was one of the ruling families and it was like marrying royalty. I thought he loved her. He claimed he did in his own way. He said he loved her more than he has ever loved any woman. He also said that was part of the reason he wouldn’t divorce her. That and her family would never understand.”
Sam rubbed the bridge of his nose with one gloved finger as they continued to walk around the lake. The water lapped gently at the shore. “He did admit to having many regrets. He said he wished he’d stayed home for her birthday. He didn’t because he’d already agreed to meet several of his friends at the strip club and he didn’t want to look weak. He’d forgotten the date. He said he should have just called them and canceled.”
“That’s so sad, that his ego wouldn’t allow him to back down, even though he wanted to.”
“I actually said that same thing to him and he pointed out that it was a different time then. Men and women had different roles. Even children did. He was brought up in a harsher environment than he brought me up in. I suppose he’s right.”
“Still, it’s obvious that he doesn’t have much respect for women, does he?” Stella asked.
“I’m grateful he’s never had a daughter. If he had, he would have treated her like a commodity,” Sam said. “I might have had to arrange to do him in myself. I would never have tolerated him treating my little sister like that.”
“That man with him, his bodyguard or whatever he is, Lucio Vitale, he doesn’t seem as if he has much respect for women either. Or he doesn’t think they have brains.”
“His entire family was wiped out. It’s a long story, not a pleasant one. I imagine he’s very bitter and relentless in his need for vengeance. He’s a man to stay away from. I’m not surprised to see him with my father, although I’m a little shocked that Marco trusts him.”
Stella blinked up at him. “Do you think he would hurt your father?”
“If it ever came out that Marco had a hand in the killing of his family, damn straight he would kill him without batting an eye. He’d do it slow and ugly too, savoring every moment of his torture. His family died hard. First his father. Then his older brothers. He took care of his mother and sisters financially by fighting bare-knuckle in the death matches.”
Stella frowned up at him. “What is that?” A little shiver went down her spine because she had a terrible feeling she knew. “That’s not like those Hollywood films where they fight to the death, is it?” She tried to sound sarcastic so it wouldn’t be real.
“That’s exactly what it is.”
“I didn’t think those were real. He’s still alive so he must have won.”
“He won, but they took his money to pay his father’s debt every match. That left his mother and sisters without a roof and no food. He had to do other things to get money for those things, and still, life wasn’t good for any of them.”
They walked in silence, listening to the familiar sounds of the night creatures and the whisper of the wind ruffling the surface of the water. Bats wheeled and dipped, catching insects as they flew in the moonbeams above the water’s edge.
“You just never know how complicated a person’s life is, do you, Sam?” Stella asked. “Ever since the nightmares have started, I’ve been finding out all sorts of things about my friends, from Denver to Vienna, things I hadn’t known before.” She tilted her face up to his. “Things about you. I guess everyone has things in their past they prefer stay there. I feel for him now, for Vitale, and I don’t want to. I think he’s too much like your father. I also think he’s the man who broke Raine’s heart. I don’t know that, but if he did, he’s indirectly responsible for her father’s death and her being thrown out of her family.”
“I hope not,” Sam said. “Raine strikes me as the vengeful type. If they both are, that could be a very bad combination. Especially if they both are sitting at our holiday dinner table.”
“Since the talk didn’t go so well, I guess I won’t have to worry about that,” Stella said, feeling somewhat relieved.
“Actually, it went better than I expected. I had checked into his medical history before I went to see him. He does have