“I didn’t get a good look, but I think I recognized the voice.”
“One of the Italians?”
“I’m afraid so. Did they get him?”
“Worse than that. I was just informed that the man with a gun was shot and killed.”
Joan gasped. “Oh, my God.”
“And your man Ruiz? Is he okay?”
“Yes. He took a shot, but we’re hopeful it’s not serious. He’s the one that killed your attacker, by the way.”
“Jesus,” Antonio said, thinking of the consequences. If that was one of Dante Bissacco’s goons, he’d not be safe anywhere in Europe. If the dead man was a relative of Dante Bissacco, he’d not be safe anywhere on the planet.
“I KNOW, ANTONIO. THIS is not going to play well for you. When the people that man represents hear about this, you’re not going to want to be anywhere near here.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“I want you to go to Reus. Do you know where that is?”
“I’ll look it up,” Antonio said. “What’s in Reus?”
“I’ve already called my pilot, he’ll be waiting there with my jet by the time you get there. It’s twenty miles from here.”
“I’m sure I can find it.” Antonio said. “But, then where will I go?”
“That’s up to you. My pilot will take you anywhere. There’s money on the plane, enough to take care of you for several weeks. The combination is MRH333 for Marco Ryland Hunter, got it?”
“Yes, of course, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bring trouble. What am I supposed to do with Joan?”
“Where are you now?”
“About a mile from the house, to the south.”
“It’s too risky to bring her back You need to get out of here before the police find you and start asking questions.”
“You want me to take Joan with me?”
Joan’s heart leapt at the prospect even as she realized the impossibility of such a plan. She was supposed to be the Maid of Honor at her sister’s wedding the next day.
“Take her to the airport and try to keep out of sight. I’ll send someone to pick her up and bring her back. Don’t take her with you. Lissa would skin me alive.”
“Thank you, Julio,” Antonio said. “I’m so sorry for this trouble.”
“Me too.”
Joan took the phone out of Antonio’s hand as the call disconnected. He was staring ahead, his jaw set. Lights drew Joan’s attention to the road as another police car drove towards them.
As it approached the police car slowed down and aimed a spot light at their car.
“Kiss me,” Joan ordered. “Kiss me, now!” She flung herself at him and kissed him hard. Antonio resisted at first, but then he started kissing her back.
The beam of light lingered a few more moments on their makeout session, then it clicked off. Joan’s hammering heart slowed slightly as the police car continued its way to the scene where the real action was happening.
She used her phone to get directions to Reus and neither of them talked about what had happened, or what would happen, as they made their way south and back towards the coast.
Joan felt an urge to see if what had happened was on the news. She feared that Antonio might be a suspect, and she might be traveling with a wanted man.
Antonio stared straight ahead, driving carefully in the low hanging fog, and Joan saw his muscles twitch in his face as they listened to the report in Spanish. She didn’t understand a word.
“Will you please translate?” she asked.
Antonio tried.
“He said that a deadly shootout left a gunned intruder dead at the home of Julio Torres, while the Viscount of Iberia was on the premises. He said that a security guard who’d killed the gunman was injured in the attack, but that his heroic efforts saved whomever the gunman was coming after. They believe that since the Viscount was there it might have been an assassination attempt gone wrong. They say that the identity of the attacker was being withheld, but that Interpol and the Spanish civil defense authorities were being notified of this event.”
“Christ,” Joan said, shaking her head.
“You got that right,” Antonio said.
They soon came to the airport and Antonio parked his Maserati in an out of the way spot. The airport seemed to be closed for the night. They walked towards a man standing in front of the dark building.
“Give me your car keys,” said the man.
Antonio did, and the man pulled out a different set of keys and unlocked the door to the building.
“Are you the pilot?” Antonio asked.
“No. My instructions are to let you inside and to tell you to stay out of sight and keep the lights off while you wait for the helicopter.”
“Helicopter? Not a jet anymore?”
“I was told helicopter,” the man said.
“Alright,” Antonio said. “What about Joan? Are you supposed to take her back to Vilafranco?”
“No. Those aren’t my instructions”
Joan’s heart leapt at the prospect. She wanted desperately to go with Antonio but she knew that wasn’t what Julio intended, and she certainly couldn’t abandon her sister, or the babies, or the rest of the Torres family on the eve of Lissa’s wedding. Not after what had happened.
The man continued. “Apparently, someone else will be coming to pick her up. Señorita, you should perhaps stay by the front door and watch for your ride. But, keep the lights off. I won’t lock you in, so you can get out when your ride arrives.”
Joan reached over to Antonio and slipped her fingers into his hand He held it as the door closed and they watched the man walk away in the direction of Julio’s car.
Neither spoke in the dark silence. As soon as they saw the rear taillights of Antonio’s car leave the empty parking lot his Antonio’s hands were all over her body, stripping her out of her clothes as his mouth owned her. He lifted her naked body onto his cock, thrusting up into her as he moved her towards the wall. Joan flung her arms around his neck and came hard, for what seemed to last for an eternity as his mouth sucked at her face, her lips, her nipples. When he’d finished emptying his seed into her, he lifted her limp, satisfied body off of his and set her down on her feet. Joan’s knees buckled and she held onto him, kissing him, never wanting to let him go.
He pulled her to the ground and spread her legs apart, going down on her. He took her pearly, fat clit between his lips and sucked, toying with it until she
came again, the sound of his name, echoing in the massive empty space.
After she’d had more than she could take, and beat him off her with her fists, he pulled her into him and held her close as they rolled on the cold floor.
“Oh, Joan, I can’t bare to leave you again.”
His fingers dipped back between her legs as he sucked on her nipples and nibbled on her skin. She came again as a deep animal growl left her lips.
“Oh, Antonio, I – I –“
Her head flew back as another orgasm ripped through her. He plunged three fingers deep into her, feeling her pussy convulse around them as he found her mouth to swallow her words.
Finally they stopped and he pulled his fingers out of her amazing pussy, to lick them clean as he smiled broadly. “You’re incredible, Joan,” he said “I swear, if I ever get my life together, I’m going to come after you. I can’t bear not to have you with me forever.”
Joan didn’t know what to say. What was he saying?
She was still panting and coming down from her intense orgasm.
The thwop thwop of a helicopter approaching made Antonio start to rise and her heart raced. He was leaving her.
Without conscious thought, she grabbed for his body, digging her fingers into his skin, desperate not to let him go.
“Joan, the helicopter is here. We need to put some clothes on,” he said, laughing a little at her intensity.
“I don’t want you to go. I want to come with you,” she said, as she frantically kissed him for what she knew might be the last time. “I love y—”
A knock at the front door interrupted her words, bringing her to her senses as she scrambled to put on her clothes.
Outside, the helicopter landed. Antonio held Joan close. “I want you to come with me too, but it’s not safe for you. Go!” he said. He pushed her towards the front door, then walked out on the tarmac.
Joan didn’t go to the front door, she watched Antonio get in the helicopter. She watched and waited until it flew out of sight. She waited for the pain in her chest to subside, then smoothed out her clothes and hair and walked to the front of the airport.
The Torres chauffeur looked relieved when Joan pushed open the door and came outside.