giulia took one step closer to the knife.
Someone grabbed Giulia from behind, and she hit the floor face first. A knee dug into her butt and a strong hand wrenched her right arm behind her back.
“You’re a virgin. What an unexpected pleasure.”
A man hiding in here. Where—must’ve been in the closet. No place else in her small room.
Wake up, moron! Get out from under him. She squirmed and bucked her hips, but she couldn’t move.
“You’re missing the show, Giulia. I staged this for you.”
He yanked her up and left, releasing her twisted arm to jerk up her head by her hair. “Now watch.” He wrapped muscled arms and legs around her and crushed her arms against her breasts.
Shock blew through Giulia’s fear. “Urnu the Snake?” Scott. He wanted to get me into Raging Death. Was he working for Urnu all along? To get me here? Oh, God.
He smiled at her in his odd, teeth-baring way. “I enjoyed meeting you face to face after Friday’s battle. Scott doesn’t know that I used him solely to get you to my final initiation.”
She tried to pull her trapped legs from between his scissor hold. He merely laughed.
“San
dra didn’t take the pictures, you know,” he whispered. His hand stroked up and down the row of buttons on her sweater. “I did. She wanted Blake’s engagement broken. When you brought him here, I brought out my telephoto lens. I’m an expert at photographic manipulation. Sandra still believes Blake took you.” He unbuttoned her top button, one-handed. “Shall I seduce you by opening one button at a time? Or shall I tear it off and expose your breasts to your client? In his current state, I’m sure he’d make some interesting comments.”
Giulia’s legs tingled. How would she escape if they went completely numb? Help me, Jesus. Don’t abandon me.
She could head-butt him. She could claw him. Her fingernails needed cutting. She had a little ammunition. Could she get to his eyes?
“Sandra, come here. This is also what you wanted.”
“Don—”
“I said come here.” His voice stayed polite, yet Sandra at once peeled her body off Blake and stood in front of Giulia.
Don... her brother. God, I’m an idiot. She thrashed her already twisted upper body from side to side within his immovable grip. Giulia’s almost-dead legs hampered her. She tried to hit his lips or nose with her head.
He must have signaled Sandra, because she leaned down and slapped Giulia. Once. Twice. Again. Again. Giulia’s head snapped from side to side and tears filled her eyes.
“Thank you. Bring me the knife.” He pushed Giulia onto her back, slammed her shoulders flat on the thin rug, and kicked her inert legs straight.
Sandra put the knife into his outstretched hand as he sat on Giulia’s hips.
Giulia tried to build a coherent thought. Move your legs. You can’t stay in his power. He likes to—
Urnu the Snake crooked a finger, and Sandra tick-tacked around to Giulia’s feet in her stiletto heels.
Urnu ripped open Giulia’s sweater and trapped her arms above her head with it. When she couldn’t do more than squirm, he sliced through her bra.
“I will show you the power of pleasure and pain.” He glanced backward. “Sandra.”
Giulia’s straightened legs gave a hint of life. She had a chance. Just a minute or two more and she could move them.
“Sandy, come back.” Blake squirmed in his silk bonds. “Wanna make you scream, Sandy.”
Sandra’s pointed nails scratched Giulia’s waist as she dragged off her jeans. “Hush, Blake. May I have the knife, Don?”
He looked over his shoulder at her. “It’s not time for that yet.”
“I want her naked and humiliated now.”
He smiled. “If you wish.”
Time for what? Giulia flexed her feet. Hundreds of little stabs. The knife snicked her skin as it slit her plain cotton underpants. Sandra tugged them off, and Giulia’s naked butt touched the rug.
God, Jesus, stop her. Stop him. Giulia flexed her calves and stifled a gasp. Not that bad. She could deal with the pain. Urnu the Snake had her but she wasn’t in his power. Not yet.
“Little virgin, let me whisper something in your ear.” Urnu put his hands around Giulia’s neck and breathed into her mouth. “I don’t confine my victory ritual to Combat Realm triumphs.”
Don’t let him scare you.
Too late.
Shake it off. People don’t carve out hearts in real life.
Sandra held Giulia’s utilitarian panties next to her gold thong, and Urnu laughed.
Forget his hands on you. Forget your legs. Giulia bent her right elbow. With her eyes on Urnu watching Sandra, she slid her arm out of her sweater and bra strap by increments The moment it was free, she inched it back to a trapped-looking position under the sweater.
Sandra climbed over Blake and sat on her heels on the bed. “Now learn your lesson.” Her gold-tipped fingers pushed his head sideways to face Giulia.
Urnu smiled. “Now I’ll teach you what happens to bad girls who bite instead of suck.”
Bite—when did—the rapist. In the park. Oh God. Oh no.
“Didn’t I leave any marks on you?” He mashed her breasts up and sideways. “Ah. Healing nicely. Almost like a tattoo.”
Sandra imitated Urnu’s smile. “Thank you for letting us watch, Don. Public lessons are the ones that endure, Blake. Remember this.”
“No!” Giulia threw off the sweater. The heel of her hand smashed Urnu’s nose.
He yelled and slid backward. She made a fist and punched the bloody mess on his face. He screamed and clutched his nose, blood spurting on Giulia, on the rug, on his dead-black shirt and pants.
“Don!” Sandra leaped off the bed and crouched beside him. Urnu cursed and spat blood and cursed some more.
“You bitch!” Sandra crashed into Giulia, knocking her against the balsawood closet doors. They cracked inward as Giulia lost her footing. Sandra snatched the knife from the floor and swung it, but Giulia’s backward stumble put her out of range.
Pound pound pound. A foot kicking the apartment door? A muffled voice. “Giulia!”
Giulia ran for the bedroom door. Urnu’s slippery hand snatched her ankle. She pulled it free as Sandra slashed again. Flame seared her ribs. She clutched her left side and blood oozed through her fingers.
More pounding. A sharp crack. Another. The outer door slammed against the wall.
Sandra cursed. The knife came down. Giulia grabbed Sandra’s wrist. They pushed against each other. Giulia’s arms started to fold. Sandra pushed harder.
Bang. The bedroom door shook. A less-muffled voice yelled, “Giulia!” Bang. The door shook again. “Giulia!”
Giulia jumped backward. Sandra sprang forward and stabbed at her again. Giulia missed Sandra’s wrist and caught the knife blade instead. She hissed from the pain and her hold slipped as blood ran down her arms.
The door hinges ripped out of the wall. Frank ran in, gun out.
“Get off her or I’ll fire.”
Urnu grabbed Frank’s ankle and yanked.
“What the—” Frank glanced down and kicked. Urnu’s head hit the corner of the closet and he slumped onto the rug.
“Last chance, Falke. Get off her.”
Sandra yanked the knife out of Giulia’s hands and brought it down.
Frank fired.
Sandra’s body jerked. Blood gushed from her mouth. She dropped the knife and her hand clutched her throat. Her eyes dilated and she fell onto Giulia.
Frank holstered the gun.
“Get her off—get her off—” Giulia pushed at Sandra’s body, but her hands kept slipping.
Frank heaved the body onto the rug. “Giulia, are you all right? Christ, what happened? Never mind. Where’s the towels?”
“Um, kitchen drawer.” Her ears rang from the shot.
Frank ran out. Giulia held her gashed ribs. I’ll never get all the blood out of the rug.
Drawers opened and closed in the kitchen. “Which one? Wait, found them.”
Her hands burned, too. How was she going to interview for the doughnut job with injured hands?
“Giulia, don’t pass out on me. Here, give me your hands.” Frank, muttering in Irish, wiped her left hand with a towel before wrapping it around her hand.
“Ribs...”
“What? Holy shit.” Frank pressed towels to Giulia’s side. “Here, lean against the bed.”
Blake coughed and tried to spit. “Can one of you cut me loose?”
Frank stared for a long beat, then ran into the kitchen again. A moment later, he returned with a bread knife and sawed through the black sash. Blake sat up, rubbing his wrists.
Frank tossed his cell phone at him. “Call 911.”
Frank shoved open Giulia’s broken closet doors and pawed through her clothes. “Where’s your bathrobe?”
“Hook on the bathroom door.” Giulia didn’t feel quite so woozy now that blood wasn’t running down her arms and chest. Good heavens, I’m still naked.
Blake’s voice above her. “Can I get an ambulance and police to—” Blake held the phone toward Giulia. “What’s your address, sug—Ms. Falcone?”
“2244 Pearl Street, apartment 115.” Frank’s seen me naked in person now. He’ll probably have the snarkiest comment yet. No. No more. I can’t take another insult from him. I should leave. I can’t leave. The police are coming. I have to tell them what happened.
Blake put the phone to his ear again. “We have one gunshot wound and one knife wound... Thanks.” He snapped the phone closed and cut the cord around his feet. “What the hell did they do with my clothes?”
Frank came in and tossed them to him. “On the bathroom floor.” He draped Giulia’s bathrobe over her shoulders. “What happened?”
Why was he being polite? “They drugged Blake and broke in here. Tied him to the bed. Waited for me, I guess.”
“They gave me something that acted like pot mixed with ecstasy.” Blake already had on his boxers and socks and was stepping into his pants. “I remember them walking me down the hall. I think I was singing.”
Frank pointed to the still-unconscious Urnu. “Who’s he?”
Blake zipped his pants. “Sandra’s brother Donald. Met him once, thought he was just another RPG geek.”
Giulia shuddered. “Urnu the Snake.” She backed away from him, but the bed stopped her. Her chest hurt when she moved. “Can you tie him up or something?”
Frank looked at Blake. “That bad?”
“I think he was behind Sandra stalking me.” Blake glanced at the body, then away. “She’s dead, isn’t she?”
“I think so.” Frank crouched to feel for a pulse, but Giulia could see Sandra’s open, blank eyes.
A few moments later, Giulia heard running footsteps. Then a deep voice at the outer door: “Police.”
“In here,” Frank said.
“Who else would get me away from my air-conditioned office on a slow Sunday night?” Captain Hogarth stood in the bedroom doorway.
“Jimmy, where’s the EMTs? Giulia’s bleeding.”
Force of Habit: A Falcone & Driscoll Investigation Page 20
