Carpathian 00 - The Scarletti Curse

labyrinth. I left it there for you to find, so you would believe Gino had killed your friend and so you would not gaze with such heat at mio fratello." His smile was a sickly parody of anticipation. "You will not miss Giovanni. I will see to that."
    Nicoletta's stomach clenched and rolled. Vincente sounded perfectly rational as he talked. Anyone watching him would think they were having a normal conversation. That frightened Nicoletta more than all his threats ever could. He believed he was entitled to any woman he desired. He believed he was entitled to kill anyone in his path. Giovanni, more than any other, stood in his way.
    Her dark gaze jumped away from his. He terrified her with his cold-blooded calculating. She nodded as if she found what he was saying reasonable. "And Margerita? Why did you hurt her?"
    His handsome face twisted into scowling contempt. "She was like Angelita, my wife. Sniveling and fawning. Just the sound of her voice made me ill! You pointed out to Antonello and me that she might have seen what had happened from above. You were partially correct. I went to her immediately, and, like all women, she wanted to be taken to bed. It was quite easy getting the information out of her. She had seen Portia seducing Cristano, and she saw me entering the maze. She told me everything, and she stayed quiet when I told her to." Again the contempt he felt was evident in his voice and manner. Young Margerita had been easy prey for a man like Vincente.
    They were on the beach now, the ocean lapping at the shoreline, darkening the white sand so it looked almost black and slick with blood. Vincente continued to drag Nicoletta toward the water's edge. Salt spray misted her face and arms; the sand clung to her bare, bloodied feet. The wind tugged at her thick hair, blowing the strands around her face. Nicoletta was feeling desperate. She searched for something to keep him talking. "What of your wife? Angelita? Why did you marry her, and however did you get Portia to agree to stay silent?"
    Vincente's teeth flashed at her. "I had no money. The lands and title belonged to Giovanni. By agreeing to marry that dull but wealthy cow, I thought I would be rich. Portia wanted the money, too. But it was not to be. I tired of Angelita's whining. She was fun at first, a virginal little thing, but quite tiresome, begging me not to hurt her in our bed. It was amusing to shock her, but she took the fun out of it with her endless sniveling. I could not allow her out of the room after a time." Again he ran his fingers over her skin, making Nicoletta shiver with revulsion. His hand settled around her throat so she was forced to look into his mad eyes. "It was difficult to hide the bruises, and I could not allow Giovanni to see them. I helped her end it. I watched her. It took her a long time to die." His white teeth flashed again. "If you do not tell me what I want to know, you will take a long time to die, too."
    The water was racing toward them, a solid, foaming wall. She stared at it helplessly. Did he mean to drown them both? It crashed through the rocks and up the shore to explode in the air and fizz along the bank until her ankles and the hem of her skirt were soaked. His hands tightened around her throat, squeezing slowly. "I suggest you learn that I mean what I say, unlike Giovanni. If you expect him to come charging to your rescue, do not. He is dead. Your good friend Aljandro was easy enough to persuade to join with me, and a few others I bought. They took care of your husband. After all, if I wish to ease the suffering widow's pain for a time before she dies by her own hand, she must first be a widow."
    Deliberately his hand slipped from her throat to squeeze her breast forcefully. His sick laughter was in her Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    ear as he twisted the delicate flesh.
    The force of the waves nearly knocked her over, wrenching her loose from Vincente's grip. She shoved him hard and that combined with the force of the water toppled him over. He swore furiously. Nicoletta whirled and ran for her life, heading for the dark interior of a large cave. The water was inching its way in, then retreating just as fast, leaving behind a carpet of sea kelp. If only she had Giovanni's gift, to be able to call to him, touch him, get reassurance that he was still alive.
    The cave branched out, leading in two different directions. Take the left. The voice brushed at the walls of