his fist clenched around her wrists, blocking her arms as his other hand groped her body slowly, lasciviously.
“Just like I thought, no weapon,” he grinned, yanking her to him. Rea suppressed the urge to run as his hands cupped her behind, pulling her up against his erection.
* * * *
Alex raced through the empty town. Everyone was now safe in bed. Except for Rea. Alex ran up and down the dusty, powdery paths that scarred the island, but there was no sign of her presence nor passage. His head threatened to explode, and he had to stop and catch his breath. Then he became aware of footsteps behind him. He stooped and picked up a few rocks, ready to use them when he heard a familiar voice.
“Alex, it’s me, Giuseppe.”
Alex breathed a sigh of relief as the man reached out a supporting hand. “You look like shit, my friend. Go home. I promise I’ll find her.”
“I’m not abandoning her like you all did.”
Giuseppe held out his hands. “Understand Alex, Don Raffaele forbade us to talk to her.”
Alex was baffled by the power the little man had on his flock. “Why?”
“Because he said she would contaminate our souls.”
Alex rolled his eyes skyward. “Giuseppe, you need to get out more, see the world a bit. You all do. Sex is another expression of love, in most cases. It’s not a sin to actually enjoy it, you know? And when you find the right girl, you’ll understand.”
“ Mamma Mia , are you saying the women in America…sleep with men before marrying them?”
Alex chuckled despite himself. “Giuseppe, you must be blind. They do it on the island here as well. Only they have to be more careful.”
His friends chest puffed in defiance as Alex added, “Haven’t you noticed Pietro, the way he sniffs around Carmela’s front door?”
“Pietro? No! He is the brother of Carmela’s dead husband!”
“How long has she been a widow?”
“Three years now.”
Alex nodded. “And you think that there’s nothing there?”
Giuseppe drew in a deep breath, his eyes wide, and Alex put a hand on his shoulder. “If you were waiting for her, I think you’re a little late, my friend. Now help me find Rea.”
* * * *
As Calogero licked her ear, she took in the contents of the cave behind them until she spotted something gleaming in the dark corner beside a heap of logs. An ax. She stepped forward, pushing him on the floor and straddled him, just a few inches away from the implement. His eyes lit up with excitement as she leaned forward to lift his sweater up his chest. He groaned and Rea closed her eyes, biting her lip to stop from crying. She reached up his chest, her hands traveling past his shoulders toward the ax.
With one determined swing, she closed her eyes and sliced it downward.
At the sound of his scream she opened her eyes and recoiled. His face was in two, and initially there was no blood. He tottered for an agonizingly long moment as she watched, and then fell over into a heap at her feet.
Alex crawled into the cave, stopped in shock, and instinctively yanked her away, his breath sawing in and out of him, his eyes wide in horror as Giuseppe joined them.
“Dear God, Rea- what have you done?” Alex whispered in awe as Giuseppe turned pale.
“We have to go!” Giuseppe cried. “Before the Carabinieri get here!”
“It was self-defense,” Alex cried. “I’ll say I did it.”
“No!” Rea stood her ground, the ax still tight in her hands, her eyes unreadable, her face impassive. “I did it. Gladly!” She was free. The monster was dead. Now if only she could slay her interior demons.
“Giuseppe, you go back into town and pretend nothing has happened. If anybody asks you, just say that I found Rea and you left us.”
“But what are you going to do?”
“No one knows of this cave!” Rea whispered, almost afraid of being overheard. “Calogero will never be found!”
“Go, Giuseppe, hurry!”
Their friend gave them one last glance, and crawled through the slit in the
“Just like I thought, no weapon,” he grinned, yanking her to him. Rea suppressed the urge to run as his hands cupped her behind, pulling her up against his erection.
* * * *
Alex raced through the empty town. Everyone was now safe in bed. Except for Rea. Alex ran up and down the dusty, powdery paths that scarred the island, but there was no sign of her presence nor passage. His head threatened to explode, and he had to stop and catch his breath. Then he became aware of footsteps behind him. He stooped and picked up a few rocks, ready to use them when he heard a familiar voice.
“Alex, it’s me, Giuseppe.”
Alex breathed a sigh of relief as the man reached out a supporting hand. “You look like shit, my friend. Go home. I promise I’ll find her.”
“I’m not abandoning her like you all did.”
Giuseppe held out his hands. “Understand Alex, Don Raffaele forbade us to talk to her.”
Alex was baffled by the power the little man had on his flock. “Why?”
“Because he said she would contaminate our souls.”
Alex rolled his eyes skyward. “Giuseppe, you need to get out more, see the world a bit. You all do. Sex is another expression of love, in most cases. It’s not a sin to actually enjoy it, you know? And when you find the right girl, you’ll understand.”
“ Mamma Mia , are you saying the women in America…sleep with men before marrying them?”
Alex chuckled despite himself. “Giuseppe, you must be blind. They do it on the island here as well. Only they have to be more careful.”
His friends chest puffed in defiance as Alex added, “Haven’t you noticed Pietro, the way he sniffs around Carmela’s front door?”
“Pietro? No! He is the brother of Carmela’s dead husband!”
“How long has she been a widow?”
“Three years now.”
Alex nodded. “And you think that there’s nothing there?”
Giuseppe drew in a deep breath, his eyes wide, and Alex put a hand on his shoulder. “If you were waiting for her, I think you’re a little late, my friend. Now help me find Rea.”
* * * *
As Calogero licked her ear, she took in the contents of the cave behind them until she spotted something gleaming in the dark corner beside a heap of logs. An ax. She stepped forward, pushing him on the floor and straddled him, just a few inches away from the implement. His eyes lit up with excitement as she leaned forward to lift his sweater up his chest. He groaned and Rea closed her eyes, biting her lip to stop from crying. She reached up his chest, her hands traveling past his shoulders toward the ax.
With one determined swing, she closed her eyes and sliced it downward.
At the sound of his scream she opened her eyes and recoiled. His face was in two, and initially there was no blood. He tottered for an agonizingly long moment as she watched, and then fell over into a heap at her feet.
Alex crawled into the cave, stopped in shock, and instinctively yanked her away, his breath sawing in and out of him, his eyes wide in horror as Giuseppe joined them.
“Dear God, Rea- what have you done?” Alex whispered in awe as Giuseppe turned pale.
“We have to go!” Giuseppe cried. “Before the Carabinieri get here!”
“It was self-defense,” Alex cried. “I’ll say I did it.”
“No!” Rea stood her ground, the ax still tight in her hands, her eyes unreadable, her face impassive. “I did it. Gladly!” She was free. The monster was dead. Now if only she could slay her interior demons.
“Giuseppe, you go back into town and pretend nothing has happened. If anybody asks you, just say that I found Rea and you left us.”
“But what are you going to do?”
“No one knows of this cave!” Rea whispered, almost afraid of being overheard. “Calogero will never be found!”
“Go, Giuseppe, hurry!”
Their friend gave them one last glance, and crawled through the slit in the
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