Trigger Page 7

  “Jordan?” Marcello prompted.

  I was grateful for my sunglasses, which offered a little protection from his gaze. “When we were eating gelato? That was another backpacker we met while hiking and ended up walking with him back to town.”

  “Ahhh,” he half-nodded in acceptance.

  “Let’s go,” Anna piped in. “See you later!”

  She led the way back to the hotel while they headed back in the direction they had come from.

  “So, how do you really feel about them showing up here?” I asked when they were well out of earshot.

  Anna took a moment before answering. “I guess it’s ok. If they actually did go to some trouble to come see us, it’s flattering. It‘s also a little out there.”

  “And Enzo?”

  “I am not going to worry about anything. I’m all about no complications right now.”

  “If it involves a guy then it is complicated,” I said, thinking of Chase. “Men always make a big deal about girls making things difficult, but that is so wrong. They are the ones that convolute everything with their behavior, bouncing between both ends of the spectrum.”

  “Are we talking about all men now or just one in particular?” Anna was sardonic.

  “You really need me to answer that?”

  “Marcello and Francesco are anything except hard to read. They’re pretty obvious with what they want and how they feel,” she pointed out.

  “Whatever their specific M.O., guys complicate things,” I said.

  At the hotel, conversation dwindled to routine things while we both showered and changed clothes. Ready for the evening, we headed back down to the plaza near the beach and picked a busy little restaurant. The young hostess seated us on the terrace and, over a dinner of very fresh seafood stew and local white wine, we talked about what to do tomorrow. We had just ordered another carafe when Anna spotted Marcello and Francesco across the square and waved them over. They joined us and the server brought two more glasses.

  “Did you go meet the local police like you had planned?” I kept my tone casual but I was watching them both closely, so I noticed when they exchanged a look before Marcello spoke.

  “Yes, we went to the station and let them know we were here and what we were looking into.”

  Anna’s voice was hushed, “Did they have any ideas about what may be going on here?”

  Francesco looked like he wanted to say something, but a glance from Marcello kept him quiet. “They had some limited information,” he said shortly.

  I was a bit stung by the shortness of his answer. “You know you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. We are just trying to make conversation.”

  “Jordan, bella,” Marcello looked a little pained. “I’m sorry, but we have to be careful with how much we tell you. I don’t want to jeopardize our investigation or, more importantly, you.” He sounded so sincere, it was hard to be upset with him.

  What his words indicated concerned me though. “Why would we be in danger?”

  “You don’t know the type of people we are dealing with.” He lowered his voice, causing all three of us to lean in to hear him. “They have eyes and ears everywhere. It’s very likely that they know we’re here and that we’re looking for them. We don’t want to draw their attention to you.”

  “If that is all you had to say, you didn’t need to snap at me,” I told him.

  “What do you mean they have eyes and ears everywhere?” Anna glanced around the crowded restaurant as if expecting everyone to be watching us.

  “He just means that if we’re overheard talking about things, it could get back to the wrong people. This is a small town and there can be gossip. All the locals probably already know that there are two Guardians of Finance here,” Francesco explained. “It is mostly innocent talk, telling friends or family members we’re here to interfere in their town and their duties. One person tells another, who tells another, until everyone knows.” Francesco looked disgusted while Marcello seemed resigned.

  “That is why we are trying to be careful with what we say to anyone, even you,” Marcello said.

  I gave Marcello a long look. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so if I ask stuff that you cannot talk about just let me know.”

  He bobbed his head that he understood. “I have a question for you: Would it really bother you if we had not come here for work but just to see you?” His voice sounded a little anxious.

  I would have to answer carefully because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but I didn’t want to encourage him to the point that he would end up randomly following me somewhere else.

  “It wouldn’t be a bad thing if you came here just for us.” I drew the words out giving myself time to form a diplomatic, yet truthful answer. “It would be unexpected since we only just met in Rome.”

  “Then it is good that we are here for work. The fact that you are here is lucky for us,” Marcello said.

  While it was true that I didn’t want them to have come here just to see us, a tiny part of me was flattered by Marcello’s interest. Not wanting to deal with the internal confusion, I blocked that thought from my mind.

  Marcello casually stretched his arm across the back of my chair. I purposely kept my hands in my lap, thinking if I kept them out of reach he wouldn’t try to hold my hand. While my emotions may be a tangled mess, there was little doubt as to how he felt. Hand-holding was dangerous because it could lead to hugging and possibly kissing. I was not ready for that at the moment.

  Flicking a look out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Francesco had deftly maneuvered himself so his hand was resting lightly on Anna’s knee. At least he was starting off with PG activity.

  “What are you doing tomorrow?” Marcello asked.

  “Probably sleep in, and then the beach or maybe we’ll go to another town and check out the shops and restaurants. What about you?”

  “Tomorrow is for work,” he said, making Francesco grimace.

  “Don’t forget the party tomorrow night,” Anna added.

  “We may have to work late tomorrow night as well,” Marcello said carefully as he shot a look at Francesco, “but if we can come we will be there at some point.”

  “It looks like they’re closing down here. How about we check out some other bar?” Anna suggested.

  “We should probably go. We have an early morning meeting,” Marcello said. “May we walk you back to your hotel?”

  “Thanks, but I’m not that tired yet,” I said, glancing at Anna who nodded in agreement.

  “We will see you tomorrow then?” Marcello asked as we all stood up to say good night.

  “Yeah, we will be around. If you don’t see us during the day, then we will definitely be at the party tomorrow night.”

  Leaning forward, he stopped inches from my face, “Ciao bella.” His voice was low and I found it seductive.

  “Good night,” I said, slightly mesmerized.

  He straightened up suddenly, leaving me a little unsteady. Marcello said something to Francesco, causing him to plant a big kiss on Anna. The two men shot us confident smiles over their shoulders before disappearing.

  Anna was fanning herself dramatically. “I am telling you, these Italians really know how to turn on the charm.”

  “Too true,” I said as we paid the bill and made our way to the small bar across the square that was jammed with people.

  “You know what I think your biggest concern is?” Anna asked.

  “What is that?”

  “I think your biggest concern with having Marcello here is Chase.”

  She was right so I didn’t argue the point. Instead, I snagged a newly vacant table while she went and got a couple of drinks.

  “I think my bigger problem is trying to figure out what Chase is really all about, or if I’ll even see him again,” I said when she returned with cocktails.

  “I don’t think you will have to worry about not seeing him again. He won’t be able to stay away from you.”
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  “How do you know?”

  “Trust me, he will be back. In fact, I will bet that he will be at the party tomorrow night.”

  I shrugged to show I wasn’t going to bet either way. The two of us sipped our drinks and enjoyed the music. After a while, I started to feel sleepy.

  “It is getting pretty late. Should we call it a night?” I asked.

  Also getting tired, Anna didn’t protest. The walk to our little hotel was short, and once we were in the room she landed face-down on her bed, kicked off her flip flops, and was asleep in no time. Pulling on a tank top and shorts. I crashed onto my own bed.

  Just as it was starting to get light outside, the sounds of Anna tossing, turning, and mumbling loudly woke me from a deep dreamless sleep. I squinted to see what she was doing without fully opening my eyes. Anna was lying at a bizarre angle on the bed and was moving around like she couldn’t get comfortable. After a few minutes, she trudged to the small in-suite bathroom. I heard her stumbling around, then she wandered back to collapse back on the bed.

  “Do you have anything for a headache?” Her voice was scratchy as though her throat was dry and sore.

  “In my pack,” I informed her.

  She groaned in response.

  “Are you hung over or sick?” I asked, hoping for the first yet fearing the second.

  “I think I’m just really tired. I’m going to go back to sleep,” she croaked out.

  “I’ll get some water and aspirin for you.”

  She grunted what sounded like a thank you, then gratefully accepted both when I offered them to her. After swallowing the pills, she lay back down slowly as if any sudden movement might push her over the edge.

  I went back to bed hoping that I wouldn’t come down with whatever she had. A few hours later I got up, took a shower and went down for breakfast on my own. Over coffee and toast, I decided to spend some time on the beach reading. I went back to the room to get what I would need for the morning. Anna was lying inert in her bed. I packed up my bag and left her a note indicating where I would be in case she wanted to find me later. Leaving the hotel, I wandered down the main road to the beach. I sat down on a bench overlooking the sand so I could scout out a good location for my blanket.

  Enjoying the moment, I closed my eyes and lifted my face to the sun, soaking in its heat. Along with voices and waves crashing, I heard the hum of a powerful engine decelerating until it was idling directly behind me. Curious, I turned around to find a sleek, silver motorcycle with a rider in a black helmet straddling it directly behind me.

  The rider flipped his visor up, revealing Chase’s sharp blue-eyed gaze.

  “Why, hello,” I stuttered a little.

  He smiled as if there was a private joke that I was not privy to.

  “Why, hello yourself.”

  “What’re you up to?”

  “Not much.” He shot a look around. “Where’s Anna?”

  “She isn’t feeling too good, she’s in the room still sleeping.”

  “Late night?” The question was nonchalant but the underlying tenor had a hint of a challenge to it.

  Somehow, I was certain that he knew exactly what we had been up to the previous evening.

  “Not so much. We had dinner and then some friends joined us for a drink.” I tried to be as casual as he was.

  “Friends?” The way he said the word insinuated something much more meaningful than friendship.

  “I guess they’re friends. We met them when we were in Rome. They are up here for work and we hung out for a little bit last night.” I kept my tone even. “Do you have some sort of issue with that?”

  “You must’ve made quite an impression if they followed you up here from Rome.”

  “You obviously missed the part where I said they were here for work.” I was caustic.

  “Work. Right,” he trailed off, making it clear that he thought it was a pretty weak excuse.

  Even though I agreed with him, I wasn’t about to let him know that.

  “Whatever, what does it matter to you anyway?”

  “You have no set plans for today?”

  Thrown by the topic change, I was slow to answer. “No. Where are you headed to on your bike?”

  “Just this place I know.”

  While we talked, his eyes were on an almost constant swivel. It was like he was on the lookout for someone that he expected to show up at any time. I wasn’t sure what he was waiting for, but I could tell he was thinking heavily on something.

  Abruptly he asked, “Want to go for a ride?”

  “Go for a ride?” I repeated, unprepared for the invitation.

  “Come on.” He cocked his head jauntily and gestured for me to come over to him.

  “Where?” Another dynamite response.

  “Jordan,” he said softly.

  I liked the way he said my name; it made me feel warm inside.

  “What if Anna comes looking for me?”

  “Come on.”

  The offer and the way he looked at me were too enticing to refuse.

  “Do you have a second helmet?” I got up from the bench and walked over to him.

  Chase wasn’t looking at me; he was glancing around again. He handed me a black helmet that had been attached to the back of the bike.

  “Are you looking for someone or something in particular?” I asked.

  His gaze snapped back to my own. “No.” His response was flat, and totally unbelievable.

  I took the helmet and silently put it on.

  “Have you ever been on a motorcycle?”

  I shook my head no.

  “Sit close behind me and hang on tight. When you feel me lean, lean with me but don’t overcompensate.”

  “I think I can handle that.”

  “Let’s go,” he was suddenly terse.

  “What’s the rush?” I muttered. I put my hands on his hips as I threw my leg over the bike. I tried not to think about the fact I’d promised my mother I would never ride on one of these things.

  He flipped the visor down, and as soon as my arms were wrapped around his waist the bike shot forward. Once we were moving, he turned the bike up the main road, which led straight out of town. The bike picked up a lot of speed in a short amount of time, which was exhilarating.

  Chase looked over his shoulder several times as we left town. I wasn’t sure if he was checking on me or making certain we weren’t being followed. The further we got from the village, the less often he glanced behind us.

  The road grew more winding and narrow as it climbed. There were a couple of sharp corners that required the bike to lean at precipitous angles. After successfully navigating several turns, I started to feel more comfortable and stopped holding my breath at every bend in the road.

  On a straightaway, I shot a look over my shoulder, spotting a black BMW with tinted windows approaching fast. The fact that I hadn’t seen any other cars, and the way the car was rapidly gaining ground, struck me as ominous.

  “There’s someone coming up on our six!” I shouted over the noise of the motor and the wind.

  Chase’s head shifted slightly to check the approaching vehicle in his side mirror. The BMW was getting very close. The motorcycle lurched underneath me as it picked up even more speed. I tightened my grip on his waist, pressing closely against him. The road was running parallel to the coastline now with some wicked curves ahead. While I should have been terrified, for some unfathomable reason I was not nervous as we raced toward the dangerous curves. I was curiously confident.

  The bike barely slowed down as it approached the first big turn. I held my breath as we catapulted around it. Once we were clear, I dared to peek behind me. The black BMW came screeching around the corner after us. I had been amazed that we had made that turn so easily at the speed we had been going. I was flat-out stunned the BMW managed it. At first I had assumed it was just another driver showing off his fast car. Now, I wasn’t so sure.

  We approached another sharp corner without slowing do
wn. The bike leaned so low to the ground I could feel the heat from the asphalt on my leg. My heart was pounding in my chest as we shot out of the curve like a rocket. Despite the riskiness of the situation I felt solid, as though nothing could affect me without my permission. My helmet was my only real protection if we crashed, but I wasn’t scared. I was calm and analytical as I assessed the constantly changing circumstances.

  We were close to the town of Vernazza when a small green car appeared at an intersection up ahead. I could easily visualize the trajectory of the vehicles as if a line shot forward from each one indicating its path. I knew we would just miss the oncoming car, but I was positive the BMW would hit it.

  The entire scenario unfolded in front of me as if in slow motion. The milliseconds ticked by like hours as each vehicle moved along its slated path. One breath took ages and an eye blink lasted days. Suddenly, real time crashed down and everything happened at once.

  The driver of the green car saw us, so he slammed on his brakes. There was terror in the old man’s eyes as Chase took the turn at a high velocity. The bike bucked as the rear tire skidded, taking us within a hairsbreadth of the rock wall bordering the road. I had a viselike grip on Chase’s waist and squeezed my knees to keep myself on the bike.

  Behind us, the impact of the BMW colliding with the green car was physically jarring. I didn’t dare look back because we were at a critical point in regaining our balance. We zigzagged across the road several times as Chase fought to bring the bike under control. Just when I was sure we were going to topple, the bike straightened and balanced. Chase slammed on the gas and we shot forward. With the bike steady again, I hazarded a quick look over my shoulder.

  Both drivers were standing next to their vehicles making angry gestures. The black skid marks from the bike marked the road like vivid scars. The men from the BMW were big, dressed in dark clothes, and stared after us as we disappeared around the next curve.

  About a mile up the road, Chase pulled over at a turnout that had the most spectacular panoramic view up and down the coastline. In the distance I could see a crowd of people beginning to gather around the accident.

  He remained silent as we observed the scene below.

  “What on earth was that?” My voice was calm but edged with steel.