Free Until Twilight by Desiree Holt, Cerise DeLand Page A

table. “If you get any more
    telephone calls, report it to this number. Ask for Dan Foreman. He and his wife,
    Madison, are coordinating everything from the home office.”
    The man looked at the card. “I shouldn’t call you?”
    Isabella shook her head. “They’ll have information we might not have yet. Call them. They’ll get in touch with us.” Bella stood quickly. “You know we must be in Paris tomorrow.”
    “ Sì. La Guardia di Finanza has authorized one of its jets for your transportation,”
    Umberto told them. “All we need is your required departure time.”
    “We’ll call you.” Isabella held out her hand. “We will get Arturo back,” she assured
    him. “I promise.”
    * * * * *
    Isabella stood at the window, looking out at the streets of Rome, nightlights
    twinkling against the velvet sky. They’d chosen a quiet little place called The
    Mediterraneo. Isabella usually stayed there whenever she was in Rome, favoring the
    easy walk to the train station, the Coliseum and the Forum as well as several consulates.
    She loved its old-world charm and the deep, dark mahogany furnishings. They had a
    magnificent breakfast buffet served in a room surrounded by Italian cut glass windows,
    but regretfully she knew she’d have to pass on it this time. Their early departure would only give them enough time for flaky pastries and strong coffee.
    On any other occasion she’d be ecstatic to be here in this seductive hotel in the city
    of romance. Now, however, she was consumed with worry for her friend and the
    foreboding of impending disaster.
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    Desiree Holt & Cerise DeLand
    Lane came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “That was Dan on
    the phone. Umberto contacted him. There’s been another phone call, but this one was
    from Franzoni.”
    Isabella turned quickly. “Is he free? Is he safe?”
    “No, sweetheart, but he says he’s not being mistreated. He just repeated what we
    heard in the first call. Dan said it sounded as if he was reading from a script.”
    “He probably was. I hope you’re right thinking they can’t afford to kill him.”
    “He’s just a bargaining chip to let us know they mean business. Remember one of
    the last things he said on his call with you was they wore balaclavas. That means he
    can’t identify them, so if we comply with their wishes they have no reason to kill him.”
    “Anything else?”
    “Yes.” Lane turned her so she faced the window again. “He thinks they have a lead
    to someone in Octo. He’s still working his contacts and he’s been talking to Adam. He
    and Nicole will meet us in Paris tomorrow.”
    “I’m so worried about Arturo.” She leaned back against him, loving the hard
    warmth of his body.
    “Everyone knows he’s a priority,” Lane assured her. “We’ll get it taken care of.”
    “And there’s still the matter of Kopf Industries,” she reminded him. “Just because
    Octo has decided to use terrorist means to attack them doesn’t mean there isn’t
    something there to investigate.”
    “But none of the G8 governments wanted to rattle that powerful cage,” Lane
    reminded her. “I think when this particular crisis is resolved Nemesis may be
    contracted to dig into the three men who own it. We can do it quietly, out of the
    spotlight and without worrying about diplomatic breaches of etiquette.”
    “I know. But right now I just feel so helpless and I hate it.” She laughed and there
    was a touch of hysteria in the sound. “Give me a good bomb to dismantle any day.”
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    Until Twilight
    “Not this day.” Lane nibbled her earlobe and traced a line along the column of her
    neck with the tip of his tongue. “No new reports of any bombs since the one at the
    Franzoni residence, thank god.”
    “Waiting is the worst of it. I just wish I could remember where I’d seen a bomb like
    these before. I think it’s very important.”
    “Quit trying so hard and it’ll come to you.”
    “I want to be doing something