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PROLOGUE
MARCO DE LUCA stood at the open window of the cottage, looking out into the clear, calm night. A full moon hung in the black sky and the sea stretched away into the darkness, lit only by the occasional silvery ripple of reflected moonlight.
For too many years he’d lived and worked in big cities, where the night sky was a hazy amber glow and the stars were virtually invisible. He’d driven himself so hard, building his business from scratch into the global enterprise that it was today, that he’d almost forgotten what it was like to slow down for a moment, to celebrate what he had achieved, or to appreciate the simple pleasures in his life.
There were no street-lamps here on this remote stretch of the Welsh coastline, filling the sky with their artificial light. And around the rugged bay where the cottage was nestled there were no other houses in sight.
It felt good to gaze out at the unblemished beauty of twinkling starlight in the inky black heavens, and at that moment the peaceful isolation seemed as far from the intensity of his business life as it was possible to be.
He was glad Claudia had brought him here.
It had meant a lot to him when she’d asked him to come with her to the beautiful part of the world where her mother had grown up. Marco knew that her mother had died when she was just five years old—and that this place, with all its treasured memories, held a special place in Claudia’s heart.
He turned away from the window to look down at her lying sleeping on the bed. Her long naked limbs were tangled in the sheets after hours of passionate lovemaking, and her hair was spread out in beautiful waves across the pillow. The gorgeous copper colour didn’t show in the dark, but even in the moonlight her hair had a rich lustre and her perfect skin had a pearly luminescence.
As he gazed at Claudia, an unaccustomed feeling of warmth spread through him. They’d had a good day. It was an amazing place and Marco was touched that she’d wanted to share it with him—and that she’d already opened up her heart to him about something so personal and precious to her. And, although she was sad to have lost her mother when she was so young, it was wonderful to see the joy she was able to take from her memories.
Marco had not seen his mother for eight years—and his heart was full of anger and bitterness whenever he thought about her. She was a treacherous Jezebel who had allowed herself to be used against her own family, by a man called Primo Vasile—a corrupt and despicable con man of the very worst kind.
Then, after her treachery was complete—when the family had been utterly destroyed and Marco’s father and grandfather were both dead—she had chosen to disappear. She had totally abandoned her eleven-year-old daughter, Marco’s sister Bianca.
A band of tension tightened across Marco’s chest, but he shook his head sharply to clear his mind. He would not think about his mother and about what she had done eight years ago.
He would not let her ruin his perfect day with Claudia.
His mother’s appalling betrayal had made it hard for him to completely trust anyone. And when his sister had introduced him to her new friend, Claudia, he had been wary of her at first.
Her family was involved with Primo Vasile—her father was one of Vasile’s business partners—and that had been enough to make Marco suspicious. But, for his sister’s sake, he’d taken the time to get to know her. And now he was glad that he had, because they had become so much more than just friends—more than the simple relationships he was used to with women.
As he looked down at her sleeping, he knew that the time he’d spent with Claudia was truly special.
Suddenly, the sound of his mobile phone vibrating on the bedside table broke into his thoughts. He sprang across the room and picked it up quickly so that it wouldn’t disturb her.
‘Ciao, Ricardo,’ Marco said, slipping out of the small bedroom and walking down the narrow staircase to the living room below. ‘Everything all right?’
It was very late at night, an unusual time for someone to call, and he’d felt an immediate rush of concern when he’d seen his friend’s name on the caller display.
‘Yes, everything’s fine—at least it is now,’ Ricardo said. ‘But you should know, an hour ago I ran into Bianca at a party here in Turin. She was in trouble—’
‘What happened? Is she all right?’ Marco interrupted, fear for his now nineteen-year-old sister slamming into him like a sledgehammer.
‘I hate to tell you this—but she was with Primo Vasile,’ Ricardo said.
‘Vasile!’ Marco exclaimed, cursing savagely. What was he doing with his sister?
‘She was very confused. I think he may have spiked her drink with something worse than alcohol.’ Ricardo paused, clearly reluctant to say what he knew was going to cause his friend distress. ‘When I came across them, he was asking her questions about your business and trying to get her to leave with him.’
Marco swore again, grinding his hand into a fist at his side.
‘She’s all right,’ Ricardo reassured him. ‘I got there in time.’
‘Only just in time,’ Marco bit out. ‘That bastard’s going to pay for this. Bianca is off limits—he should have known better than to try to get at me through her.’
‘I was surprised to see her at a party organised by one of Vasile’s PR ag
encies,’ Ricardo said. ‘I know how you feel about Vasile.’
‘Are you telling me Vasile wasn’t just a guest—that he was involved with the party?’ Marco demanded, starting back up the stairs, two at a time, to the bedroom.
‘I thought you knew—it was a publicity event for a new restaurant he’s backing,’ Ricardo said. ‘I saw Claudia talking to him last week at the Miretti wedding.’
‘What?’ Marco stopped abruptly outside the bedroom door.
His blood ran cold and he felt the agonisingly familiar pain of betrayal slice into his guts like a vicious blade. His suspicions that Claudia might somehow be involved with the man who had destroyed his family had turned out to be true.
‘I saw Claudia talking to Primo Vasile,’ Ricardo said. ‘I heard him tell her the time and place of tonight’s party.’
For a moment Marco couldn’t talk—he couldn’t breathe. The shattering truth of the situation knocked the breath right out of his body.
Claudia—his beautiful lover—had betrayed him. And her treachery had led Bianca into danger. Just like his mother, eight years ago, she had betrayed them both.
He pushed the door of the bedroom open and stared down at her. She was still sleeping—her face the image of angelic peace. Wasn’t she at all concerned for her so-called friend—the girl who she’d sent into the jaws of the shark that evening?
‘Marco, are you still there?’ Ricardo asked.
‘Yes, I’m here,’ Marco said. ‘I’m coming home at once—to take care of my sister.’
‘What about Vasile?’ Ricardo asked.
‘I’ll deal with him,’ Marco said flatly. ‘Thanks, Ricardo. You’ve been a good friend. I’ll call you when I know what time I’ll be back in Turin.’
He snapped his phone shut. It wasn’t just Vasile who would feel the full force of his vengeance.
Claudia would also pay for what she had done—but not yet.
At that moment, his top priority was Bianca. He must make sure for himself that she was unharmed. He reached for his clothes and pulled them on. Then he put his wallet and his mobile phone in his pocket, picked up his bag and turned to leave.
