Her Sicilian Arrangement (16 page)

She
sighed and then turned around when she bumped into his solid frame.
“I—I’m just going to take a shower and go to bed. It’s almost nine
o’clock anyway.”

She
said it in an almost dismissive way and Marco noticed. “I will join
you in a minute.”

“
No…,” she muttered, with a slight frown, trying not to meet
his eyes. “You don’t have to do that. I’m—.”

“Sí
, but I do
want to
, mia
tesora
,” he said,
placing the cleaning brush and tray in one hand and then raised her
chin with his forefinger. “Is there something I have done wrong?
Tell me…I will fix it.”

She
looked at him for the first time since he had returned, shook her
head and then slipped away from him. “Goodnight, Marco.”

Marco frowned at her and released a quiet sigh. “Very
well…
Buona
notte
. I shall see
you in the morning then.”

And
he leant forward to kiss her on the lips when she turned her head
slowly, causing his lips to fall on her cheek instead. Marco could
not understand what had gone wrong during the one short minute that
he had went upstairs and as much as he himself hated to admit it,
he knew he would never begin to understand the female species. He
then watched her as she walked away and headed up the stairs. He
swore to himself, if he was not a gentleman by nature; he probably
would have followed her up that staircase and joined her in her
shower regardless. But he chose not to—simply because he wanted…or
rather needed her around for the meanwhile. Plus, his raw carnal
desire for her was beginning to quickly transform into something
else that most men in his status and position seemed to be running
away from. He refused to say the word—or even think of it, so
instead he moved into the sitting room, stooped low in a state of
emotional confusion, and then swept the small pieces of broken
glass into the tray.

In
the beginning when he had first met her, marrying her had lingered
around his thoughts once or twice but he had quickly dismissed it
and decided to act on his bodily yearnings. Now, he was feeling
more down than he had ever felt in his life. He had taken her
virginity, christened her into the true phase of womanhood—that was
enough to make him committed to her. But did he want to be devoted
to any woman as yet? Aimee was a woman who had tried to trick him
into having access to his wealth. Could Meagan be doing the same
thing? She was a journalist…and they are very good at getting what
they want! He thought.

Marco entered the kitchen and then dumped the contents of the
tray through the garbage shoot which was attached to a small area
near the door. In a short instant, the phone began to ring and he
picked up the receiver from the kitchen counter.

“
Hello?” he answered in Italian.

“
Marco, it is me.” It was his brother, Felipe’s, voice. He was
supposed to be in Libya by that time, delivering food and sanitary
supplies.

“
Felipe…It is good to hear your voice. How is
Libya?”

“
Libya is good,” he replied. “Um…did you know that Aimee
committed suicide a few months ago?”

“Dio
mio
! Suicide? I had
no idea.”

“
Well…her family says that she had been acting very strange
since you left when they discovered her body hanging from a tree
about a mile from the village.”

Marco’s jaw clenched with concern. He had hated that woman
ever since he had found out how conniving she was but he would
never have wished her dead. At that moment, he was empathizing with
her family in their grief. “It is a tragedy, Felipe. I do hope them
well.”

“Sí
, there is
something else. She wrote a note before she died—she was
apologizing to you about what she did…and there was another man who
she kept on referring to as ‘My Red Eagle’. She was saying to him
that she could not do something anymore and that her
‘
sins were eating
her from within
.’”

Marco’s eyes widened at that moment. Perhaps Meagan had
be
en right all
along! Maybe Aimee did have something to do with what was happening
to him. But who was her ‘Red Eagle’? Was he someone there in Libya
or was he here in Sicily? Whoever it was, he must be the one who
was helping to socially crucify him and Marco wanted some
answers.

“
Felipe, I cannot tell you anything but this as yet; I think
Aimee might have had something to do with framing me as a drug
smuggler and she has an accomplice. Meagan is helping me to figure
it out.”

For
a moment, there was no answer. “Marco, have you gone mad? What if
Aimee didn’t kill herself? Have you thought about that?”

“
Yes, I have but—.”

“
Then you must have assumed that the people responsible must be
incredibly dangerous!”

“
I
know, Felipe. But I must find out who it is no matter what it
takes.”

He
heard Felipe sigh. “Then be careful…you have a family who loves
you. Oh…and do me one favour.”

“
What is it?”

“
Marry that Meagan Summers whenever you get the chance…lover
boy!” And the conversation ended with Felipe leaving a still and
serious aura to the air.

CHAPTER 11

Marco could not remember the last time he had been so anxious.
He had woken up a little before the crack of dawn, before even a
ray of sunlight could manage to escape through between the folds of
the long silk drapes hanging at his bedroom windows. He had tossed
and turned the entire night after that conversation with his
brother, trying to organize his jumbled thoughts. But what added to
his excruciating torment was that every way he turned on the bed,
he welcomed the sweet bodily scent of Meagan that seemed to have
been woven within the tiny threads in the sheets. He could not
escape the tantalizing effect she was having on him even if he
tried. She was beginning to become far too difficult to resist and
Marco was afraid he would end up losing his mind…and his heart…
along the way.

‘…
marry that Meagan Summers whenever you get the chance…’
Felipe’s words were
ringing through his head like a malfunctioning electric bell; like
one he had gotten rather used to while going to school as a boy.
Marry her? Should he? At that moment, he was beginning to feel in
the wrong for seducing her out of her innocence. He did not want
her to believe that he was naturally that type of a man to take
advantage of what a woman could offer and then treat it like trash.
She probably would be thinking the exact same thing.

No
wonder she seemed distraught last night, he thought. Marco shook
his head and then folded up the long sleeves of his aqua shirt up
his forearms. He had to make things right with her again especially
since he had discovered such an important lead in their
investigation. He had not even hesitated to exit his room when he
felt his feet carrying him rapidly towards hers and then his right
hand reached up, knocking sharply on the door.

In a
few seconds, the door opened and he was quite surprised at what he
saw. She seemed to have awakened quite early as well; dressed in a
well-fitted pink and yellow floral skirt, the hem just above her
knees, and a tight pink blouse with spaghetti straps. Her hair was
neatly swept up into a tight wrap held with closely inserted
hairpins and her ear piercings wore lovely yellow earrings. She did
not look the least bit troubled—quite contrasting from the previous
night. Her lips were moist—and tempting—from the visibly applied
All-Naturals chap stick. She looked well…far too well, and he was
starting to wonder if she was only putting up a hoax.

“
Yes?” she said, her eyes piercing through him.

“
Um…,” he began, finding himself stuttering which was quite
strange for him since he had always been a man of easy-coming
words. He then cleared his throat and continued, “Felipe called me
last night—he said that Aimee has passed away.”

At
that moment, she knitted her eyebrows in a slight frown. “Your
ex-fiancée?”

“
Yes…it’s an awful event…but anyways, he went on to say that
she had written a note telling an unknown man that she could not do
whatever she was doing anymore.”

“
Mmm,” she mumbled. “I’m guessing she did not say his
name?”

“
No,
but she called him her ‘Red Eagle’.”

“‘
Red Eagle’?” she queried. “That’s an odd name.”

“
I
agree—but I believe—.”

“…
that the guy must have been responsible for sabotaging your
good name,” she finished for him with a smug look on her face that
told him she was taking far too much credit for her
discovery.

“
Yes,” he muttered calmly. “Will you help me find out who he
is?”

Meagan raised an eyebrow at him and then folded here arms. “Of
course…I’m keeping up my end of the deal and in return I do hope I
get my story. After all, this is what this all is about, isn’t
it?”

Marco returned her splitting gaze and then nodded. So, she is
playing that game now! She could fool him and he did not have any
time to play her game. But he would keep a keen eye on her.
“Absolutely.”

“
Good,” she replied and moved past him. “I need to go into the
town to buy something first.”

Marco pulled her door shut and then grasped her by the arm.
“Buy what?”

“
Do
I have to tell you everything?” she snapped and pulled away, her
glare stinging.

“
Yes. Or in case you did not remember, you have no
money.”

Meagan huffed at him and then sighed. “Fine! Will you please
take me to buy something?”

“
What? I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you…,” he responded and cocked
his head at her teasingly.

“
Will you stop acting like a child?” she said, her expression
awfully miserable. Marco shrugged with an ‘Oh well’ look on his
face and attempted to leave her presence when he heard her voice
hesitantly behind him, “Okay—okay! Please drive me into town and
lend me some money to buy the contraceptive!”

He
then turned to look at her, grinning victoriously. “I would love
to. And I am no money-lender. After all, I’m partly responsible for
your current situation.”

Meagan’s face burnt with blush at his words and she looked
away. “Can we go now, please?”

Marco ushered her before him and then smiled to himself as she
watched her walk stiffly down the steps. If he was to ever take her
as his wife, he was positive that his days would be forever joyful.
He would not miss a day of fun and laughter with her around. He had
to admit, his ring did look remarkable on her finger and he would
not mind having her wear it for a very long time.

“
This way,” he said, causing her to stop abruptly in front of
the door. She then rolled her eyes at him and followed him down a
hall which ended in an adjoining door to his garage. She moved up
to the Ferrari as if by reflex when he halted her. “We won’t be
taking that one today. We’re taking the Porsche. I’m not in the
mood to run into any paparazzi. I don’t know if you
are—.”

“
Oh,
please,” she groaned and then pulled on the door handle of the
silver sports car. But it did not budge to open and she stood
akimbo, glowering at him. She then heard him chuckle and almost
miraculously, the door opened. “For your information, you…and
this…is not cute!”

“
Ha
ha,” he muttered, with pure sarcasm and then laughed, walking over
the driver side and then slid into his seat. In a moment, she slid
in too and then he inserted the car key into the ignition. “Do you
drive in America?” he asked, his childish tone now shifting to his
usual mature demeanor.

For
an instant, she refused to answer but then she sighed and then
returned, “No.”

“
No?” he repeated as if it surprised him that she did
not.

Come
on!
There are many
people in this world that doesn’t drive!
But she only said, “No…I don’t. I don’t own
a car because I can’t afford one yet. Rent and utility bills are
all that my paycheck can be split into. I barely have enough left
to buy food or even pay my taxi fare to and from work.”

Marco kept his eyes steadfast on the road but glanced a few
times at her through his rearview mirror. Her eyes seemed worried
and her face was suddenly pale. “Tell me why you want this story so
badly…”

She
looked at him and then away almost immediately. “I want to earn
what I have been working so hard for. All my life, I’ve worked my
ass off to just watch someone else swoop in take the glory. It’s my
time to shine,” she said, blinking back a few tears and then
continued softly. “My time…”

“
Then we shall sit together when we get back and I will tell
you everything you need to know.”

Meagan could not believe what she was hearing. So what had
caused him to suddenly change his mind about giving her the story
before she had completed her part of the arrangement? If he pitied
her, she did not want it at all. “You don’t have to pretend as if
you feel sorry for me, Marco,” she said. “It’s okay…we are from two
very different worlds. I wouldn’t expect you to understand what I
am going through.”