But Tiberio, the bastard, had summoned enough energy to hiss through clenched teeth.
That man is a murderer. He’d pointed at Tony and lied with his dying breath. I tried to stop him, but he killed Fabricio, then attacked me.
Tony had been tempted to fling Tiberio against a wall, but the guards held him back.
Tiberio’s breath was rattly, but he managed to spit out a few more words, every one of them damning Tony. He wanted to kill the children too. You must stop this traitor before he threatens more innocent lives.
Finally, Tiberio expired, but the damage was done. It was Tony’s word against that of a respected Guardian.
Oh, he’d readily admitted to killing Tiberio and his men in defense of the children. But no one believed him — not the soldiers who’d heard Tiberio’s last words, nor the tribunal Tony had been dragged in to face shortly after. Meanwhile, the only witnesses who could attest to his innocence — the traumatized Fellini children and their mother — had gone into hiding.
Until now. He stared at Fiorina, marveling.
Destiny, his lion murmured. Maybe it really is on our side now.
He couldn’t help but glance at Cara. Was destiny making up for everything he’d lost, or was it all just a cruel tease?
Either way, a bitter taste filled his mouth. Nothing could make up for being falsely accused. Worse, all Venice had believed Tiberio’s lie. Tony’s friends had turned their backs on him, and his family had been ostracized. Which burned, because he was innocent of any crime except for being foolish enough to accept a job from Tiberio.
One small mistake that had changed the course of his life forever.
After a quick “trial,” Tony had been sentenced to death for the murder of two of Venice’s leading Guardians.
The whole ordeal had been like watching a movie, right down to the detail of a monk who entered his cell for a final confession on the eve of his execution.
Or so he’d thought, until the monk tossed back his hood and winked. Remember me?
It was Fidelio, the loyal servant, who assured Tony the family was safe.
They are deep in hiding, Fidelio explained. I dare not tell you — or anyone — where. But I will tell you this: the Fellini family does not forget its friends.
Fidelio had patted Tony on the back and checked his watch. A few minutes later, he motioned Tony out of his cell into the strangely silent prison ward. The guards were all slumped over at their stations, and a bottle of wine stood empty on a table.
Quickly, Fidelio had urged. The drug will wear off soon, but by then, you will have made your escape.
And boy, had he. All the way across northern Italy and into France, where he’d disappeared into the ranks of the French Foreign Legion.
Ten years ago. Ten long years fighting for a foreign country. But now, he was finally home.
Looking past Fiorina, Tony gazed into Cara’s two-toned eyes.
Home. A new beginning, his lion hummed.
He sucked in a deep breath. Could it really be?
Chapter Seven
The meeting hall went utterly silent, and Cara stared. Tony was the man who’d saved Fiorina’s family?
Back when she’d worked as an au pair, she hadn’t been told much. All she knew was that the family was in hiding after Fiorina’s father met a violent death — and that when Fiorina’s mother said grace at Sunday dinner, she always ended with two things.
We pray for our beloved Fabricio and for the hero who saved our lives. We are eternally grateful for both. Amen.
Amen, the children would echo, and Cara had too.
She’d never asked who that hero was. But, wow — there he was, in the flesh.
And man, oh man, was that a hell of a lot of flesh. Mostly muscle, from what she could tell, having fought side by side with him for a few chaotic minutes. But that experience, no matter how brief, had already helped them form a bond. Was that why her heart thumped or why she could barely drag her gaze away from his?
“But Tiberio clearly said—” Ercole boomed.
Fiorina winced, but Grazia stepped forward and patted Fiorina’s arm.
“For goodness’ sake, Ercole. Did you bring this poor girl back to Venice to dismiss everything she says? Is that the role of a Fire Maiden?”
Ercole bristled, though he held his tongue.
All in all, the scene confirmed Cara’s resolve to avoid Venice’s shifter politics. But, wow. Fiorina was a Fire Maiden?
Cara stared. Her great-grandparents had hailed from Venice, and they’d passed down countless legends from home. Among those were tales of Fire Maidens — powerful young women descended from the great dragon queen, Liviana. The benevolent monarch had assigned her daughters the task of ensuring peace and prosperity in each of Europe’s grand cities. And for years, it had worked — with the help of magical spells that enhanced their power.
But the ancient spells were waning, and Venice’s last Fire Maiden had long since disappeared. That left only the shifter elites known as Guardians to watch over each city. And if Venice’s Guardians were anything to go by…
Cara hid a grimace. No wonder the city was in such a state of decay.
The gem Grazia had loaned her for the evening warmed against her skin as if to agree.
Grazia patted Fiorina’s shoulder. “Now, then. Let’s hear what our Fire Maiden has to say.”
Ismerelda bristled. “Must you further traumatize my poor niece?”
Grazia cocked her head. “Traumatizing her or encouraging her to speak for herself?”
Traumatizing, Cara decided. Fiorina’s hands shook, and she looked paler than ever. Cara slid an arm over her shoulders and mimicked taking a deep breath.
Remember how we used to do this after you had a nightmare? she whispered into Fiorina’s mind.
Fiorina managed a thin smile and did as Cara suggested. But when she moved her lips, only a nervous squeak came out.
Pretend you’re talking to me. Just me, Cara tried.
Fiorina gripped Cara’s hands, and the next time she tried, her shaky voice emerged.
“There’s not much to say other than that. I remember this man. He saved us back then, and he saved me tonight. You saved me too,” Fiorina added, looking at Cara.
Ercole looked about to protest, but a woman rushed in just then, and Fiorina ran over to hug her.
“Oh, my dear girl. Are you all right?” Amalia, Fiorina’s mother, hugged Cara next. “Thank you. Thank you so much. Destiny has brought you to us yet again.”
Cara hugged her back, as delighted as Amalia at the unexpected reunion. It was just the destiny part that made her wary.
Then Amalia looked over Cara’s shoulder and froze. Everyone watched as she slowly approached Tony.
“You…”
One syllable wasn’t much to go on, but Amalia’s voice and hands shook. With fear? With emotion?
How Tony stood so still, Cara didn’t know. The man was a rock, devoid of emotion. All but those honey-colored eyes that exuded honesty and honor.
Cara shook her head. No way was that man a cold-blooded killer. But if Amalia didn’t say something soon…
A dozen crazy scenarios rushed through Cara’s mind. Like creating a diversion to help him escape. Maybe even helping him fight his way out of that overdecorated palace before joining him in the life of a fugitive. They could flee to North America, establish new identities, live happily ever after, and—